Tosi Snacks is ending the year with fresh funding and a new leader at the helm. The Anaheim, Calif.-based snack company’s Series B round, led by existing investor Cambridge SPG, is still open and expected to close “north” of the $15.8 million already reported in an SEC filing, according to its new chief executive Kevin Rutherford, who had served as Tosi’s board chair for nearly two years. Founded in 2012, Tosi makes USDA Organic certified, gluten-free, vegan snack bars and clusters sold in over 1,200 U.S. stores as well as in Dubai, Hong Kong and the Dominican Republic. Mother-daughter co-founding team Stefanie and Chelsea Hults encouraged Rutherford to take on a more hands-on leadership role in Tosi’s day-to-day operations. The Hults will remain in “critical roles” as the team evolves into the new leadership structure and “builds out lanes” in job responsibilities, Rutherford said. “Obviously, these two founders did everything and now just can’t do everything because we are about to scale to a whole different level,” he said. Rutherford said he was ready to jump back into leading a team where he could directly impact a brand’s trajectory. Drawing from his marketing and leadership roles at companies like SC Johnson, Miller Brewing Co., Kashi and Nuun Hydration, Rutherford will help steer the brand’s efforts in building out awareness and trial. The new funding will most directly go towards more marketing spend on demos and sampling. The business has grown sales about “300% for the last couple years,” Rutherford said, but is ready to add more fuel to the fire in not only its wide retail distribution network but also in ecommerce channels where it has been focusing in the last year. “There is real energy behind the brand. Interest in Tosi remains strong,” Rutherford said. “Consumers are looking beyond the overly used term ‘better-for-you.’ That’s what Tosi is. It's very distinctive and highly differentiated.” Insiders can read the full story on Nosh to learn more about the brand’s lead backer and plans for the new capital. | 
