David Delcourt

This resonates and is a terrific introspective piece by Andre Menezes. Love that he ends on an ambitious note: 🌱🍽️ "By focusing on addressing genuine consumer needs, fortifying health claims, and cultivating sustainable demand, the plant-based food industry can chart a course toward resilience and resurgence." 👉🏽As an early investor in both wins and losses in this space, I believe there is much more to come for alt proteins, and a resurgence is around the corner. #AlternativeProteins #Sustainability #FoodInnovation #FutureOfFood #ClimateAction #GlobalFoodSecurity https://lnkd.in/g8FwTivt

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-- Podcast Teaser Alert -- "If you want to lead the consumer, you need to be the consumer." - Eric Ryan At one point, Eric Ryan and I were "frienemies". Friends personally, competitors professionally. He was the co-founder and CEO of Method Products PBC, while I led Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. ................ But in the real world, we were always on the same team. Our collective efforts, along with the team at 7th Generation, were revolutionizing the cleaning category. At Mrs. Meyer's, our mission was clear: 'Together, we dream of a world where the better way becomes THE way.' ................ Eric Ryan shares his insights on creating method products pbc, OLLY PBC, and Welly Bandages, along with his go-to-market approach. Stay tuned for the next drop of the CEO podcast. 🎙 You won't regret it. #cultureFIRSTleadership #ceoPodcast #ChiefEternalOptimist

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The time is NOW for food traceability! With the FDA Food Traceability Rule set to take effect in January 2026, food industry leaders are being urged to prioritize transparency and consumer safety. This is exactly where Starfish—the newest addition to Branded Hospitality Ventures portfolio—comes in. Starfish is on a mission to revolutionize food safety and transparency by enabling real-time traceability across the entire food supply chain. Their innovative technology ensures that food products can be tracked from farm to table, improving safety, efficiency, and accountability. We’re proud to support Starfish as they lead the way in providing the tools companies need to meet and exceed these traceability standards. The future of food safety is here, and we’re excited to be part of it. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gfzhhN6X Food Dive Brian Ronholm #FoodSafety #FDA #Traceability #FoodTech #Transparency #FSMA #FoodIndustry Hospitality Hangout Podcast Wiggs Civitillo 史美凡 Jimmy Frischling Mark Garbin, CFA, PRM Mackenzie Mikkelsen Alex Pomerenk

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Disclaimer: I’m not VC, but I do have a PE background. VC is not a monolith, so I’ll speak exclusively to the concept. No, it does not inherebtly corrupt brands. However, only in select circumstances does it work well in CPG and there are many very good VCs who can navigate this. It comes down to how VC funds are structured. To provide attractive returns to their investors (called LPs) they have to achieve at least one, if not a few massive outcomes (multiplying capital by the 10s and even hundreds) to make up for the inevitable failure of the others (small businesses fail a lot). Resultantly, they only invest on emerging brands that provide possible exposure to those outcomes. Furthermore, VC is really the only institutional capital available in large enough chunks to fund emerging brands, so emerging brands adopt high risk, high growth (hopefully) models to attract this capital. CPG, however, is not tech, and these businesses have all sorts of emergent constraints throughout the scaling journey, especially (but not only) manufacturing capacity and existing retail demand at emerging brand price points beyond what early adopters drive (aka crossing the chasm). The result? Bad outcomes (sometimes).

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Great to see the longstanding issue of mysterious fees impacting CPG brands and their consumers getting some national recognition by the The Wall Street Journal. Legacy distributors say that it's because emerging brands don't understand what they signed up for: “There are costs to doing business,” she said, noting that KeHE moves some 80,000 different products to 35,000 stores. “We don’t charge for the sake of charging.” Conklin said KeHE’s practices are spelled out in contracts signed by food makers, and that small brands often don’t fully understand the terms they agree to with distributors and grocers. While digital upstarts like Pod Foods say that it's more a problem with an outdated infrastructure: "That leaves distributors reliant on so-called inside income, or revenue generated from food manufacturers. “Inside income isn’t ancillary to [distributors’] business,” said Peter Gialantzis, chief merchandising officer of startup food distributor Pod Foods. “Without that, they would go out of business. Gialantzis, who has worked at KeHE and Amazon’s Whole Foods, said distributors aren’t malicious, but that their systems are challenging for smaller brands." Time for a change to keep emerging CPG brands healthy and thriving! https://lnkd.in/g-2iTGgR #CPG #fooddistribution #fees #distributors #grocery #prices Pod Foods Larissa Russell Peter Gialantzis Fiona Lee Ammar Hanafi Moment Ventures Jim Baum Michael Frederick Marcotte Christian Gammill Jim Curry Manan M.

