The high cost and opaque process of securing patents can be daunting for cash-strapped startups, but the CEO of the home hydroponic growing system GroPod advises entrepreneurs not give into the temptation to skip or delay this step until after fundraising.
No longer able to rely on conferences, in-store demos or serendipitous meetings to raise awareness of a new business or product, entrepreneurs increasing are connecting with each other, mentors and consumers through subscription-based online platforms...
“Gut feelings” often form the foundation of startups, but to scale a business successfully, especially in times of crisis, entrepreneurs need more than that – they need data that shows where their brand fits in the competitive landscape and where consumers...
Apeel Sciences – the Santa Barbara-based firm behind an invisible plant-based edible skin that can dramatically extend the shelf-life of fresh produce – has raised $250m in a funding round led by GIC that gives it a valuation north of a billion dollars.
The middle of a global pandemic when many consumers are filling their grocery carts virtually may seem like a strange time to expand distribution in brick-and-mortar stores, but for the vitamin enhanced water brand KidsLuv the timing of its current rollout...
Check out FoodNavigator-USA’s latest gallery of new products, from avocado puffs and keto sandwich cookies, to sparkling beverages infused with vitamins and minerals from Talking Rain.
The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster ride for many small businesses. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Diana Levy, founder and CEO at Undercover Snacks, which makes chocolate covered quinoa snacks at its own SQF-3 manufacturing facility in New...
After weeks of working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, some companies are rethinking the value of central offices, but for the founder of Seed + Mill sharing space with other entrepreneurs at WeWork’s Food Labs in New York City before the outbreak...
Waiting for a response from cold calls to retail buyers about placing a product on store shelves can feel demoralizing to emerging brands, but Brad Charron, the CEO of the plant-based bar and beverage brand Aloha, advises entrepreneurs not to take it...
With Expo West canceled and instore sampling off the menu for the foreseeable future, New York based high protein, low-sugar gluten-free startup Three Wishes Cereal decided to get creative…
WeWork is helping to level the playing field between emerging and established brands in the competitive food and beverage space with the recent unveiling of its flagship Food Labs in New York City and the graduation of its first food and ag focused accelerator...
As wait times for delivery windows from traditional grocery retail ecommerce sites stretch further into the future, Americans increasingly are buying products directly from manufacturers’ websites during the coronavirus pandemic, creating an opportunity...
Kevin Kenny, COO at Decernis, a Foodchain ID company, has identified some key supply chain issues to watch going forward as coronavirus spreads across the globe.
In the space of four weeks, we’ve gone from “pure panic stock-up with a heavy focus on non-foods, to meal prep ingredients, to increased focus on comfort foods,” according to IRI and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). At the same time, spending on ‘self-care’...
While there is something to be said about following your gut as an entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. advises that following the data often is a more reliable strategy for sparking retailer interest and launching products that...
When it comes to creating snacks that are irresistible to children and parents alike, the mission-based brand This Saves Lives says its recipe for success combines equal parts indulgent flavors and whimsical packaging for kids, plus for parents a pinch...
Now the initial grocery shopping ‘surge’ has calmed down somewhat, what can CPG companies expect in the next three to four weeks as consumers navigate the ‘new normal’?
Onboarding new brands is not top of the priority list right now at most food retailers, many of which are more focused on rationalizing SKUs than adding new ones. Meanwhile, R&D under lockdown isn't easy. So is innovation on pause, or are companies...
After helping to trailblaze the now wildly popular plant-based meat category, the creators of Tofurky are hoping to work their magic again in the dairy-free cheese segment with the launch of new shreds and spreads under its sister-brand Moocho.
The food industry has moved remarkably quickly to adjust to a sudden and spectacular shift in food consumption towards the home as America goes into lockdown. But there could be significant challenges ahead if more countries block food exports, while...
The challenges of feeding healthy food to children who are notoriously picky eaters often are compounded when an allergy is added into the mix – which is why when the founder of the gluten-free baked goods brand Mikey’s introduced a line of stuffed pockets...
While the number of women launching businesses is growing at an exponential rate, their access to venture capital, mentors and other resources still lags far behind that of their male counterparts – a unique challenge that will require players across...
As measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus also slow the economy, many venture capitalists and others have hit the pause button on investments, but not Frito-Lay – earlier this month it moved forward with its inaugural WomanMade Challenge...
News that investors have just pumped $80m into a firm growing protein-packed food from microbes with a fraction of the environmental footprint of meat or dairy, serves as a reminder that the fundamental challenges facing the food industry - how to feed...
