Location: Floor 2

An introduction to aTULC can technology—pre-laminated aluminum cans engineered to deliver zero-metal contact. This creates a stable, uniform liner that is BPA-free and PFAS-free, while supporting extended shelf life. The Co-Founders of VulCan will share insights into the technical capabilities and commercial applications of aTULC, helping emerging beverage brands formulate and scale even their most challenging products.

Three of our first round survivors pitch their plans to the judges.

Location: Floor 2

Pre-scheduled, 10-minute meetings with retailers, investors, and industry peers. Prior registration required. Check in at the One-to-One Help Desk before heading to your meeting.

Trip's got quite an itinerary for its U.S. retail endeavors; its founders take us through their channel calculations and the hard choices they've made on where to focus for momentum.

Location: Floor 2

This panel discussion will focus on the key considerations (valuation, structure, process) when exploring strategic options for a liquidity event, including a capital raise, partial or full exit. Our panel of three beverage transaction experts will share a framework and key steps in conducting a strategic review, including financial due diligence and legal review. The session will include a slide presentation and discussion followed by Q&A

Venture Capital firm Morrison Seger, or “MoSe”, has quietly – and quickly – become one of entrepreneurial beverage’s most active investors. Founder Rogers Healy breaks down his perspective on what makes for investment grade innovation in the CPG space.

In a special tactical presentation, sales, marketing, and tech experts Lynn Altman (Brand Now), Jess Graham (Banquet), and Kevin Senn (Aisle AI) share a concrete playbook for making your brand legible to AI agents — without gutting what makes it human.

Location: Floor 2

Launching a beverage brand doesn’t have to mean massive upfront costs or long timelines. This workshop explores how startups can move faster, test smarter, and reduce risk using flexible packaging strategies, small production runs, and modern go-to-market approaches to bring products from idea to shelf more efficiently.

Our second flight of finalists makes their case!

With federal regulations about to put this fast-growing industry into a time-out, we look through the lens of brands, distributors, and lobbyists for potential futures for this fast-growing segment.

Capital remains selective, strategic, and highly relationship-driven. Chuck Cotter of Morrison & Foerster and Daniel Faierman of Habitat Partners evaluate the fundraising environment — from how investors are evaluating beverage opportunities in 2026 to the most common mistakes founders make when preparing to raise growth capital.