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Check out this blog to get a glimpse into why ColdSnap® is in high demand and has won two CES awards including Best of Show 2024. #icecream #frozencocktails #disruptive #technology #smoothies #proteinshake

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🗞️ Cultivated Meat at the Crossroads: Global Momentum Meets Political Resistance 🌍 From emerging markets embracing innovation to political pushback in the West, cultivated meat stands at a pivotal moment. With fluctuating investments and rising debates around its impact, the industry faces both exciting opportunities and critical challenges. For more on cultivated meat: 📰 Transforming the Food Industry: Cultivated Meat’s Evolution and Uphill Battle https://lnkd.in/gQzwiUdf 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter for more updates: https://lnkd.in/gwFmHkw2 #CultivatedMeat #FoodInnovation #Sustainability #FoodTech #AlternativeProteins #FutureOfFood #FoodPolicy #EmergingMarkets #AgriTech #GlobalTrends #PoliticalResistance #PolicyDebate #FoodPolitics #Regulation #LabMeat #Farm2Feast

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In 2024, energy drink sales in convenience stores are expected to remain robust despite anticipated price hikes. Sales surged 10.8% in the past year, with smaller brands like CELSIUS Holdings, Inc. and GHOST leading growth. These brands are forecasted to continue expanding shelf space significantly. C-store operators are preparing for higher prices by focusing on variety, promotional deals, and flexible sizing to maintain customer interest. Brands emphasizing functional and low-sugar claims are particularly popular, catering to consumer demand for health-focused beverages. Overall, while inflation poses challenges, the energy drink market in c-stores is poised for continued growth through strategic marketing and product innovation. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/e84H9Bbn C-Store Dive Branded Hospitality Ventures Sally Lyons Wyatt #hospitality #beverage #foodandbeverage #technology #innovation Joe Sobolewski Paul Storey John Fieldly Giancarlo Morena Jarrod Langhans Toby David Mark Magnesen Ryan Hughes

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Constellation Brands Inc. saw its stock climb during premarket trading on Thursday following an upward revision of its adjusted fiscal 2025 profit forecast, surpassing analyst predictions. The company also reported a robust fourth-quarter profit, driven by the stronger-than-anticipated performance of its beer division. CEO Bill Newlands highlighted the beer business's consistent volume growth over 56 quarters, coupled with impressive margins, although wine and spirits sales experienced a decline. https://lnkd.in/ggNU_G9r Constellation Brands Bill Newlands Branded Hospitality Ventures #Technology #Business #Innovation #AI #investing #venturecapital MarketWatch

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“Growing a CPG company, especially in the food and beverage space, ‘is astronomically harder today,’. ” Paul Voge you said it, man. So many truth bombs dropped in this article about the challenges and difficulties growing and scaling a CPG brand in today’s world. The cruel reality is that it takes a whole lot of money or a whole lot of time (and most times both) along with a fair amount of luck to have a chance at making it. If you dont have a ton of money then you better have a ton of time, some good fortune, and a product that can withstand many changes of the seasons (and "trends"). For most emerging brands today its all about survival and just finding a way.  There are lots of traps out there– lots of shiny objects– lots of vanity metrics hoping to be noticed and cared about–but at the end of the day sometimes its just about living to see another one. Here’s to all you day-to-dayers and week-to-weekers out there that are all just finding a way. Keep finding it.

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Founders that are raising, A strategic conversation about investment is so imperative. Generous coaching offer below from Elliot Begoun.

