In April, an Austin company called Healthy America LLC filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indicating it had raised $30.9 million in equity funding.
While that's a big amount, it's the company's founders and board that have drawn the most attention. It's a new startup led by CEO Betsy Foster, a former senior vice president at Whole Foods Market, along with retiring Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey and former Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb.
The company's office appears to be in a nondescript medical building near 38th Street and Lamar Boulevard. Bob Murray, former director of benefits and wellness strategy at Whole Foods, also appears to be working with the company.
The funding round included 42 investors, although none are named in the filing. While the company appears to be in stealth mode, Bloomberg reported Aug. 8 that the startup will involve "a chain of plant-based restaurants and wellness centers that offer fitness and spa services." The company's LinkedIn page, meanwhile, describes it as "bringing healthcare, culinary, lifestyle and community together for the first time ever."
Mackey is set to step down Sept. 1 as CEO of Whole Foods. He will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Jason Buechel. It represents the largest leadership change at the Austin-based grocery chain since its $13.7 billion acquisition by Amazon.com Inc. in 2017.
Robb, meanwhile, left Whole Foods at the end of 2016 after about 28 years with the company. He has since become a prolific investor in startups, from delivery-only restaurant chain Tso Chinese to HeatGen, which makes cans that can warm themselves.
