Award-Winning Gelato
For 16 years, Naia has produced original, award-winning gelato in Northern California.
Now, the boutique food company is preparing to take its frozen dessert nationwide.
Recently, the boutique food industry has experienced significant M&A activity — for example:
In October 2017, Kellog acquired RXBar, maker of nutrition bars, for $600 million…
In September 2017, Nestle acquired Blue Bottle Coffee for $425 million…
And in September 2014, WhiteWave Foods acquired So Delicious, a company producing frozen desserts, for $195 million.
Gelato uses milk as a base instead of cream, making it a healthier alternative to ice cream.
While other desserts contain several artificial ingredients, Naia uses what it calls “real ingredients” from local producers — for example, pistachios from a local grower or coffee beans from a local coffee shop.
Naia launched in 2002 as a brick-and-mortar store in Berkeley, California. Following initial success, the company began selling its gelato in stores at local Whole Foods markets.
In 2011, when Whole Foods stopped putting gelato stations in its stores, Naia created a new product called Bar Gelato, or what the company calls “gelato on a stick.”
Naia began selling its Bar Gelato in Whole Foods, and today it’s available in more than 250 stores in Northern California.
In 2017, Naia generated nearly $3 million in revenues. The company has been named one of the “Fastest growing businesses” by the San Francisco Business Times for five straight years.