Introducing the
Startup CPG Section at Expo West
This year, we have the first *ever* Startup CPG Section at Expo West, and we are so excited to feature 20+ amazing up-and-coming CPG brands. The Startup CPG Section is dedicated to primarily first-time Expo West exhibitors, featuring early stage brands from all over the US, over half female founded and over a third minority-owned. We cannot wait for you all to meet these true CPG innovators.
The Startup CPG section is located at the Hot Products ACC Level 3. If you’re looking at the main convention center, it’s at the top left (on the opposite side of the hot products 1st and 2nd floors – see below).
Patricia Menegoto, head of Marketing and Community at Startup CPG, explains, ”We’re very excited to have our dedicated section at Expo West 2024, and we really appreciate our partnership with New Hope, which makes it all possible. Our section at Expo East last year was a hit — every retailer stopped by to check out the new innovations, and the brands in our section made so many great connections. We also take the time to support our first-time exhibitors with a dedicated slack channel and a pre-show meeting hosted by Startup CPG for brands to connect and share resources.” A recent podcast from the Startup CPG team shared tips on “How to Crush Expo” from three brands that have performed extremely well, including very tactical tips for getting buyers’ attention from their booths.
During the show, Startup CPG has scheduled tours with retailers like Kroger and Central Market to walk them around the section and meet all the brands – any other retailers interested can reach out directly to Patricia on LinkedIn.
What’s more – keep your eyes peeled for the first ever brand swag fashion show at Expo West! Startup CPG is thrilled to partner with Swag.com for a walkoff, with all our brands showing off their freshest swag! More details soon in our newsletters and Slack.
What past Startup CPG exhibitors have to say
Hannah Hong, the founder of Must Love says, “We had a great time at Expo East thanks to Startup CPG and our section. Our section had a lot of attention from buyers, definitely more than I expected. One of the best parts was being able to chat it up with our neighboring Startup CPG friends. We were able to meet people we have been admiring from afar and also reconnect with old friends, too.”
Cassandra Powers of Bundle x Joy, Inc. and fellow Startup CPG section exhibitor echoes Hong’s sentiment: “It definitely felt like we were listed as priority for attendees to visit — we were swamped day 1 especially (get ready CPG!)!…We had so many great meetings and conversations with buyers and retailers. We just started a new retailer relationship last week & received a hefty PO, just from having a conversation at our Startup CPG Booth at Expo East!”
Lauryn Bodden of Snoods also shares her experience: “Being a part of the Startup CPG section at Expo East was the game changer I was hoping for in working to get my company off the ground. There are so many confusing parts of getting set up as a first-time exhibitor, but it was a huge relief to have individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to answer my many questions. I felt like I had a built-in support group and friends to take it all in. Other founders cheered on my connections or brought over leads they knew I needed. I walked away from the expo with a new advisor and revived sense of passion that propelled my brand into manufacturing, national retail locations, awards.”
An exclusive offer from NIQ
NIQ will also be present in our section with an exclusive offer for emerging brands: NIQ Brandbank will digitize your products live at the show, qualifying them for health & wellness programs across retailers like Walmart, HEB, Target and more! This ensures a Full View of your market performance. Visit booth #8721 or bring your products to us for digitization and receive images (plus label image for data). Limited time offer! More info available upon request.
Curious about who will be in our section? Meet the brands below.
Bear Maple
Booth #8712
At Bear Maple, their mission is to revolutionize the beverage industry by crafting innovative, functional beverages that nourish both the body and mind while fostering a sustainable future for our planet. Bear Maple is a line of functional sparkling beverages crafted with high-quality Red Ginseng and maple water. Caffeine free. No Added Sugar. Naturally sweetened with Maple Water.
Black Mamba
Booth #8709
Black Mamba’s mission is to inspire foodies to share their passion for Africa and spicy flavors, and their quest for a greener and fairer world. Black Mamba is about more than dangerously tasty food — yes, they make award-winning HOT sauces and other delicious condiments (and love doing it!) — but they are here to transform food ecosystems, and they are at the vanguard of a movement to change the way we think about, produce and consume food.
