From plant-based queso to kolanut-fueled energy drinks and spreadable 'granola butter,' check out 17 emerging brands who took part in the first pitch event from Startup CPG, a new organization that promotes and supports startups founded by Daniel Scharff.
Startup CPG's first virtual pitch event on Wednesday featured 17 startups who pitched in front of 15 investors and 20 e-commerce buyers including Walmart.com, Hubba.com, Billion Vegans, and Wish.com. Each pitched for two minutes before tuning into an investor debrief session led by Aditi Dash from CircleUp. If you’d like your brand in the box for the next quarterly pitch event, apply at startupcpg.com/pitch
Plant-based shelf-stable queso from LOCA Food is made from potatoes, carrots and sunflower oil, and contains no dairy, no nuts, and no soy, said founder Lauren Joyner. "We make healthy eating easier by re-inventing classic dairy comfort foods with simple nutritious allergy-free ingredients that everyone can enjoy. Our first product, queso, has the same taste, look and melt of that gooey glossy nacho cheese sauce you remember from childhood."
Bissy is a new energy drink featuring kolanut extract sourced from family owned farms in West Africa. Each 3.4fl oz bottle contains 160mg of caffeine (from the kolanut), ginger, and brown sugar, said founder Zachary En'Wezoh.
Available in Mexican Hot Chocolate, Churro, and PB & Jelly flavors at www.UniteFood.com, Amazon, Kroger.com, Walmart.com, and Bristol Farms (and soon to be available nationally through UNFI and KeHE), UNiTE gluten-free protein bars feature nut butter as the #1 ingredient, says founder Clara Paye. "I think these bars will bring a new consumer into the protein bar aisle. We also think they will resonate with Millennials, who are the most ethnically diverse generation in history."
She added: "You're probably thinking not another protein bar, but maybe you're like me, part of the 25% ethnic minorities that make up America, and you're thinking, where's your bar?"
Organic puffed seaweed chips from Tidal Foods (brand: 12 Tides, SRP $4.99) are baked, not fried, and are packaged in compostible packaging, said founder Pat Schnettler. "The kelp we source is a zero-input crop, so no pesticides, no fertilizers, no arable land, and no fresh water. These are for the mindful snacker who wants tasty and craveable snacks from brands that are taking a stand on sustainability."
Launched with a $1.5m investment from KarpReilly, VINA is an organic sparkling apple cider vinegar beverage designed to be refreshing and drinkable, said founder Alex Matthews, who has secured listings at Amazon, and Whole Foods stores in southern California and the Rockies.
The lightly cabonated beverages feature apple cider vinegar, juice concentrates, organic honey, and natural flavors.
Crackers from Organic Pantry are organic, gluten-free, and nutritionally superior to the competition, claimed founder Theresa Petry. "I created the perfect cracker using literally just seeds and water." The sunflower flaxseed crackers contain sunflower seeds, flax seeds, Nigella seeds, sesame seeds, and quinoa flakes, and are seasoned with mustard and fennel powder, and sea salt.
The crackers are available at Whole Foods NorCal, 160 Fresh Market stores, several Bay Area tech companies, and nine Kaiser Permanente hospitals.
Bored of nut butter? Try granola butter (SRP $8.99) instead, says Kween founder Ali Bonar, who makes her novel spread with gluten free oats, flax, olive oil, maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, and spices. "We are on track to do over a million in sales this year and just launched into our fourth Whole Foods region. We're available on Amazon and our website, and nationwide with World Market, and Pressed Juicery."
Upmarket non-alcholic beverage brand Saint Ivy is on a mission to provide "elegant and refreshing alternatives to alcohol that look and taste like classic cocktails but don't contain any alchohol, sugar or calories," said founder Jason Stanley, who launched the brand in January and is heading into Whole Foods NorCal in September.
ReGrained uses spent grains from brewing and other upcycled ingredients to create nutrition bars, puffs and premium ingredients, said co-founder Dan Kurzrock. "Only the sugars from grain end up in the beer making process, and we create a flour-like ingredient from what's left that can be used in a wide range of products."
Renewal Mill transforms upcycled ingredients such as okara (a byproduct of the soymilk and tofu production process), into CPG products, from soft-baked chocolate cookies and brownie mixes to flours, said co-founder Caroline Cotto.
"We use proprietary technology to produce these upcycled ingredients that we then sell to other food companies, so we've just launched a co-branded grain-free tortilla with Tia Lupita, and we'll be bringing an upcycled biscuit to market with Barilla."
A sparkling water brand with chromium and amino acids proven to reduce blood sugar spikes after food, Good Idea (strapline: Dump the post meal slump) is ideally consumed just before, or with a meal, said co-founder Björn Öste (who also co-founded Swedish oatmilk brand Oatly).
Honeycut Kitchen makes protein- and fiber-packed snack cakes that consumers can feel good about, said founder Jenny Heman, who is about to launch in 42 Whole Foods stores in southern California. "The macros are pretty similar to a protein bar."
Combining jackfruit and pea protein, Jack & Friends plant-based jerky is a good source of protein and fiber, said founder Jessica Kwong. The top-selling Jack & Tom jackfruit jerky adds tomatoes, poblano peppers, and spices.
Launching nationwide in Whole Foods next month, Sabor Mexicano tortilla chips are made via a traditional 'Nixtamalization' process in which the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, washed, and then hulled, said founder Jorge Saldana.
CBD brand Plant People makes drops, capsules and other products containing full-spectrum hemp extracts (which contain CBD and other cannabinoids), said co-founder Gabe Kennedy, who said the brand is rapidly gaining traction in online and bricks and mortar accounts: "We're in H.E.B, Wegmans, Thrive Market and we have a repeat rate of 60% direct-to-consumer."
Obour Foods is a new organic hummus and tahini company that currently supplies farmer's markets in the Bay area and a handful of specialty grocery stores, said founder Elliot Sharifi, who is predicting sales of $400k this year. "My vision is to scale the business and bring the cost down to a price the market can bear [currently the tahini retails at $13/jar and the hummus retails at $9/jar]."
Edible Odyssey salt and vinegar grinders contain himalayan pink salt, red sea salt, cider vinegar flavor, and black sea salt (sea salt and activated charcoal), and will make "the same old broccoli taste a bit different," said flavor chemist Leslie Norris.
Drum roll please... the brand that impressed the investors the most was LOCA Food, followed by 12 Tides, and Kween granola butter. The runners-up were Sabor Mexicano and Organic Pantry.
The prizes: LOCA Food will receive 1) Bedrock Analytics & Nielsen data package, a shelf life study from KitchenTown, and Quarterly Campaigns from Wish.com. 12Tides will get a ZippyPantry 0% commission for 90 days, newsletter features, and a Hubba.com feature.
The rest of the prizes are going to be revealed over the next week, said Startup CPG founder Daniel Scharff: "We are doing our best to optimize for what the vendors want, and what the brands need."
To learn more about Startup CPG, click HERE.