News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
Startup Spotlight
Clean-label children snack brand Happy Wolf is leaning on brand ambassadors to spread awareness of its Whole Foods Market launch and where the product can be located, Jana Goodbaum, co-founder of Happy Wolf, shared in a recent Startup Spotlight interview.
Building a successful food and beverage CPG business often requires the right mix of ingenuity – knowing where the market is heading before it is there – and carefully expanding retail distribution while keeping an eye on margins, velocities and cash...
As peanut butter brand One Trick Pony celebrates its second anniversary, co-founder Lucy Dana acknowledges how few startups reach this milestone and she reflects on lessons she learned to achieve this rare success, including the concept that “done is...
In its sixth year, the Real California Milk Excelerator powered by VentureFuel brought together a diverse cohort – or herd – of startups, students and processors that are “harnessing the nutritional benefits of real dairy” to improve digestion, boost...
Startup Spotlight
Pistachio spread brand Pistakio landed key retail partnerships despite a last-minute formula change driven by logistical challenges — a feat made possible by the founders’ pistachio expertise and their commitment to filling a gap in the nut butter market.
Thai Wah is aiming to use its tapioca-based thermoplastic starch (TPS) for its consumer food packaging to create a closed-loop solution starting with cassava cultivation and ending with eco-friendly waste that enriches the soil.
Startup Spotlight
Knowing when to say ‘no’ to a retailer, distributor or broker can be just as powerful of a growth driver for emerging brands as saying yes, as illustrated by the initial success of the clean-label barbeque sauce startup Tamarind Heads.
Big Interview
After raising “peanuts” to launch a plant-based meat business around Covid-19, Juicy Marbles is set to break even within its fourth year and is planning NPD along with another funding launch.
Cocoa shortages cannot stop vegan superfood cookie brand Love + Chew's retail growth as the company expands its Whole Foods store count from 135 to over 500 stores and tees up product innovation in 2025.
Belly Brand Foods is delivering gut and skin health benefits with its collagen-infused and gluten-free bakery mixes, as the company gears up to spread brand awareness in 2025 with trade shows.
Dairy innovation and trends
The dairy case is no longer a limited selection of fat-free, low-fat or whole milk in generic white bottles or a bare-bones choice between just “orange” or “white” cheese – rather an explosion of innovation in recent years has dramatically multiplied...
The growing interest in animal-free casein, the key protein responsible for the flavor, texture and nutritional profile of conventional dairy, is driving innovation in the alternative dairy space as a solution that replicates dairy’s complex qualities...
Dairy’s nutrient density and decadent eating experience create a powerful canvas for startups innovating across categories to offer better-for-you moments of permissible indulgence while simultaneously supporting the health of consumers, the planet and...
Research and advocates for 100% grass-fed dairy suggest the practice is better for people, the planet and animals – but is it better for business?
Startup Spotlight
Tinned fish brand Fishwife launched in response to the lack of innovation and bold branding in the multi-billion-dollar canned fish category, with a strategic focus on culinary-inspired flavors and artistically-driven packaging, CEO and Co-Founder, Becca...
Video
What do food and drink start-up businesses get wrong? It’s the big question facing many fledgling businesses. FoodNavigator speaks to nine industry experts to find out.
Startup Spotlight
Long gone are the days when a deal was sealed with a handshake and verbal commitment, which is why the co-founder of veggie snack startup Theo’s advises entrepreneurs to be persistent – but not annoying – about securing commitments in writing before acting.
A biotech start-up is producing iron compounds, through precision fermentation, that are more bioavailable than much naturally occurring iron in plants.
Demand for GLP-1 support products helped gut-health brand Supergut triple sales in the last year and opened retail doors, including at Target.
Future Food-Tech 2024
Food safety and quality are two sides of the same coin. But how is the process of making food not only safe but beneficial for the consumer being made more efficient?
When a delayed flight could have ruined her day, Bumpin Blends' founder, Lisa Mastela, used the downtime to network with fellow travelers and, in doing so, connected with representatives from toymaker Mattel that ultimately landed the smoothie brand a...
Successful CPG startups not only strike the right balance between delivering on product claims and branding aesthetics — the head and heart of building a food and beverage business — but also provide consumers easy ways to learn about their brand when...
Consumer interest in products made with ingredients from regional smallholder farmers or those practicing regenerative agriculture is on the rise, but CPG companies and suppliers are struggling to meet their demand in part because most farmers are unable...
Recoup’s prebiotic sparkling beverages hit the shelves at 420 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide, as the company leans into gut health and regenerative agriculture claims to deliver consumer demands for functional and environmental benefits.
Venture capitalists are focusing further down the alt-protein supply chain when investing, as startups partner up and use government grants to survive and thrive in a challenging funding environment.
Future Food-Tech 2024
There are myriad ways to design and create proteins. We spoke to some of the key players in this varied space.
