Tampa equity firm backs healthy ice cream

TAMPA — Stonehenge Growth Equity Partners has made an investment in Thrive Nutritious Ice Cream, a nutritional ice cream company based in Winter Park. This marks the second investment for Tampa-based Stonehenge's new investment fund, which closed last summer, and its 19th Florida company investment overall.

Over the past two years, Thrive Nutritious Ice Cream has been distributed in nearly 1,000 senior living communities and more than 1,200 grocery stores nationwide. The single-serving cup design and its use of protein, probiotics and fiber have positioned Thrive in the limited meal replacement category, which currently consists of shakes and bars. Its product has an ice cream consistency and seven flavors including salted caramel and mint fudge.

“Thrive's positioning as a nutritional meal replacement delivered as high-quality ice cream creates a huge opportunity,” Travis Milks, partner at Stonehenge Growth Equity Partners, says in a press release. “Long-term care facilities have faced major challenges delivering nutritional supplements that their patients are willing to consume. Thrive developed this ice cream product with the consumption experience in mind, making it highly enjoyable to eat and much easier for the caregiver to provide.”