Cpgconnect // Vol. 21: 7 Big Shifts Across IPOs, M&A, Wellness, and NA Beer
From Suja Life quietly prepping to go public, to Oddity pushing deeper into clinical beauty, to YETI making a $38 million bet on fitness drinkware, the pace of movement across CPG, wellness, and retail is only accelerating. Add in BERO’s meteoric rise, a new creatine packed bar from Kreatures of Habit, Senada Greca’s wellness launch, and fresh capital flowing to Smash Foods, and it’s clear the category is heading into 2026 with real momentum.
Let’s dive into it…
…But first, take a quick second to fill out this form. This is how I’m able to give back to the CPG community we’re building, connect the right people, and surface new opportunities for brands looking to grow.
Spotlights
Brand: ZALT
ZALT just launched one of the more interesting products I’ve seen in the hydration space. They created the first Electrolyte and B Vitamin pouch that absorbs through your gums instead of digestion. No caffeine. No nicotine. Just fast-acting hydration in a super portable format.
Flavors like Cool Mint, Ginger Lime, Watermelon, and Cucumber Citrus make it feel more lifestyle than “sports drink,” and the positioning hits everyone from athletes to office workers. They’re in preorder mode right now and leaning into convenience, speed, and a cleaner way to stay energized throughout the day.
Definitely a brand to watch as this category keeps evolving.
Tech: Wayflyer
One of the biggest pain points I hear from founders is the lag between when cash goes out and when it comes back in. You pay for inventory weeks before you sell it. You push spend on Meta before revenue catches up. You scale into new channels before the cash conversion cycle has time to reset. That gap slows too many brands down, especially during peak seasons.
Wayflyer solves this problem by giving brands fast, flexible, non-dilutive capital that matches the pace of ecommerce. Most founders get an offer in 24 to 48 hours and can use the capital for inventory, paid media, or expansion efforts. Repayment adjusts based on performance, which creates real breathing room during slower weeks.
If you are heading into Q5, holiday gifting, or early Q1 planning, this type of capital can keep momentum going instead of forcing you to pull back.
→ Link to learn more or check eligibility!
Events
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Unwrapped: Matt w/ Sunny Fine Foods
1. What is your background
I am the co-founder and CEO of Sunny Fine Foods, which I run with my wife, Nora. She originally started the brand toward the end of the pandemic after realizing that there were very few clean, whole-ingredient, fresh sauces and condiments available in stores. As the brand gained early traction and we found out we were expecting our first child, I came on full time at the start of 2024.
Before joining Sunny, I worked at Dear Media where I led all consumer initiatives. I helped incubate brands with talent, built our merchandise business, and organized live events. When I joined Sunny, we were about three years into operation and focused on expanding our product line, including our new dressings.
2. What inspired you to start this brand
The inspiration came from Nora. As life became busier, she wanted high quality shortcuts in the kitchen that did not compromise on ingredients. She became focused on creating fresh sauces and condiments made the right way. Every recipe started in our home kitchen with her experimenting, refining, and figuring out how to bring them to life on a commercial level.
She also shaped the entire brand voice, visual identity, and most of our content. That combination of a real need in our own home and Nora’s creative vision became the foundation for Sunny.
3. What did the first steps look like in starting the brand
The early days were very scrappy. We leaned on our network to understand what it took to commercialize a product. We worked with a food scientist to translate Nora’s handwritten recipe into something a commercial kitchen could use.
We started in a small commercial kitchen and had multiple failed production runs. We quickly realized we needed better temperature control and access to HPP. We tried working with a hummus manufacturer for a short period until they went under right as we got into Erewhon.
From there, we improvised. We set up a small manufacturing line inside a cold storage warehouse, bought our own mixer, and used their staff to produce our product. It was inefficient and expensive, and we ran the brand at a loss for about a year just to keep product on shelf. Eventually we found a true co-packer that also works with large national brands, which allowed us to stabilize production and focus on growth.
4. What has been the biggest challenge so far and how did you overcome it
Manufacturing was the hardest challenge in the beginning. Finding the right partner for fresh, cold-processed products was difficult and every wrong turn cost time and money. Once we secured the right co-packer, that part of the business became far more reliable.
