#173 - The Food Investors: Capital for Emerging CPGs

The Startup CPG Podcast

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff is joined by a distinguished panel of investors, including Greer Tessler (Founding Partner at Simple Food Ventures), Daniel Faierman (General Partner at Habitat Partners), Carolyn Simmons (Partner at Melitas Ventures), and Andrew Reynolds (Co-Founder & General Partner at RCV Frontline). Together, they provide an in-depth exploration of the current fundraising environment for CPG brands, discussing realistic valuations, funding strategies for pre-seed and seed stages, and the nuances of engaging with angel investors versus institutional funds.

The panel offers expert insights on investor expectations, from gross margin benchmarks to profitability strategies and the critical role of founder resilience. They also examine key industry trends, including the growth of better-for-you products, protein-enriched innovations, and clean-label global cuisines, while highlighting how founders can effectively differentiate themselves through strategic pitches, trust-building, and leveraging professional networks.

They conclude with rapid-fire pitches from emerging brands and real-time feedback from the panel, making it a valuable resource for founders and industry professionals.

Don’t miss this deep dive into the minds of top CPG investors—tune in now!

Listen in as they share about:

• Fundraising Environment
• Metrics and Margins
• Trends of Interest
• Raising Funds
• Investment Criteria
• Investor Expectations
• Pitching to VCs
• Q&A and Brand Pitches
• How to Approach VCs

Episode Links:

Greer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greer-tessler-50256640/
Daniel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-faierman/

Carolyn Simmons LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynsimmons/
Andrew Reynolds LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/areynolds720/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [e-mail]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics