REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mercurius Media Capital (MMC), a U.S.-based venture capital firm pioneering the media-for-equity model, today announced a $1 million strategic investment in Jaca, a consumer food company bringing allulose, a natural rare sugar substitute, to more consumers.
The partnership is designed to help Jaca build category awareness around allulose and reach a growing audience of consumers seeking to reduce their conventional sugar consumption. With 77% of Americans trying to cut back on sugar, Jaca is focused on expanding awareness of allulose as a replacement that delivers the taste, baking performance and versatility consumers expect from sugar.
“We’re born loving sweetness, and then we spend the rest of our lives being told it’s exactly what we have to give up. Jaca tastes, bakes and cooks like traditional sugar, without the health concerns. We’re building Jaca so no one has to choose between the sweetness they love and a healthier lifestyle. Partnering with MMC puts Jaca on national television, and that’s how we become a household name. This is the sugar we should’ve had all along.”
— Pete Ferrari, Founder, Healthy For Life Foods
Turning Media Into Distribution
Through the partnership, Jaca will gain access to MMC’s media network, enabling the company to leverage premium advertising inventory to educate consumers, build brand recognition, and drive awareness at scale.
Jaca’s consumer audience includes health-conscious and sugar-reducing Americans, particularly consumers ages 40 to 65, including diabetic, keto, and better-for-you shoppers. The company also serves B2B and co-brand partners across the food and beverage ecosystem.
“Allulose is a compelling opportunity in a market that we believe is ready for something better. According to Fortune Global Insights, the global allulose market was approximately $200 million in 2025 and is projected to more than double to nearly $500 million by 2034, with North America already representing nearly half of the market. But for us, it’s not just about the size of the opportunity. We’re betting on the team, the product and the market’s ability to respond. Jaca has a differentiated ingredient, a clear consumer need and a founder with the vision to build a category. We believe our media partnerships can help accelerate that growth by putting allulose in front of millions of consumers and helping Jaca turn a promising ingredient into a mainstream category.”
— Piyush Puri, Founding Partner, Mercurius Media Capital
The investment reflects MMC’s broader thesis that media can function as a strategic growth lever, giving consumer companies access to the distribution and awareness they need to scale while preserving cash.
About Mercurius Media Capital
Mercurius Media Capital (MMC) is the first media-for-equity fund in the United States. MMC invests in consumer-facing companies by providing premium advertising inventory in exchange for equity, helping them scale brand awareness and customer acquisition while preserving cash. The fund is built on the conviction that capital is not always the scarce asset and that distribution often is.
Co-founded by Satyan Gajwani and Piyush Puri, MMC launched in 2023 and has secured $242 million in media capital commitments (including optional commitment) through partnerships with leading media companies including Sinclair Broadcast Group, TelevisaUnivision, A+E Global Media, Atmosphere TV, and Entrepreneur. Since inception, MMC has deployed approximately $48 million across its portfolio.
For more information, visit Mercurius Media Capital at www.mmc.us.
About Jaca
Jaca is a consumer food and beverage company built around allulose, a natural rare sugar born from fruit that tastes and bakes like traditional sugar with about 10% of the calories and no rise in blood glucose. Jaca is 100% pure allulose: diabetic and keto friendly, vegan, Halal, Kosher, non-GMO, FODMAP friendly, FDA GRAS, and it naturally activates GLP-1. The company serves health-conscious and sugar-reducing consumers as well as wholesale and co-brand partners.
Health and wellbeing are built into the company’s DNA. Jaca has built a community around the SuperSelf Podcast Series, with more than 60 episodes focused on mind, body, and soul, as well as four free Health & Wellbeing modules available for download on its website. The Foundation for Nutritional Equality, a 501(c)(3) funded by 10% of Jaca profits, was established to help feed the 40 million Americans, including 14 million children, who do not eat every day. Jaca is a Pending B Corp, putting purpose alongside profit.
For more information, visit Jaca at www.jacasugar.com.
Media Contact
Allie Yazel
Director of Marketing & Communications
Mercurius Media Capital
allison@mmc.us
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