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July 2023 FirstLook Brands
Highlights from our July box, Founder Pro Tips, and more...
FirstLook
November 24, 2023
Welcome to our 29 new subscribers since the last newsletter. I'll do my best to keep this fun, light, and informative. Glad you're here.
Li-hó! (“Hi” in Taiwanese)
Welcome back to another consistently inconsistent newsletter. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving with friends and family. Happy Black Friday! Let’s dive in:
Congrats to Evan Delahanty, founder of Peaceful Fruits, on landing a $100,000 check from a FirstLook investor! 🤑
Evan is a Clevelander like yours truly, and we’ve become close friends since I moved back. Peaceful Fruits is a remarkable company, so much so that Evan whipped up a special version of his fruit stickers shaped as my ferocious doggy, Olli. Because Evan uses such clean ingredients, even Olli could eat them…which he happily did on his 1st birthday which Evan popped over for!
The precision here is nuts!
Thank you Mary Vanac for sharing my story in the Cleveland Business Journal. It’s always been my dream to support the Cleveland community by growing startup and VC activity here.
My bff Nate Rosen and Emmy Oleary recently launched a cool company helping consumers better find the growing number of shops carrying startup brands. Please meet Shops Around the Corner!
The FirstLook CPG Industry Master Calendar has been updated with as many 2024 dates as possible. For those new, it’s a free Gmail calendar with all the major events, pitch comps, and key deadlines. Over 1000 investors, founders, and folks in between are currently using it to stay ahead.
Thank you to everyone who grabbed some merch from the FirstLook Merch Shop, I appreciate you! Your support does not go unnoticed. You take care of me, I take care of you. It’s a family affair now.
And lastly, thank you to my family and friends who’ve supported and been there for me over the years as I’ve built FirstLook, and now Distrobox as well. I’m beyond grateful to have you in my life. Real recognize real.
Enjoy your holiday shopping today, Cyber Monday, and the exciting weekend ahead!
Founder Pro Tip of the Month 💡
I understand the need for check minimums, however, some early-stage founders are going overboard.
Check mins or $25K or $50K are great. Helps weed out the small fries. However, mins of $100K or higher are troublesome. You end up missing out on A LOT of angels who bring incredible value.
Keep in mind, early-stage investors are usually index investing AKA writing a lot of small checks into a lot of deals. With a high min, founders limit themselves to the very small pool of investors who make large, concentrated bets, or the Ultra HNWIs using an index strategy.
Stick with $25K-50K. Many serious, high value-add investors come in at that range.
Did a friend forward you this and now you want to join?
July Box Brands 🚀
Investors: 42 → Apply Here | Brands: 5 → Apply Here | Intros: 43
Investors Interested in brands below, email [email protected] for decks.
Arch Pet Food
Founded by Gabe Huertas del Pino + Adam Mutschler | Site + IG + TikTok | 📍Chicago
What made them stand out: I love Arch a lot for a couple of reasons. First, the use cricket protein is smart, and sustainable. This protein source will (probably) never catch on for human consumption in the U.S., but luckily dogs have no idea. Kind of a shame given how much healthier and gentler cricket protein is on the planet. Next, Arch comes out of the Techstars Atlanta program which is a great sign for both their strength along with the resources and support behind them. Gabe and Adam are such kind and strong founders. I hope this brand goes the distance.
Homecourt
Founded by Sarah Jahnke + Courteney Cox | Site + IG + TikTok | 📍Santa Monica
What made them stand out: This one may appear obvious, Courteney Cox is a cofounder, which is great considering her reach, connections, and fan base. What I really like, however, is Sarah and her experience coming from L’Oreal where she lead marketing for a fragrance brand and managed strategic retail relationships. She’s the perfect complement to Courteney, and will be a huge reason Homecourt becomes successful. This category is interesting, and sometimes hard to discern if there is room for another winner. Homecourt’s products are absolutely beautiful, and leave a room smelling incredible. This distinction, plus a super team leading the way, could be a winning recipe.
Loisa
Founded by Scott Hattis + Kenneth Luna | Site + IG + TikTok | 📍NYC
What made them stand out: I liked Loisa for two primary reasons. The Hispanic population is exploding. 1 in 5 Americans are currently Hispanic, and that number will grow to over 1 in 4 over the next four decades. This means a lot of money flowing into brands that resonate. Speaking of, Loisa has taken a calculated approach in going after non-Mexican Hispanics. Too many brands focus on the Mexican Hispanic group, and largely ignore the rest of the Hispanic world which includes Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Panama, to name just a few of the 21 total. This distinction, and focus on family and community (staples of Hispanic heritage) may be the key differentiator that turns Loisa into a big winner.
Sugar Wood
Founded by Austin Allan | Site + IG + TikTok | 📍NYC
What made them stand out: I love how unique Sugar Wood. Literally just look at the picture above. Their NYC shop has become a must-visit destination for bachelorette parties among other groups wanting a spicey social media pic. This burning desire by customers to post pics is a perfect (and free) marketing tool to further spread Sugar Wood’s appeal. To top things off, Austin is crazy talented. He previously founded CPG brand Tio Gazpacho in 2013 which later exited to Novamex. He knows how to build, quickly. If you’re in NYC, or Nashville next year when they open their second store, definitely pay them a visit!
Tilden
Founded by Vanessa Royle + Mariah Hilton Wood | Site + IG + TikTok | 📍Santa Barbara & Boston
What made them stand out: Tilden bottles are BEAUTIFUL to say the least. They look perfect on restaurant shelves which has proven to be true considering how quickly Vanessa and team have landed in some of the most elite restaurants in L.A. The NA drinks movement continues to plow forward which bodes well for Tilden. Their drink is rich and sophisticated with unique flavors and aromas revealing themselves at all points of the experience. Consumers love it, as do restaurants who require less time to prep than a typical cocktail. Shorter prep time = happier customers and more sales.
And that's a wrap. The August box is next. Keep on building my friends.