For entrepreneurs at cash-strapped startups, finding mentors often takes a backseat to fundraising, but according to a leader with Rabobank’s Startup Innovation team, focusing on the former can help with the latter.
Startups looking for capital to fuel their next phase of growth may find there's a gap in the market for investors who are willing to write smaller checks, says Jason Starr, founder and managing director of Chicago-based investment firm CompanyFirst....
The old adage that it isn’t just what you know, but who you know could not be truer than for company founders in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, according to the serial entrepreneur behind the seed-stage company Farma Genetix.
Creating an entirely new product or launching a business may feel impossible at times, especially when so-called experts say something can’t be done, but according to the co-founders of Hidden Gems Beverage Co. anything is possible with the right network...
With the term ‘bean chips’ now dropped from its logo, the Beanfields brand could expand into multiple areas of the snacks aisle – and even beyond – says CEO Arnulfo Ventura, who caught up with FoodNavigator-USA at last month’s Winter Fancy Food Show....
As consumer demand for and sales of non-dairy milk alternatives continue to climb, so too are the number of players and variety of products in the space – making it more difficult for newcomers to standout unless, like Canadian-based YoFiit, they offer...
When most people think about curling up with a cup of hot tea they don’t think about opening their freezer first – but that is exactly what the makers of Millennia Tea are asking consumers to do, and in exchange they promise a beverage that is packed...
Rising consumer concern about climate change is a powerful – but underused – marketing lever for plant-based products, according to new research from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
Made with five ingredients: cashews, water, Himalayan pink salt, nutritional yeast, and cultures, Nuttin Ordinary is seeking to stand out in the burgeoning plant-based cheese category with a short, clean ingredients list and a product that doesn’t try...
There’s the audacity of hope, and then there’s the hard data proving that most new food and beverage brands are quickly consigned to the dustbin of history. But some do manage to ride that magical CPG skate curve. So what are they doing differently?
As the number of food accelerators and incubators has increased in recent years, the barrier for entry into the market has decreased – and while this makes launching a new product or company easier, it has made cutting through the competition and finding...
After more than a decade working in the food industry, Hector Saldivar knew the lay of the land better than most aspiring entrepreneurs when he quit the day job in 2016 to start his own food brand, Tia Lupita, and part of that was knowing the power of...
‘Authenticity’ has become a popular marketing buzz word to attract consumers who want to know more about their food and experience something ‘real,’ but for the better-for-you Mexican-American company Siete Family Foods ‘authenticity’ is a pivotal component...
The FDA has promised to provide more clarity over CBD “in the coming weeks.” But how should brands navigate the regulatory minefield in the meantime, and what options does the agency have?
Factor_, a fully-prepared meal delivery service based in the Chicago area, believes the way to get consumers to eat more healthily on a consistent basis is to remove the time and mental barriers around cooking.
Avocado leaf tea has a reddish hue and a distinct earthy - but not bitter - taste, says Scott Wibbenmeyer, who has developed a patent-pending method for producing it from leaves sourced from his avocado grove in Temecula, California.
PB&J is an all-American classic… but what about CB&J? If you combine roasted chickpeas and sunflower seeds with olive oil and a dash of coconut sugar and sea salt, the net result (‘chickpea butter’) is remarkably similar to peanut butter, minus...
With a portfolio spanning everything from refrigerated plant-based yogurt drinks to shelf-stable cans of cold brew coffee and oatmilk, Califia Farms has raised a jaw-dropping $340m+ over four funding rounds to build its plant-based empire over the past...
Entrepreneurs just starting out may think they can use all the help they can get, but as the CEO of the produce delivery service Hungry Harvest learned the hard way, hiring the wrong staff to help in the short term can be more detrimental in the long...
Entrepreneurs just starting out may feel pressured to present a façade of perfection or else risk missing an opportunity, but the CEO of Lily’s Sweets, Jane Miller, argues the opposite is true – that failing to seek help managing weaknesses or bridging...
As more entrepreneurs adopt an iterative, fail-fast approach to innovation it is increasingly tempting to compare businesses and products as a way to measure success, but according to Jane Miller, the CEO of Lily’s Sweets, a better strategy to remain...
Consumers are demanding simple, wholesome, convenient snacks and mini-meals with cleaner labels, and you can’t get much simpler – or more nutritious - than eggs, says Phoenix-based startup Scramblers, which has developed what it claims is an industry...
