Best Food Processing Companies in Illinois, United States
The 79 best Food Processing companies in Illinois, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: TreeHouse Foods.
Ranked: Best Food Processing companies in Illinois
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TreeHouse Foods Private label packaged foods company | $2.4B | 124 mo ago | Acquired | — | 2005 | Q4SalesforceMediaElement.js+14 | — | 1 expansion |
| 2 | The Fresh Factory Apple processing company 48Funding top 18%Talent top 28%News top 33%Growth top 45% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 18% Talenttop 28% Newstop 33% Growthtop 45% Globalbottom 37% Techbottom 35% Marketbottom 29% Funding: Raised $42.4M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 5 yrs (0.8/yr) Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $42M | 5 mo ago | Public | Jeff Adeszko Co-Founder | 2016 | Cart FunctionalityWordPressMySQL+20 | — | 1 expansion |
| 3 | Chicago Meat Authority Processor of beef, pork, and poultry products for foodservice and further processing | $20M | 127 mo ago | Funding Raised | Jordan Dorfman President | 1990 | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | — | — |
| 4 | ZTrim.com Manufacturer of functional food ingredients | $17M | 128 mo ago | Public | — | 1994 | — | — | — |
| 5 | Green Coffee Company Coffee producer offering farm-direct, traceable roasted coffee 64Funding top 33%Growth top 35%Tech top 38%Talent top 38% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 33% Growthtop 35% Techtop 38% Talenttop 38% Patentstop 42% Innovationtop 46% Globalbottom 46% Funding: Raised $11.7M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 1 yrs (2.0/yr) Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $12M | 1 mo ago | Series A | Cole Shephard Founder & Co-CEO & Chairman | 2018 | Webflow EcommerceWebflowGoogle Maps+26 | 56 patents Carbonated beverage dispensing systems using cartridge-based carbonation technology | — |
| 6 | Jones Natural Chews Manufacturer and private label brand for dog bones and chews | $10M | 120 mo ago | Late Stage | — | 1970 | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+18 | — | — |
| 7 | SomruS Manufacturer & brand of cream liqueur products | $7M | 104 mo ago | Series A | Pankaj Garg Founder & CEO | 2012 | WordPressMySQLPHP+22 | — | — |
| 8 | Prairie Gold Provider of patented technologies related to production of corn | $4M | 133 mo ago | Deadpooled | Philip Shane CEO & President | 2006 | — | — | — |
| 9 | National Foodworks Services Manufacturer of variety of food products | $1M | 126 mo ago | Funding Raised | Tony Caccomo Owner | 2015 | — | — | — |
| 10 | Watershedfoods Manufacturer of freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, and ingredients | $189K | 200 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 2004 | WebflowApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+10 | — | — |
| 11 | High Road Spirits Alcoholic drink processing company | $100K | 66 mo ago | Seed | Kris Elliott Co-Founder | 2018 | Squarespace CommerceSquarespaceSentry+16 | — | — |
Top 12 Food Processing companies in Illinois
#1
Public · Carol Stream, Illinois · founded 2016 · 28 employees$42.4Mraised▾
Apple processing company
- Jan 2026Post IPO$3M
- Mar 2023Post IPO$2M
- Jan 2023Post IPO$374.9K
- Nov 2021Post IPO$37M
#2
Series A · Oak Brook, Illinois · founded 2018$11.7Mraised▾
Coffee producer offering farm-direct, traceable roasted coffee. It controls the entire supply chain, from cultivation to roasting, ensuring consistent quality and traceability for its clients. The company prioritizes sustainable agricultural practices and works to create value for all stakeholders. Its offerings include roasted coffee beans sourced directly from its own farms.
