The community-driven sourcing program expects to deliver hundreds of curated brand applications directly to retail buyers, distributors, and more – as part of a planned review cycle or as an “off-cycle” effort. No portals, no subscriptions required.

NEW YORK, NY (April 21, 2026) – Startup CPG, home to the largest and most engaged community of emerging food, beverage, beauty, wellness, and pet brands, today announced the launch of Opportunity Knocks, a new sourcing campaign designed to help top retailers discover exciting new brands and first-to-market opportunities at scale.

With an online community of 35,000+ emerging brand founders and industry experts (total digital reach of 200,000+) and a reputation as the go-to industry hub for early-stage CPG brands and resources, Startup CPG is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between innovative emerging brands and the retailers looking to stock them.

How Opportunity Knocks Works

Opportunity Knocks gives retail buyers and other key industry stakeholders a streamlined, fully managed path to discovering their next great brand partner:

• Startup CPG works with the retailer to tailor a custom submission form.
• Startup CPG announces each retailer’s sourcing campaign exclusively via national email – these will be dropped on Fridays.
• A live, virtual fireside chat during the submission window gives brands a firsthand opportunity to learn more about what it’s like to work with the retailer.
• Brands fill out the submission form covering their products, distribution, traction points, and reasons for wanting to work with that specific retailer – giving the retailers a peek inside the brands’ mind and operations.
• The submission forms are live for two weeks.
• Startup CPG’s team delivers a clean, organized set of submissions directly to the retailer, making it easy to identify and schedule meetings with potential top candidates for their stores.

Retailers can run Opportunity Knocks as part of a planned review cycle or as an “off-cycle” way to build a pipeline of emerging brands to have on their radar – even if timing isn’t perfect. Campaigns can be scoped to a single category or span multiple categories.

“Startup CPG continues to build the most engaged audience of emerging brands in the industry. Opportunity Knocks gives top retailers a direct line to that community – fully organized, fully customizable, and with zero friction. We’re confident retailers will find excellent fits every time.” – Daniel Scharff, Founder & CEO, Startup CPG

Earth Fare will be the first retailer to kick off Opportunity Knocks, launching their campaign on May 1st. Mara Reitzfeld, Director of Center Store Category at Earth Fare, shared her excitement about the partnership, “Great brands don’t scale alone. That’s why I quickly said yes to the Opportunity Knocks campaign to grow innovation with intention – and bring the next generation of standout products to our shoppers!”

Whole Foods Market UK was also a first adopter of Opportunity Knocks – giving U.S.-based brands have an opportunity to get their products overseas. Izzie Peskett, Senior Team Leader, Marketing shared “Whole Foods Market UK is thrilled to be working with Startup CPG to help discover new, challenger brands eager to expand internationally. The Whole Foods Market customer in the UK is always looking for something new and never been seen before and often US brands are high up on their list when they want to try and experience something different. We are so pleased to be able to give more chances for startups and founders wishing to explore the UK retail market and cannot wait to see the entries!”

Why Retailers Choose Opportunity Knocks

Access to New and Emerging Brands

Startup CPG’s community is the largest and most engaged audience of emerging brands in the industry. Brands are thrilled by the opportunity to connect directly with top retailers, and vice versa – no portal, no subscription required – which means high-quality, motivated applicants and abundant first-to-market opportunities.

Fully Organized and Customizable

Every application uses a standardized set of questions, plus any custom additions the retailer requests. Startup CPG handles all outreach, communication, and organization – buyers simply review the applications and decide who to engage with.

Flexible Timing

Opportunity Knocks fits into any buying calendar. Whether retailers need a structured review or simply want to build a pipeline of emerging brands for future consideration, campaigns can be scheduled when it makes sense – and scoped to any number of categories.

Availability

Opportunity Knocks is now open for retailer scheduling. An excellent cohort of retail partners is set to launch in May 2026 including Earth Fare, Fresh Thyme, Happier Grocery, Hungryroot, Mtropolitan Market, Northwest Grocers, PTL ONE, Raley’s, The Fresh Market, Thrive Market, Whole Foods Market UK and more. Calendar slots are expected to fill quickly.

Retailers interested in becoming part of this campaign initiative can reach out to OK@startupcpg.com. If you’re a brand looking to submit your products to individual campaigns, sign up for our newsletter and Slack via startupcpg.com.

Interested in sponsoring Startup CPG, Opportunity Knocks, and other initiatives? Reach out to partnerships@startupcpg.com.

About Startup CPG

Startup CPG is the world’s biggest community for CPG brands & experts, making it easier for early brands through access to key resources. Startup CPG hosts the #1 world CPG podcast, 50-100 in-person events per year typically featuring retail buyers and investors, and the biggest educational webinars in the industry. Startup CPG has a history of developing first-of-a-kind resources for the community. Their other databases (including 3PLs, brokers, distributors, and more) as well as the link to join their nearly 35K person slack channel is available via startupcpg.com. 

About Basemakers

Basemakers is the premier retail execution partner for high-growth CPG brands. We turn distribution into velocity in the grocery channel. Our tech-enabled teams reduce out-of-stocks and maximize shelf presence. Trusted by top disruptors, we don’t just visit stores – we help you win the shelf