The Consumer VC

Most founders get caught up in the rush to grow fast, not realizing it can be a double-edged sword. Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman, who spearhead Bluestein Ventures, stress that in today’s environment, cash efficiency reigns supreme. A startup's most valuable resource is its runway before the funds run dry. Developing this skill set, they insist, will pay dividends in the long term, making your brand more attractive to investors. Catch the full conversation featuring Andrew and Ashley in this episode of The Consumer VC. Link in the comments below.

Compounding growth begins with getting the fundamentals right from day one. The result? Raising capital becomes far easier as risk shrinks. Access to financing depends on building a cash-efficient foundation with strong gross margins. Early alignment between founders and investors becomes crucial. For Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman, it comes down to brass tacks: Are both parties prepared to scale efficiently while staying aligned on long-term goals? All this & more in this episode of The Consumer VC. Link to the full chat in the first comment below. cc:  Bluestein Ventures

Eating inflammatory foods that sap energy and disrupt sleep? That’s not sustainable. Today, consumers are willing to pay $70 for a quality steak because they understand the synergy between nutrition and well-being. This realization is also fueling the rise of non-alcoholic beverages—they’re waking up to the effects of what they consume. While pricing is important, the focus should be on delivering quality first. Get the product right, then tackle pricing as you scale. Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman of Bluestein Ventures delve into this shift on The Consumer VC. Link to the full chat in the comments.

The idea of “better for you” was just the tip of the iceberg. As consumers become more educated on nutrition and wellness, the next wave will focus on nutrient density, clean ingredients, and less-processed foods. The opportunity? Products that nail taste, health, and affordability. Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman of Bluestein Ventures see this shift as more than a trend—it’s a complete rewiring of what we consume. More on this in this episode of The Consumer VC. Catch the full episode in the comments.

One of the toughest challenges for scaling brands is hitting dreaded plateau points. As companies grow, the metrics that matter shift dramatically. Margins, capital investment, and productivity become the main drivers. Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman of Bluestein Ventures highlight that founders must adjust their lens to prioritize metrics showcasing operational health. This includes tracking ROAS, sales channel efficiency, and other key indicators to understand how well they're engaging with the market. Ultimately, understanding market opportunity and finding a way to push through those plateaus is the way forward for startups. Link to the full episode with Andrew and Ashley in the comments.

Relying on a singular sales channel is a risky bet. Sure, you might have traction online, but can that carry over to retail? For categories like beverages, winning shelf space is perhaps the best indicator of success. Online is just one part of the equation; retail is where brands scale. Your strategy needs to blend online, wholesale, and retail, creating a unified approach rather than separate silos. In this episode, Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman of Bluestein Ventures discuss why omnichannel is the way forward for consumer brands. Link to the full episode featuring Andrew and Ashley in the first comment below.

A powerful brand means nothing without operational excellence. Raising too much capital during market highs can lead to misalignment—especially if cash efficiency isn’t a priority. Innovative differentiation, coupled with solid unit economics, is how you drive sustainable growth. In this episode of The Consumer VC, Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman of Bluestein Ventures discuss how having a great vision is important, but it’s the execution that truly makes or breaks you. That delicate balance between innovation and execution is what sets the retail winners apart from the rest. Watch the full chat featuring Andrew and Ashley via the link in the comments.

The $4 trillion food industry is ripe for a reset. Consumer behavior, sustainability, and digital channels are changing the way we think about food. Health and wellness are becoming essential drivers of consumer choices. And the digital economy? It’s creating entirely new ways to access food, from delivery to media. To make this change stick, collaboration across the ecosystem is essential. In this episode of The Consumer VC, Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman of Bluestein Ventures talk about their focus on investing in the future of food. Link to the full chat in the comments below.

New Consumer Roundup with all the news from the past week in consumer Link in comments to sign up for the full issue 👇 Here are some of the notable consumer fundraises from the past week followed by monthly meetups. • 🥩 NOVAMEAT, a Barcelona-based sustainable food tech company, has raised €17.4 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round. The funds will be used to scale up production of its current plant-based meat alternatives and to launch its new Shredded Nova-b*ef product, expected in mid-September. ESGToday • 🍪 Lil Bucks, the gluten-free snacks brand, has raised $3 million in a Series A funding round led by Proterra Investment Partners, focusing on food and agriculture in rural U.S. Founder Emily Griffith started the company after discovering sprouted buckwheat in Australia six years ago, turning it into a range of buckwheat-based products. FoodBusinessNews • Farmhouse Inc. has agreed to acquire Thrown, LLC, the parent company of Nappy Boy Dranks, a functional beverage brand founded by Grammy-winning artist T-Pain. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Farmhouse will acquire all membership interests in Thrown in exchange for about 25% of its total shares post-closing. Monthly Morning Meetups: Culver City, CA → ☕️ Consumer Sunrise 📆 Friday, September 20th 🕗 10:00am-12:00pm PDT Toronto, Ontario –>☕️ Cuppa Consumer 📆 Thursday, September 26th 🕗 9:00am-11:00am EDT Austin, TX –>🌞 The Consumer VC Wake Up! CPG Austin 📆 Thursday, September 26th 🕗 8:30am-10:00am CDT Chicago, IL –>☕️ Consumer Chi Coffee Club 📆 Thursday, September 26th 🕗 9:00am-11:00am CDT Nashville, TN –>🎸 Nashville Consumer 📆 Thursday, September 26th 🕗 9:00am-10:30pm CDT New York, NY –>🍻 Consumer Brews 📆 Friday, September 27th 🕗 9:00am-10:30am EDT Thank you Propeller Industries for sponsoring our newsletter. Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Thinking about profitability, extending your runway, and improving efficiency in your operations? Propeller’s fractional model offers a dynamic solution that provides a cost-effective alternative to hiring full-time finance talent. Link in comments to sign up for the full issue 👇

The venture studio model fascinates me. Turn your ideas into brands...sounds pretty sweet. But what if you partner with scientists and IP providers and built consumer brands with them? Hear me out... They have the IP – ingredients, formulas = products that are unique to the market. You have the business know-how to create a brand, bring these products to market, and scale them. It's not nearly as simple as it sounds. But Osman Khan takes through his process of building Squared Circles, which does just that. I was really interested in understanding how Squared Circles partners with IP providers – different deal structures, pricing, commercialization process. Two of the brands they've incubated: Algae Cooking Club, Magic Molecule Link below to full episode on The Consumer VC 👇👇👇 Thank you Propeller Industries for sponsoring this episode. Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Thinking about profitability, extending your runway, and improving efficiency in your operations? Propeller’s fractional model offers a dynamic solution that provides a cost-effective alternative to hiring full-time finance talent. #CPG #venturecapital #consumervc #podcast #retail #science #finance #startups #entrepreneurship