Bored & Thirsty
Booth #8816
Bored & Thirsty is a collaborative lifestyle beverage and media brand reimagining hydration. Enhanced alkaline water with electrolytes, wrapped in artful cans. We build communities around art, reduce plastic waste, and collaborate with charities for global betterment. Refreshing and inspiring the world, one sip at a time.
Brune Kitchen
Booth #8812
Brune Kitchen reimagines clean eating with gluten-free, vegan cookies in timeless flavors like chocolate chip and chocolate fudge, each enriched with tahini for a delightful fusion of healthful indulgence and heritage-inspired creativity. Our women-of-color owned company champions diversity, innovation, and deliciousness in the clean eating space.
Capitana by Lorenza
Booth #8809
Capitana by Lorenza strives to bring you the very essence of Mexican cuisine with their unique artisanal Salsa Macha varieties. Infused with a symphony of robust flavors derived from wholesome, all-natural ingredients and extra virgin olive oil, these offerings elevate any dining experience, embracing the philosophy that life is too short to eat boring food. These are true flavor bombs from the heart of Mexico turning all your dishes from delicious to simply divine.
Cleo+Coco
Booth #8713
Cleo+Coco is a clean, sustainable personal care brand that makes products that really work and are truly clean. We have an award-winning array of deodorants, dry shampoos, body powders, sprays and soaps in iconic scents and we never use hormone disrupting synthetic fragrance. You’ll smell the difference. We are better for your body and better for the world.
Date Better
Date Better Snacks is helping you snack your way to a better life. Medjools are the pinnacle of dates because of their rich caramel texture. Full of fiber, potassium, B-family vitamins, magnesium and calcium-just to name a few. Ditch those one-night snacks, we promise health and happiness in every single bite.
Doughpamine
Booth #8716
Founded by a former fine-dining pastry chef and Michelin Inspector, Doughpamine makes gourmet cookies easy and accessible from your home with chef inspired flavors of frozen dough that’s ready in 10 minutes.
Eat Happy Kitchen
Booth #8814
Eat Happy Kitchen’s mission makes the most delicious, highest quality, no sugar added, all organic, grain-free, and filler-free food that you can find on grocery store shelves today. It is high end food for health-conscious foodies, based on the recipes from best-selling low carb cookbook author Anna Vocino.
Explorer Cold Brew
Booth #8711
Explorer Cold Brew is an award-winning and proudly LGBT owned and operated brand that offers the best way to elevate your day with a premium range of cold brew and chai concentrates in a variety of flavors and caffeine levels.
FS Drinks
Booth #8715
Why should happy, bouncy, chewy boba drinks be limited to boba tea shops that are always a little too far, crowded, or expensive? As hardcore boba lovers, FS Drinks makes premium boba beverages—with natural, healthier ingredients and generous quantities of boba—conveniently grab-and-go and ready-to-drink out of the fridge.
Heraclea
Booth #8718
Heraclea shares the beauty and bounty of Turkey through its sustainably crafted extra virgin olive oils, made using traditional wisdom and minimal intervention. The family-owned brand exclusively sources single-origin Memecik olives, which are manually harvested on their family grove and cold-pressed on the same day. Committed to nurturing nature and community, Heraclea aims for a healthier planet and purer taste in every bottle.
Howling Moon Kombucha
Booth #8719
Yearning for added thrill in your daily routine? At Howling Moon Kombucha they believe that every day should be infused with a touch of excitement! Their kombucha delivers a distinctive experience, boasting exotic flavors influenced by travel and adventure. With low sugar and low vinegar content, their kombucha is a light, refreshing choice that won’t hold you back – no matter how big or small the adventure!
Kefir Lab
Booth #8821
Real food. No pills. No side effects. Kefir Lab offers natural, medicinal-quality probiotic kefir and shots that help preserve and improve your health naturally, with food, instead of medication. Become a Trillionaire with the market’s highest 100 trillion probiotics and no sugar added!
Lunar Lifts Nutrition
Booth #8811
Through grass-fed whey isolate protein powders that taste JUST like your favorite bubble tea flavors and Asian drinks, Lunar Lifts Nutrition celebrates Asian flavors within the fitness space. Without artificial flavors, sweeteners, or ingredients, we’re also amongst the cleanest protein powders on the market.
