Investment by industry leaders in plastic-free chewing gum brand signals confidence in its expansion of American retail footprint

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliways, the plastic-free chewing gum brand that has built a global following, has secured $3 million to continue its expansion in the United States.

The investment group includes Mehmet Yüksek, former CEO of Perfetti Van Melle North America, and Leon Amram, former owner of Intergum, alongside other industry executives who collectively bring decades of experience building global chewing gum brands. The latest funding round will be used to accelerate marketing, expand retail distribution and grow inventories as the brand builds on a successful first year in the US market.

Founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Tom Raviv, and now the one of the largest gum companies in the UK, Milliways has raised a total of $10 million since launching and grown to over 10,000 stores globally.

In just over a year since its US launch, Milliways has scaled to more than 2,000 stores nationwide including Sprouts, Meijer, Hy-Vee, Raley's and Fred Meyer, and is the best-selling plastic-free gum brand, according to recent SPINS data.

"Consumer demands are changing faster than ever. The power of AI and social media means people are better informed, more curious, and quicker to adopt new habits. Whether it's GLP-1s, longevity hacks, or plastic-free chewing gum, the desire to live healthier lives is now at the top of everyone's agenda. And it's not just the big changes that people care about, but the incremental improvements too. As a lifelong gum chewer who cares deeply about my health, I didn't want to chew on plastic gum anymore, and I believed millions of people felt the same - that's why I launched Milliways," said Raviv. "Milliways has an exciting year ahead with new retailers getting behind our mission."

Milliways uses 7 naturally-derived ingredients and addresses rising consumer demand for clean label, better-for-you alternatives amid changing diets and growing concern of microplastics in conventional gum. The conventional chewing gum category has come under increased scrutiny, driving strong growth in natural alternatives – a segment that is now outpacing the total gum category.

"Conventional chewing gum is one of the most concentrated, direct sources of microplastic ingestion which science indicates can impact our health,"^1,2 said Raviv, "We're seeing the embrace of high quality, plastic-free alternatives from retailers and shoppers, and we're excited to continue growing our presence across the US. This new funding round allows us to make Milliways available to more consumers every day."

Milliways gum is plastic-free, plant-based, biodegradable, sugar-free, aspartame-free, non-GMO and boosted with xylitol. It's available in flavors including Spearmint, Peppermint, Mighty Mint, Bubblemint, Strawberry and Watermelon, and retails at a suggested $2.49 (10-piece) and $5.99 (30-piece) packs.

Visit www.milliwaysfood.com for more information.

1. https://www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews/2025/StopchewingNewresearchrevealstheshockingnumberofmicroplasticsinasinglepieceofgum.html
2. https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/01/microplastics-in-body-polluted-tiny-plastic-fragments.html
   
   Category data: (UK: IRI Circana 52 w/e December 2025), (FRANCE: NIELSON 52 w/e December 2025), (USA: SPINS 52 w/e December 2025)

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SOURCE Milliways