In this week’s episode, Sebastian Dreher, the managing director of Dohler Ventures U.S., discussed the firm’s funding philosophy and why he believes that investing in emerging brands is more “art than science.” He also spoke about how he evaluates scalable innovation, why category dynamics are crucial to Dohler’s investment strategy, and why great founders are also great fundraisers.
Speaking in June at BevNET Live Summer 2019 in New York City, Weller co-founder John Simmons shared lessons and learnings from his experiences as a CBD pioneer, including how other cannabis product categories have informed the brand’s strategy, how retailers and distributors are looking at infused products, and the process Weller followed to define its platform.
In this month's spirits gallery, we highlight a handful of the notable new releases from the past month, including a blend of four Kentucky straight bourbons from Bardstown Bourbon Co., the debut of bespoke California whiskey maker Wolves, and the U.S. debut of British-inspired rum Admiral Rodney.
Being a challenger means not only having big ideas, but knowing how to grow from a startup brand to true scalability. For Vitaminwater and BodyArmor co-founder Mike Repole, this means being “patiently aggressive,” staying on your toes, and setting ambitious goals-- like becoming the top-selling sports drink by 2025.
Carlos Ponce is the co-founder and CEO of UbU Beverages, a company that offers sparkling functional tonics without any sugar, sweeteners or caffeine. The brand’s energy and hemp tonics deliver antioxidants, prebiotics and electrolytes, aiming to serve the active Gen X consumer.
In pioneering innovations -- including a text message-based ordering platform and a smartphone operated vending machine -- for his functional beverage brand Dirty Lemon, Zak Normandin, CEO and founder of Iris Nova, has leveraged technology to bring a new generation of tech and health savvy consumers a different kind of drinking experience.
Yayaya is a recently launched line of beverages made with yaupon, which is, unlike traditional tea, an ingredient that is grown in North America. The brand has launched with six functional flavors that are packaged in 14 oz. glass bottles.
In a wide-ranging interview, Siggi’s founder Siggi Hilmarsson chronicled his journey from selling his Icelandic-style yogurt on the streets of Manhattan through to the creation and eventual acquisition of the brandin 2018. As part of our conversation, he explained why he urges entrepreneurs to “plan for success,” the important role basketball plays in his life, and why he’s a “maybe, sort-of perfectionist.” This episode is presented by Flavorman, the beverage architects.
In this episode, we feature an interview with Sisun Lee, the co-founder and CEO of More Labs, a next-generation maker of biohacking beverages known for hangover supplement Morning Recovery. As part of our conversation, Lee discussed the factors and strategic decisions that led to Morning Recovery’s rapid development, and how More Labs is attempting to create a platform for functional products.
In this episode, we’re joined by Popchips and RightRice founder Keith Belling, who discussed the origins of both brands and how lessons learned from building the former are being applied to the latter. He also spoke about the importance of branding and why he’s overinvested in package design, how celebrity investors supported the development of Popchips and the challenges of leveraging success. This episode is presented by ZoomEssence, the cool-tech powder flavor people.
Before teaRIOT established a multi-channel retail footprint that stretches across the U.S., and before its acceptance into the Chobani Incubator program, and before its recent $3 million Series A funding round, co-founders Laura and Steve Jakobsen were simply focused on building a brand.
PLNT Blend is a line of hemp-infused beverages that feature 15 mg of CBD per bottle and are flavored with fruit juice, herbs, tea and coconut nectar. PLNT Blend is available in three SKUs: Pineapple + Chamomile, Mint + Matcha and Turmeric + Ginger.
Blume Honey Water, which we first reviewed in March 2018, is back with a big update to both its packaging and formulation.
In this episode, we sat down with Andrea Illy, the chairman of illycaffè and one of the global coffee industry’s most influential figures. As part of our interview, he spoke about how Illycaffe’s commitment to quality and ethical standards has positioned the company for long-term success. He also shared his perspective on the three most important attributes for “good coffee”and why the beverage should be treated with the same reverence as wine.