- May 2026Series A$5M
- Aug 2025Series A$6.7M
#3
Acquired · Oak Brook, Illinois · founded 2005 · 380 employees$2.4Braised▾
TreeHouse Foods manufactures packaged foods and beverages with more than 50 manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada, and Italy, focused primarily on private label products for retail grocery. Product offerings include - frozen and fresh products, including beverages and beverage enhancers (single-serve beverages, coffees, teas, creamers, powdered beverages, and smoothies), meals, retail bakery, condiments, and healthy snacks. Also offers natural, organic and preservative-free ingredients. In 2018, the company recorded annual revenues of $5.81B, and a net loss of $0.06B.
- Feb 2016Conventional Debt$2.4B
#4
Public · Mundelein, Illinois · founded 1994 · 9 employees$17.4Mraised▾
Manufacturer of functional food ingredients
- Oct 2015Post IPO—
- Jan 2015Post IPO$1M
- Feb 2014Post IPO$200K
- May 2012Post IPO$2.4M
#5
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1990 · 36 employees$19.7Mraised▾
Processor of beef, pork, and poultry products for foodservice and further processing. It offers a wide selection of cuts and portion sizes, catering to custom specifications. The company's skilled butchers ensure high-quality, lean products. Services extend to the hotel, restaurant, and institutional markets. They also provide value-added products such as marinated meats and ready-to-use diced options. The processing facilities adhere to stringent industry standards.
- Nov 2015Conventional Debt$19.7M
#6
Late Stage · Rockford, Illinois · founded 1970 · 20 employees$10Mraised▾
Jones Natural Chews is a manufacturer and private label brand for dog bones and chews. Products they offer include beef knuckles including crown, femur, and saddle knuckle, as well as knee caps and top crests. They also offer braided and bully sticks, steer sticks, and twisters. Pork products they offer include bacon rolls, pig ears, pig ear snacks, pork screw, pork femur bones, buffalo, half elk, lamb femur and shank, lamb trotter, and ostrich leg bones and jerky and sausage products. They distribute their products via retail outlets and department stores.
#7
Series A · Oak Brook, Illinois · founded 2012 · 16 employees$6.7Mraised▾
Manufacturer & brand of cream liqueur products
- Oct 2017Series A$3.6M
- Dec 2016Series A$3.1M
#8
Deadpooled · Bloomington, Illinois · founded 2006$3.9Mraised▾
Prairie Gold provides patented technologies related to the production of corn. The company’s aim is to provide ethanol producers with diversified products that develop technologies to maintain fluctuations in ethanol and corn prices. Its bioproducts include whole kernel corn oil, corn germ oil, corn proteins such as zein and germ proteins, and xanthophylls.
- Apr 2015Series A$3.8M
- May 2008Grant (prize money)$80K
#9
Funding Raised · Decatur, Illinois · founded 2015 · 207 employees$1Mraised▾
Operator of a food processing company created to offer processing, packaging, and development services. The company's food processing and co-packing centers help in baking, bottling, freezing, packaging, and shipping food products and offer various services to food entrepreneurs and food organizations enabling clients to expand operations, ensure product standardization, and monitor product quality.
- Dec 2015Conventional Debt$1M
#10
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2018$100Kraised▾
Alcoholic drink processing company
- Dec 2020Seed$100K
#11
Funding Raised · Gridley, Illinois · founded 2004 · 72 employees$189.5Kraised▾
Manufacturer of freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, and ingredients. It supplies freeze-dried products and ingredients to food companies globally. The company's expertise includes developing and producing freeze-dried yogurt and powders. It offers private label options and supports clients with research and development for innovative solutions, assisting from product concept to full-scale production. A focus on providing healthy snack solutions is a key aspect of its business.
- Sep 2009Grant (prize money)$189.5K
#12
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2014 · 1 employees$10Kraised▾
Provider of expert reviews and management services intended to help pet owners find reliable food products. The company offers suggestions regarding pet products and provide appropriate recommendations, enabling pet owners to get a kind quality check regarding their dog food.
- Nov 2017Grant (prize money)$10K
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Food Processing coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.