You might be starting from scratch in a kitchen, or perhaps you already have a recipe you like. Either way, now is the time to think forward. You’re going to be choosing the ingredients and packaging you need to meet consumer expectations, support the statements and claims you want to make, and match way you expect to manufacture it.    

SKU’s mentors are what truly sets the accelerator apart. Brands are surrounded by a customized mentor team hand-picked to meet their needs. 

While the plant-based category continues to gain momentum, alt-protein food formulators still struggle to improve the labels and mouthfeel of their products to match traditional, animal-based counterparts. 

Born out of a family recipe with Argentinian roots, La Porteña is a Portland-based, Latino-owned business that crafts locally sourced, high-quality, small-batch chimichurri. 

During the 12-week program, founders participate in classes presented by some of the industry’s top experts invaluable to CPG entrepreneurs, including channel strategy, positioning and branding, packaging, labeling and safety, operations and fundraising. 

Founders of the 12 startup brands participating in the Austin and Atlanta cohorts in the SKU (CPG) accelerator celebrated the culmination of the rigorous 12-week program with the premiere of their virtual pitches. The brands span multiple categories, including non-alcoholic cocktails, plant-based burgers, healthy snacks and beauty.

Ideal candidates are market-validated companies with compelling founders and innovative products in hot categories. Brands can be from a wide range of areas in CPG, including food, beverage, apparel, personal care, and household products.. 

This is the first year that SKU will run two concurrent tracks, tapping into mentor talent in two regions and enabling a larger number of brands to participate in the accelerator’s acclaimed program. Both cohorts will be hybrid programs with both online and in person programming - a model SKU first adopted during the onset of the pandemic.

Starting this year, FoodBytes!, Rabobank's discovery platform that champions cross-industry collaboration between the most promising startups, corporates and investors, will move beyond its annual pitch competition and expand to a continuous scouting model, with 15 startups selected to participate in programming every quarter.

Each winner was selected based on their validated business model, track record of commercial viability, collaborative mindset, and a robust and diverse team to drive meaningful change in their respective sectors - AgTech, Food Tech and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG).