CPG Connect // Vol. 17: $20B Yogurt Runs, $300M Gummies & The Rise of Mushroom Wellness
from Chobani’s billion-dollar climb to Grüns’ generational run and the rise of mushroom-driven wellness. We’ve got founder stories, fresh rebrands, and data-driven shifts shaping how the industry’s moving into 2026.
Let’s dive into it…
Events:s and support my work.
RSVP - BUILDING EFFECTIVE PERSONAL BRAND FOR FOUNDERS 10/22 (Nyc)
RSVP - Limited Supply | New York Meetup 10/23 (Nyc)
RSVP - Commerce and Candy’ Monthly Happy Hour 10/23 (Nyc)
RSVP - FOOD & BEV FOUNDERS 2025 LESSONS AND 2026 PREDICTIONS 10/28 (Nyc)
RSVP - Founder Fireside: MyKayla Skinner 10/28 (Slc)
RSVP - Smarterships San Francisco Happy Hour 11/5 (Sf)
RSVP - NYC Commerce Club November Mixer 11/12 (Nyc)
RSVP - Founders Basketball New York City 11/12 (Nyc)
Tech Shoutout: digitaltoretail.com
Most brands have mastered online tracking but when it comes to proving how digital spend drives in-store results, things get murky fast. That’s where DTR Labs comes in.
Their Digital-to-Retail Campaign Engine connects every click to verified in-store purchases through receipt-based rebates, sweepstakes, and loyalty activations giving growth teams a full picture of attribution from digital impression to retail shelf.
At Lunar Solar Group, we’re using DTR Labs to help CPG brands bridge the online-offline gap. Whether it’s running cash-back offers that sync with SMS, receipt-triggered sweepstakes, or retail loyalty programs tied to CRM, these campaigns create measurable lift while building first-party data at scale.
The result: complete transparency on what’s actually driving sell-through and a new level of control over retail marketing performance.
See how we’re using DTR Labs at Lunar to turn every click into a confirmed in-store sale → digitaltoretail.com
Brand Shoutout: unbotheredfoods.com
Unbothered Foods is redefining crackers with gut-friendly, sourdough-fermented recipes and simple, real ingredients. Founded by a registered dietitian, the brand bridges flavor and function—proving that better-for-you snacks can still taste incredible.
Unwrapped: Jonathan Srour w/ Habiza
What Inspired Me to Start Habiza
I started Habiza when I was 19 years old in my parents’ driveway. I didn’t go to college. I’ve always known I was meant to build something real, something that carried emotion, grit, and authenticity.
My roots are split between a Lebanese father and an Israeli mother, and that mix is a huge part of who I am and what Habiza represents. I grew up eating hummus made from scratch, passed down through generations, and I wanted to bring that same nostalgic, homemade quality to shelves across America.
For me, Habiza isn’t just about food, it’s about building something bigger. It’s about creating jobs, strengthening supply chains, and putting emotion and identity back into a category that’s gotten way too comfortable.
How It All Started
When I say we started from the ground up, I mean literally. I was hand-making tubs in my parents’ driveway, selling them to friends, family, and anyone who’d try it.
Eventually, I met the team at Erewhon. They gave me 90 days to prove myself and that changed everything. I found a co-man, built a kitchen, and started learning what it really takes to run a food business.
We ran out of cash 30 times. I used my dad’s line of credit. Every mistake came with a lesson. Those early years were brutal, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They shaped who I am as a founder.
Building the Brand
Habiza is built on emotion. I wanted it to feel like the 1980s: raw, nostalgic, a little rebellious. That’s why you’ll never see us lean into the typical “Mediterranean” marketing tropes. We use Van Halen, the Bee Gees, and LA nostalgia to tell our story.
Our upcoming mascot, Mr. Hummus, embodies that same energy: fun, iconic, and a little chaotic. Think Kool-Aid Man meets the 2020s. We’re building something that connects generations, from Gen Z to grandparents, all through hummus.
What Makes Habiza Stand Out
There’s a lot of heart in this brand. I didn’t come from CPG. I came from construction, from labor, from the American grind.
Habiza stands out because it’s not corporate, it’s human. Every batch, every move, every retail door has been earned. I’ve leveraged everything I have to make this happen.
We’re authentic to our roots, but we’re building for the future. The goal isn’t to be another hummus brand, it’s to redefine what hummus can be.
Early Growth & What’s Next
Erewhon took the first chance on us, and we’re now their #1-selling hummus. We’ve since launched in Target and are scaling fast with Critical Mass Group, who’ve helped us sharpen our strategy and velocity levers.
Next up: we’re taking over the category. New packaging, new creative, and new energy. And yes, Mr. Hummus is coming.
Where We’ll Be a Year From Now
One year from now, Habiza will be the name you think of when you think hummus. We’re here to compete and win on flavor, quality, and heart.
We’re going to make people care about hummus again.
Advice for Future Founders
Don’t avoid the suffering. Starting a CPG brand is hard, painfully hard and it should be.
If you want to make money, find another path. If you want to build something that lasts, you have to love the grind, the uncertainty, the chaos. You have to walk through hell smiling.