Moon Fruit
Booth #8819
Moon Fruit is a crunchy, colorful snack that kids love, and it’s healthy. A truly innovative snack that offers a new twist on the beloved smoothie. It was developed by moms who were frustrated with seemingly healthy snacks that excited their kids but were loaded with sugar. Moon Fruit was created for kids and yet, parents appreciate the small, clean ingredient. Moon Fruit has NO ADDED SUGAR.
Plink!
Booth #8808
Plink! is on a mission to change the way the world consumes beverages through a joyful hydration experience. Plink! makes award winning drinking tablets that are loaded with sodium, potassium and magnesium electrolytes with just 1g of sugar per-serving and without the waste of canned and bottled beverages.
Reprise Health
Booth #8717
Reprise puts authentic Asian superfoods like Ginseng and Goji Berries into deliciously fruity gummies. Inspired by their culture and families, Reprise only puts real WHOLE herbs sourced from the world’s best farmers and growers – giving everyone access to this time-honored tradition.
Save da Sea
Booth #8720
Save Da Sea makes fresh, refrigerated plant-based seafood made from whole foods. Our products come in a convenient, ready-to-eat format, full of plant-based Omega-3s and protein to help make it easy for folks to eat more plants.
T is for Tame
Booth #8714
T is for Tame has created a 100 % clean line of hair and skin taming essentials for kids. For any age and any hair type, they empower little ones to embrace their unique beauty, individuality, and cuteness. We are proudly women-owned, disabled-owed, and made in the US.
Tea Drops
Booth #8818
Tea Drops creates magical tea moments that connect you to what’s important. Years of research led to the creation of Tea Drops – a brand-new way to make tea while keeping the quality of loose-leaf tea. They offer organic, loose-leaf single-serve tea condensed into small but mighty drops that are ready to drink in seconds.
The Chai Box
Booth #8810
The Chai Box’s mission is to bring the rich tradition of Chai Making to everyone’s home through the ethical sourcing of single-origin spices, a focus on sustainability, and by honoring their culture and heritage with blends inspired by different regions in India.
PLUS the winners of the Settle x Startup CPG giveaway
Joining the brands above, we are proud to include two more female-founded brands via our partnership with Settle. As part of their commitment to supporting and empowering women entrepreneurs in the CPG industry, Settle partnered with Startup CPG to sponsor a special giveaway to cover the booth cost for two brands, who will be placed in the Startup CPG Section at Expo West. This year, our winners are Rif Care and Bear’s Fruit, which you can learn more about below.
Rif Care
Booth #8815
Rif Care was created to provide reliable products that are good for your body and the planet. Rif is the first brand to make period products from hemp fiber, making them a high performing and more comfortable solution than conventional period products.Rif products are safe, non toxic solutions to make that time of the month a little bit better for everyone.
Bear’s Fruit
Booth #8817
Bear’s Fruit is on a mission to transform the gut health category by creating the best tasting drinks on the planet. No sacrifices. No shortcuts. No weird stuff. The women-owned brand keeps things simple by highlighting the purity of its ingredients, which is why both Bear’s Fruit probiotic sparkling water & kombucha are made with 100% real fruit & fresh herbs. Proudly handmade in Brooklyn, NY.
Visit the Startup CPG booth #8820
Startup CPG is the biggest CPG community on the planet with over 16k members. We believe in the massive potential of small consumer brands — and have made it our mission to empower them along their journey. Startup CPG connects emerging brands to resources, industry partners, and the most supportive community in the industry.
Through our online community on Slack, our in-person events, and our media and resources — podcast, magazine, webinars, and more — Startup CPG brings major opportunities to emerging brands at NO COST.
We’re excited to meet you at the show!
Join us and over 1k friends at the Alley Rally Party!
For the third year in a row, we’re thrilled to host THE party at Expo West – an epic bowling jamboree to celebrate the best emerging CPG brands in the biz and mingle with our favorites.
We’ve once again rented out the Anaheim Bowlero – only a 10 minute walk from the conference – for a night of joyful networking, partying, and bowling your heart out. There will be an open bar and light bites from 7-10p, and we can’t wait for you to discover your favorite “backpack brand”.
Last year, we sold out (1K attendees) two weeks before the show, so grab your tickets ASAP!!!
Buy your tickets here
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