Startup Spotlight
Beekeeper Coffee's co-founders leveraged their extensive brand-building expertise from giants like Nike and Beats by Dre to stand out in the crowded RTD coffee market with a distinct honey-sweetened brew, emphasizing authenticity and sustainability...
Building a successful CPG business often hinges on a combination of telling investors a compelling story, conserving capital and resources, and providing true differentiation in a product category, a panel of CPG experts shared on a recent Naturally...
Babylife Organics is reducing the levels of heavy metals in baby food by carefully sourcing ingredients and committing to certified regenerative organic processes while providing caregivers an easy way to check arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury levels...
Consumers increasingly want more from their beverages – more benefits, more flavor and more fun, but they do not want more sugar nor do they want to compromise on taste, which creates a challenge for manufacturers to find the sweet spot between shoppers’...
Startup Spotlight
Fast-growing pantry staples brand SIMPLi is reinvigorating sleepy center-store categories and unlocking additional distribution in thousands of regional and independent grocers nationwide after growing nearly 500% year-over-year at Whole Foods Market...
Rebellyous Foods launched its much-anticipated Mock 2 plant-based meat production system with RMS Foods following delays of its launch in Dec. 2023 after plans with an initial co-manufacturer fell through.
Startup Spotlight
Coffee is not just for adults thanks to Kiid Coffee, a functional beverage mix designed to help children hit their daily recommended intake of iron, magnesium, calcium and other important nutrients, the brand's co-founder David Sanborn told...
NutraIngredients-USA is inviting early-stage active lifestyle brands to enter its "Start-up Stars" competition which will see three pioneering entrepreneurs gain industry notoriety at the Sports & Active Nutrition Summit 2025.
Startup Spotlight
West African frozen meal and sauce brand Ayo Foods’ expanded from 200 retail doors to more than 20 retailers nationwide through a combination of cold calling and working with brokers to land shelf space.
Food and beverage CPG startups can set themselves up for long-term business success by slowly and strategically growing their retail footprint, focusing first on product-market fit, unique branding and wisely allocating marketing dollars to build loyalty...
Sprouted buckwheat food brand Lil Bucks secured $3 million in Series A funding in a round led by Proterra Investment Partners, following measures to extend its runway amid continued capital-raising challenges, company founder and CEO Emily Griffith told...
Many of food and beverage's greatest innovations are born from from start-ups. But why is innovation on a decline and what's the future of food and drink NPD?
Protein bar brand David’s founders, including RXBAR Co-founder Peter Rahal, attracted investors with their industry experience and an emphasis on protein as a science-backed, enduring macronutrient over fleeting diet trends, Rahal told FoodNavigator-USA
Startup Spotlight
Big advertising budgets are not a requirement for big sales or an indicator of how successful a marketing campaign will be as illustrated by a viral video on social media by functional beverage newcomer Yesly, which generated more than 16 million views...
Startup Spotlight
Children's snack brand Mission MightyMe is taking its first big step beyond ecommerce, launching in select Target stores, after raising $2.3 million earlier in the year to fuel growth and raise awareness on reducing peanut allergies by introducing the...
NutriFusion’s flexibility in minimum order quantities (MOQs) of its fruit and vegetable concentrate blends to startup companies can be a significant advantage for new and smaller brands looking to enter the competitive functional beverage market.
We look at the food and beverage start-ups that will go head-to-head in the 6th edition of the competition . . .
Whipnotic is releasing two new holiday flavors of its whipped cream, as the company hits business milestones ahead of schedule with the help of its patented nozzle technology, the two co-founders shared with FoodNavigator-USA.
Biosciences company Ummino achieved self-affirmed GRAS status for the enzyme to produce its bioidentical prebiotic bioactive lactosamine composition, Hummino, as it readies for commercial expansion of this fiber normally found in human breast milk,...
Startup Spotlight
Passion, experience and market insights are essential to launching a business, but they are far from enough to ensure enduring success, according to long-time CPG industry expert and first-time entrepreneur Douglas Yu, who earlier this month launched...
The alternative protein industry offers immense opportunities for innovation and market expansion, but successfully navigating this complex landscape requires a balance of advanced R&D, strategic partnerships and a deep understanding of consumer...
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To create a sustainable business, early-stage CPG companies must be prudent in how they spend their limited capital — being cautious on how much they pay in slotting fees — and ensure they maintain authenticity and their disruptor mentality when hitting...
Better-for-you pasta brand Goodles is moving beyond the dry-mix mac and cheese category with its deluxe line, as the brand seeks to double its revenues by innovating in the squeezable pouch segment, brand Co-founder and CEO Jen Zeszut told FoodNavigator-USA.
Complete-protein pantry staple brand EQUII expanded beyond the frozen bread category with several pasta products — featuring refreshed branding — as the company explores ways to innovate finished products and alongside other CPG companies through its...