- FirstLook Newsletter
- Posts
- May FirstLook Box was a blowout
Geia / γεια! (Greek for "Hi")
We've officially jumped over to Beehiiv for our newsletter partner. Mailchimp wasn't cutting it. Thank you to everyone on this tweet which helped me make the switch. Hope you like the new look.
For all things FirstLook, I have some fun updates. Most recently, Nate, Austin, and myself were thiiiiis close to pulling together an SPV for Kin Euphorics. Despite coming up a tad short of our goal raise, it was a great experience working with founder/CEO Jen Batchelor and pulling together an investment memo on why we believed in her and Kin.
Unfortunately, its the summer, markets are still in "TBD" mode, and fundraising is at it's most difficult point since the 2009 market crash. Shout out to the investors still writing checks out there, and founders continuing to hustle. You're keeping the American spirit alive and well.
In other news, before we get into these hot May Box brands, it's a great honor and privilege to introduce Taylor Foxman, your favorite Alcohol and Spirits Consultant from The Industry Collective, as the newest FirstLook Scout AND a proud member of the FirstLook Collective.
She has been one of my biggest supporters since we met. She's wicked 'smaht', and is THE person to know if you're building a brand in the alcohol space. As plugged in as it gets. Need an intro? Reply to this email.
Founder Pro Tip of the Month
I've come across quite a few investor databases lately. Given the times, and everyone's desire to always be meeting new investors, here are great places to look (whether you're in consumer or not):
Happy hunting y'all!
Did a friend forward you this email, and now you want to join?
May Box Brands
Investors Shipped to: 34 | Number of Brands: 9 | Intros Made: 53
Founded by Ashley Nickelsen | IG & TikTok | 📍 San Francisco
What made them stand out: Ashley has a heart of gold, and is undoubtedly one of those special founders you could blindly bet on and feel great about. Her bars are healthy, and her mission is noble. Ashley is the definition of persistence and hard work, which is why her brand will continue to flourish.
Founded by Alana Lima | IG & TikTok | 📍 Hawaii
What made them stand out: Alana and Caju Love did things the right way from the start- building a backend supply chain that puts them in control of their future. Caju's plant-based meat, which is actually the relatively unknown fruit cashews are attached to, is a brilliant use of upcycling what was traditionally discarded by Brazilian farmers. They are early, but are already selling out each production run in record time.
Founded by Anna Peck and Steven Ford | IG & TikTok | 📍 NYC
What made them stand out: Anna and Steven had one of the best decks I had seen in awhile. It was thorough, to the point, and highlighted massive growth. This, my friends, is what an efficient company looks like. I love it. Their jams are delicious too! If they get acquired, this will be one of those quiet, "the founders had their heads down and simply built" types which IMO are the best kinds.
Founded by Jack Benzaquen | IG & TikTok | 📍 Miami
What made them stand out: Jack is lethal. He brings 18 years of CPG experience, is a 3x time founder, and even notched an exit along the way. It's safe to say he knows his way around the CPG founder kitchen. And the investor kitchen too. He spent a few years as an angel investor before starting Duradry.
Founded by Cason Crane | IG and TikTok | 📍 NYC
What made them stand out: Cason is an absolute MACHINE. He's the 1st openly LGBT person to summit Mt. Everest & The Seven Summits. He's also an 18x Ultramarathon and Marathon finisher, and 6x Ironman finisher. GTFO of here! To have this much discipline is incredible. Building Explorer is probably the easiest part of his day. Again, this is the EXACT type of founder investors should be throwing their money at.
Founded by Amanda Li Paige & Jerrod Clancy | IG & TikTok | 📍 LA
What made them stand out: Amanda and Jerrod are a perfect combo to launch a brand. Hard working, crazy dumb connected, and....they know how to capture 'cool' in a bottle. Surprisingly, this is one of the hardest things for a brand to achieve. Getting true grassroots support from a community of taste makers is the holy grail. And that's exactly what they've done so far in SoCal. It's only a matter of time until they reach the East Coast.
Founded by Vicente Surraco and Chris Allen | IG & TikTok | 📍 NYC
What made them stand out: Vicente and Chris are super talented founders with resumes perfectly designed for them to turn Osena into a massive hit. Wharton Grads with years of experience at ZX Ventures, they've seen hundreds of playbooks by others which dramatically cuts down the 'trial & error' phase (and thus conserves cash). Drinks taste great, and I feel smart drinking it. Hydration is major 🗝️
Founded by Jonas Guenther, Dan Bernstein, & Michael Udovich | IG & TikTok | 📍 NYC
What made them stand out: Algae is the future. It can do so much such as eating up carbon dioxide while yielding amazing products like oils and food. It's versatile and grows well in many types of environments such as urban farms. In New Farmers's initial use case, they're making spirulina cubes which are perfect for giving smoothies an extra boost. Jonas and team are hella bright, and what they are doing for the planet and consumers is so needed.
Founded by Ben Kander | IG | 📍 Pittsburgh
What made them stand out: What I loved most about Welly was Ben's desire to bring bottle manufacturing back on American soil. Just about all the water bottles Americans buy are made outside the U.S. (mostly China). Ben's vision of the future, instead, has them being produced in Pittsburgh which gives him a huge advantage for any and all customers who prioritize 'Made in America.'...which is A LOT.
And that's a wrap! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Fall is almost here! June newsletter is next. Let me know if you're having any troubles view this email.
Thanks from the FirstLook Team- Brian, James, and Mahdi!