SmartSweets is a female-founded better-for-you candy company that makes low-sugar gummy snacks. The brand launched in 2016 and is based in Vancouver, B.C. It positions itself to lower sugar consumption while delivering products intended to rival traditional candy. Since its launch the company says it has kicked over 3.9 billion grams of sugar out of traditional candy. SmartSweets has about 62 employees and reports that 77% of its workforce is female. Financial details such as valuation and the size of recent investments have been declined to disclose. SmartSweets produces low-sugar, non-chocolate candy alternatives—gummy and sour-style confections—formulated without artificial sweeteners or colors. Each serving contains three grams of sugar compared with about 19 grams in typical gummy bears. Products include substitutes for gummy bears, Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish. The company was founded in 2016 by Tara Bosch when she was 21; she began developing recipes after a conversation with her grandmother. SmartSweets is currently stocked in roughly 10,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, including Whole Foods, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and GNC, and the company expects that number to double by the end of 2019. Bosch initially self-funded the business from her savings and the company reports it has raised $6.1 million to date. Its stated vision is to become the global leader in innovating confectionery products that "kick sugar" while focusing on non-chocolate candy.

Total raised

$6M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

May 2019