**When Fries Go Seed-Oil-Free, VCs Line Up**

Jesse & Ben’s just closed an oversubscribed $10 million Series A led by Greycroft, with Rich Products Ventures joining alongside Willow Growth Partners, Sling Ventures, Midnight Venture Partners and Grt Sht Ventures. Method and Olly co-founder Eric Ryan is also joining the board. Not bad for a frozen foods brand built around one idea, no seed oils.

The company makes seed-oil-free fries cooked in avocado oil or beef tallow and launched in frozen aisles in 2024. Growth has been loud. Jesse & Ben’s says it grew more than 1,100% last year and expects another 300% to 400% in 2026.

Retail is paying attention. Walmart, Kroger and Sprouts now let buyers filter for certified seed-oil-free products through RangeMe. That means the attribute is no longer niche. It is searchable.

Why it matters: better-for-you used to be about sugar and protein. Now ingredient sourcing is becoming the headline. When retailers build filters around seed-oil-free products, they are signaling demand at scale. Investors are reading the same tea leaves.

Quick take. Seed-oil-free is starting to look less like a fringe wellness trend and more like a merchandising strategy. If fries can grow 1,100% on the back of an oil choice, imagine what happens when the rest of frozen foods starts reformulating. The next fight in the freezer aisle might not be flavor. It might be fat.