I’ve failed, fallen, and learned. But every time, I got back up hungrier. That’s what it takes.
News:
CPG Ad Spending Growth Cools as Brands Shift to Performance
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) ad spending is losing some steam.
According to eMarketer’s latest US CPG Industry Ad Spending Forecast 2025, total media investment across the category will rise just 4.6% this year, trailing the national average of 4.9% and falling well below last year’s double-digit surge.
While CPG still commands roughly $66 billion in total media, rising tariffs, inflation, and tighter margins are pushing brands to rethink how and where they spend. The result: a clear migration toward digital performance channels and away from high-cost traditional placements.
More than 83% of all CPG ad dollars now flow through digital: led by social, mobile, and retail media. The focus has shifted from reach to results. Categories like food and household goods are holding steady, while discretionary sectors such as beauty and personal care are tightening budgets.
As pressure mounts, efficiency is the new growth lever.
CPG marketers aren’t chasing vanity metrics anymore, they’re chasing measurable outcomes. And in 2025, that might be the biggest competitive edge of all.
Source: eMarketer, US CPG Industry Ad Spending Forecast 2025 (October 2025)
Carbone Fine Food expands into simmer sauces as sales near $100M.
The restaurant-born brand behind the viral pasta sauce is heating things up with a new line of Italian simmer sauces launching in 2026. The collection — including recipes like Cacciatore, Fra Diavolo, and Bolognese — brings Carbone’s signature “restaurant-quality at home” approach beyond the pasta aisle and into the broader meal-solution category.
The launch comes as Carbone Fine Food approaches $100 million in annual sales, cementing its place among the fastest-growing names in premium pantry staples. The simmer-sauce line reflects a natural next step: expanding from classic tomato-based sauces into multi-use, chef-curated products designed for meats, seafood, and one-pan dishes.
It’s a strategic evolution for a brand that’s already transformed the jarred sauce market. By combining culinary credibility with mass-market accessibility, Carbone is positioning itself not just as a pasta sauce company — but as a full-scale modern Italian cooking brand built for everyday chefs.
Era VC backs Everystate, the mushroom wellness brand co-founded by Ellie Goulding and Gemma Feare.
Launched earlier this year, Everystate offers a range of functional mushroom blends designed to support energy, focus, calm, and beauty. The collection includes cacao, coffee, and matcha-based powders infused with adaptogens like lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps — bridging the gap between performance and daily wellness.
The investment from Era VC marks a strategic bet on the growing mushroom supplement category, which continues to capture consumers seeking natural solutions for stress, cognition, and longevity. With a sleek, lifestyle-forward brand and a celebrity-backed founding team, Everystate aims to bring mushrooms out of the niche wellness aisle and into everyday routines, where function meets ritual.
Grüns surpasses $300M in revenue and it’s profitable.
Founder Chad Janis announced on LinkedIn that the wellness gummy brand has officially crossed the $300 million revenue mark, marking a massive milestone for one of the fastest-growing CPG brands in recent memory.
Earlier this year, Grüns raised a $35 million Series B led by Headline, valuing the company at $500 million — and the trajectory since has only accelerated. Known for its sleek branding, viral social presence, and category-defining positioning in functional gummies, Grüns has quickly joined the ranks of Prime, Alani Nu, and other billion-dollar juggernauts reshaping modern wellness.
From influencer-driven momentum to consistent product innovation, Grüns isn’t just a hot brand — it’s building the blueprint for what the next generation of consumer health companies will look like.
Chobani hits a $20B valuation as sales climb 28% YoY to $3.8B.
The yogurt giant just raised $650 million to fuel its next phase of growth — and it’s paying off. With sales up 28% year-over-year, Chobani is scaling like a startup again, proving that legacy doesn’t have to mean slow.
The new funding will help support massive expansion plans, including a $1.2 billion investment in a new upstate New York plant and extended production capacity in Idaho. Beyond yogurt, Chobani continues to blur category lines with moves into coffee, protein drinks, and plant-based products — all under the same mission of making better food for more people.
It’s a reminder that few founders move with the conviction (and execution) of Hamdi Ulukaya. Two decades in, Chobani isn’t cooling off — it’s compounding.
Lil Bucks rolls out a bold new brand identity.
The sprouted buckwheat snack brand just unveiled a full-scale refresh — featuring brighter colors, sharper messaging, and packaging designed to pop off the shelf. The update includes bolder typography, upgraded product imagery, and clear functional callouts that better communicate Lil Bucks’ core value: delicious, sustainable snacking made from sprouted buckwheat.
The rebrand comes as the brand continues to champion regenerative agriculture and expand its retail footprint nationwide. The new look feels more premium and purpose-driven — elevating a niche ingredient into a mainstream, snackable superfood.
Met these guys at Fancy Food NYC this summer, love to see it.
That’s a wrap for this week.
Whether you’re launching your first SKU, landing that Whole Foods deal, or just trying to keep up with what’s next in CPG, we’ve got you.
Catch you next week ✌️
— Zach
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