New Hope Network has announced that Boston-based company Veggie Fries won the 2016 NEXT Accelerator Natural Products Pitch Slam at Natural Products Expo West & Engredea, the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event.

Pitch Slam is an entertaining, fast-paced event that lets entrepreneurs pitch their natural product ideas to a panel of seven leading natural products investors and branding experts in order to compete for a prize package of services worth $39,000.

Veggie Fries was selected as the winner of the competition based on their ability to reinvigorate the frozen French fry category through their innovation of a significantly more nutritious product.

Veggie Fries are frozen french fries made from a blend of all-natural, farm grown vegetables, legumes, and potatoes, chopped and blended together with herbs, spices, and just a pinch of sea salt. Veggie Fries are vegan, Non-GMO certified and free of the top 8 allergens including gluten, soy, dairy, and wheat.

Each batch of Veggie Fries provides a crispy texture on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside. Every variety has at least 27% of non-potato vegetables and legumes, containing 9 vegetable servings and a substantial amount of vegetable nutrition in every14oz bag.

Veggie Fries won a prize package of goods and services that includes: a booth at Expo West 2017, an invitation to VMG’s exclusive Investor’s Symposium, brand consulting services and an executive coaching session with leadership at Plum Organics.

“Winning the Pitch Slam was a tremendous honor, especially since the judges are such luminaries in the industry. The exposure for our emerging company was terrific and will generate important connections that will help us accelerate our growth. All the prizes are amazing, and will help us gain new consumer insights, hone our business model and springboard into new channels.,” said David Peters, Co-Founder and CEO, Veggie Fries.