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Cultivated meat: a fairly quick boom and bust seemingly in its waning days already. Although folks want to blame the market, I would suggest the challenges to cost reductions and scalability are fundamental, not simply cyclicality. Its challenges have deep roots in thermodynamics when the competition is based on free sunshine and the natural, autonomous, self replicating, self-healing technology of evolution. There will plausibly be value in IP for other applications, so maybe investors get a few pennies out for their dollars? https://lnkd.in/gd4rYET5

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Traditional fast food stocks had a promising performance in Q1, with several companies exceeding expectations and demonstrating resilience in the market. Despite challenges regarding perceptions of healthiness, these chains showcased their strengths in delivering convenience and quality offerings to consumers. Restaurant Brands International reported impressive revenue growth, outperforming analysts' expectations and showcasing its strong market position. El Pollo Loco, Inc. had an exceptional quarter, surpassing expectations across multiple metrics and experiencing a significant increase in its stock price. These positive results underscore the robustness of these fast food brands and their ability to adapt to evolving consumer preferences. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/eGxVFsEC Branded Hospitality Ventures #innovation #venturecapital #hospitality #marketing #startup Jourdan Daleo José Cil Chris Brigleb Duncan Fulton Nick Boyle Josh Kobza Maria Hollandsworth Liz Williams Brian Carmichall Samuel Nicholas Borgese Ira Fils

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3 key tips for first time founders: 1) you must be a salesperson everywhere at all times so if you are not - learn (hiring won't help) 2) nobody cares about your "game changer" solution, especially at the start when you get excited, so be patient 3) sell your vision to investors, dream to your team, and product to the market shortly discussed all these with a serial tech entrepreneur - Garret Flower 花嘉來 https://lnkd.in/eRmKBQRv

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A simple quote from Mike Tyson and one of my favorites of all time: "Everybody has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." It rings true in the day to day battles of business, especially in CPG. Here are some examples many CPG founders go through or ones I've personally battled: 🥴 You launch a product, did all the research for R&D, focus group testing, and reviewed the packaging thousands of times before launching, but still something went wrong either with shelf life, negative consumer/retailer feedback, or weak sales on shelf 💰 You had cash flow projections in place and expected that with X amount raised, it would last you for Y Months, but ran short of runway and were scrambling to raise more cash to keep the company going in difficult times 🤝 Formed partnerships, only disappointed to find out the partner backed out, or it wasn't the partnership you envisioned and now you are doing damage control and it's causing emotional pain to be with this person 🚛 Brought on a distributor thinking they would push the brand and it would be an estimated cost, but they didn't do their job, and the costs ended up sky-rocketing from chargebacks, thus losing money on every unit 😲You release a great product, and then a competitor comes up with a version of yours that is a lower price point and they have all the marketing dollars in the world to out-compete you. I can go on and on, but in this business, like any business, you have intentions when you go into it, and many times, it doesn't turn out the way you envisioned. What's your story of getting punched in the mouth?

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And now, the surprising financial side of this innovation story. How did Vertical Harvest Farms do it? Besides grit and a willing community - the details are in the article below. In my view, Vertical Harvest Farms is leading the wave in #cea Nona Yehia Supreet Singh Manchanda Gingee Prince

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WHY has it been so tough to scale sales for AgTech startups? Based on a recent report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the answer is straightforward - most farmers 🧑‍🌾 simply prefer to buy existing ag technologies they know & trust vs. spend money 💵 & take a risks on something new. This is further magnified, given the low margins & increasing costs farmers need to grapple with in recent years. AgFunder summarized it well “Farmers don’t have the time to waste on agtech startups to manufacture machines that take years to deliver and have yet to earn grower’s trust.” https://lnkd.in/dcrRas42

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SAFE NOTES ARE NOW UNSAFE... OK so what is going to happen to the money that was poured into CPG Brands via these supposed SAFE Notes? Issue is that no priced round took place and now it is likely if it did happen it would be at a fraction of the valuation that was contemplated leading to massive dilution for the founder. Many have a cap...few have a floor. and unless they are converted it will be impossible to raise new money at any valuation. #cpg #safenotes #fundraising

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