Startup CPG

Startup CPG is partnering with Walmart for an exclusive Grocery Run! 🛒

On September 24-25, we’re bringing 60 community brands in the Food, Beverage, Wellness, and Baby categories to Bentonville for a two-day event built around getting you in front of Walmart’s team.

If selected, you’ll be in the room with merchants and cross-functional partners from teams like Supplier Excellence, Marketplace, Walmart Connect, and more — plus over 20 consumer-focused investors backing emerging brands.

This is the first time Walmart has ever done an event like this, and we’re making it count.

Applications are open for brands in the Food, Beverage, Wellness, and Baby categories. If you are not in one of these categories, your application will not be considered. The Walmart team will review applications and make selections on a rolling basis — once all spots are filled, applications close.

Comment “WALMART GROCERY RUN” below and we’ll send you the link! 👇

The Fresh Thyme Market x Startup CPG Pitch Slam is back — and year 2 is going bigger and better 🎤🏆

5 brands from the Startup CPG community will pitch LIVE to Fresh Thyme Market category managers for a chance at shelf placement in Fresh Thyme Market stores. Last year’s finalists set the bar high. This year, we’re raising it 🙌🏼

If selected, you’ll also get a store tour with the Fresh Thyme Market team, a seat at exclusive buyer roundtables where you’ll hear exactly what they look for in emerging brands, and a fireside chat with Fresh Thyme leadership. There’s a lot on the table — even beyond the top prize.

The Pitch Slam is part of a larger Grocery Run with Fresh Thyme Market happening October 27 in Naperville, IL. Tickets coming soon — but first, focus on getting your application in.

Applications close August 2. The Fresh Thyme Market team will select the 5 finalists.

Comment “FRESH THYME MARKET” below and we’ll send you the link! 👇

The last day of Amazon Prime Week is TOMORROW — and we’re not letting it go by without highlighting some amazing CPG brand deals! 🛒

Been wanting to try a brand in the Startup CPG community? Now’s the time. 🛍️

Drop a brand with a great deal in the comments below 👇 Whether you’re a founder with a Prime deal running or a shopper with a brand you love — we want to hear from you! 🧃🍫🌰

Last week we had our first Grocery Run with Giant Food at their HQ! 🛒🏃

That means another edition of Startup CPG’s Faves From The Road (These are just a few brands who sampled for nearly 30 Giant Foot category managers.) Swipe to page 2 to see our teams faves 👉

In case you aren’t familiar, Giant Food is a regional powerhouse in the DMV region, and we’re so excited that we were finally able to hold an event there. The entire Giant Food team was there and for a ton of brands, this was their first-ever Startup CPG event!   We’re already looking forward to the next time we find ourselves in that area of the country.

Thank you to Giant Food for putting this on with us, and thank you to everyone who came and sampled. The brands are what make our events great, so it means a lot that you keep showing up!

What happens when a century-old Danish family recipe becomes the foundation for a modern condiment brand? 🇩🇰

For founder Houston Buehrle, Little Zing started with a mustard recipe his great-grandmother created in Denmark over 100 years ago. Passed down through generations and made by his father every holiday season, it became a beloved family tradition that people always wanted more of. 🌭✨

Startup CPG helped create a major turning point. After exhibiting in the Startup CPG section at Expo West, Little Zing connected with buyers and landed placements in Gelson’s, Nugget Markets, Misfits Market, Lazy Acres, and Berkeley Bowl—expanding to more than 250 doors and launching throughout San Francisco.

Scroll through to learn more about how Little Zing transformed a family recipe into one of the fastest-growing emerging condiment brands today 👉

Follow Little Zing Danish Mustard for more on their journey!

Our 3rd stop on the Founders & Funders Roadshow is a wrap — and Austin delivered!

We brought together investors and brands for 1:1 meetings, meaningful networking, and a panel, The Checklist: Fundraising Milestones, moderated by Hannah Dittman.

Thank you to our panelists Ryan Springer, Co-Founder and Partner at Midnight Venture Partners; Dan Graham, General Partner at Springdale Ventures; and Ellen Gorra, Investment Principal at Whole Foods Market, for bringing such valuable insights and making it a great conversation. Here is what chat said is grammatically correct for this part.

Next stop: SF, leading into our main Founders & Funders event back in NYC on December 10th. Stay tuned.

A huge thank you to our sponsors who make all of this possible - Circana, Coverwatch, Giannuzzi Lewendon, and Rockwall Services.