The other ongoing challenge is patience. Grocery retail moves slowly. Even if a retailer approves a product, it can take three to six months before it hits the shelf. Since we are not a DTC brand, we rely heavily on distributors and retailers. A lot of the process is outside of our control, so learning to stay patient has been essential.
5. How are you approaching growth
Our focus is on fresh grocery retail. We recently launched our new avocado oil based dressings and drizzles. They are cold processed, never heat pasteurized, and sit in the produce fridge where consumers are already making decisions about fresh items.
The products are versatile. They work as dressings, marinades, or sauces. For example, our Ginger Ponzu works on salmon or rice bowls, and our Caesar can be used as a marinade for chicken.
We launched four SKUs nationally in Sprouts in October, including a Sprouts exclusive Scallion Ranch. They are also in Whole Foods locations across Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii, and are continuing to roll out to more regions. Our strategy is to show up where fresh shoppers are already spending time and provide the best tasting product in the category.
6. What advice do you have for someone wanting to start a CPG brand
Be patient. This industry takes a long time to build momentum. You depend on retailers, distributors, and partners who all operate on long timelines.
Second, understand the consumer pain point you are solving. Do not focus too heavily on category size or market reports. Investors care about that, but real growth comes from solving a real problem for a real consumer. If you stay focused on that and committed to serving that person well, your chances of success are much higher.
NEWS
Suja Life confidentially files for IPO
Suja Life, the better for you beverage company behind Suja Organic, Vive Organic, and Slice, has confidentially filed for an IPO with the SEC. The company is backed by Paine Schwartz Partners, which acquired Suja Life in 2021 when revenue was roughly $200 million. Meaningful Partners also holds a minority stake.
Since then, Suja Life has expanded through acquisition and brand building, including its 2022 purchase of Vive Organic and its 2024 acquisition and relaunch of Slice. The company has also updated Suja Organic’s branding to highlight ingredient transparency and flavor driven benefits.
The potential public listing reflects strong momentum within the better for you beverage space and confidence in Suja Life’s multi brand growth strategy.
Oddity launches Methodiq and moves into medical grade skincare
Oddity, the parent company of IL MAKIAGE and SpoiledChild, has entered the medical grade skincare and teledermatology market with the launch of Methodiq, a platform offering high efficacy treatments powered by online diagnosis and personalized clinical protocols.
The opportunity is sizable, with tens of millions of Americans dealing with acne, eczema, and hyperpigmentation, making telederm one of the fastest growing segments in beauty and wellness. Oddity posted $647 million in revenue last year and holds a $2.1 billion market cap, positioning the company to compete directly with prescription skincare and telehealth incumbents as the lines between beauty, wellness, and healthcare continue to converge.
YETI acquires Helimix for $38 million to expand into performance drinkware
YETI has acquired the designs, tooling, and IP of Helimix in a $38 million cash deal, giving the brand a fast entry into the booming shaker and wellness drinkware category. Helimix, known for its hexagonal “vortex” shaker that blends without a mixing ball, will wind down as YETI integrates the tech into a new shaker line launching in 2026.
The acquisition signals YETI’s push beyond outdoor gear and deeper into fitness and everyday wellness, tapping into a $2.5 billion market fueled by hydration powders, protein supplements, and functional nutrition
BERO approaches eight figure revenue and inks Aston Martin partnership
Less than a year after launching in October 2024, BERO is nearing eight figure annual revenue and has become one of the fastest growing brands in non alcoholic beer, according to Fast Company. The brand is now the number two NA beer at Target and a top seller on Amazon, signaling strong mainstream demand for premium, lifestyle driven NA beverages.
This week BERO announced a three year partnership with Aston Martin, with co branded products on the way, further cementing its premium, aspirational positioning. The brand’s rapid rise reflects the broader momentum in NA beverages, faster retail velocity in the category, and the surge of celebrity powered launches driving modern brand building.
Kreatures of Habit launches protein + creatine performance bar
Kreatures of Habit just dropped a new plant-based protein + creatine bar that delivers 20 g of protein, 3 g of creatine, and 9–10 g of fiber per bar, positioning it as a daily strength and recovery snack rather than a traditional candy-adjacent bar.
The brand is leaning into creatine’s move from gym bros to the mainstream by baking a full maintenance dose into a convenient on-the-go format, while still checking the boxes on high protein, gut health, and clean label. For retailers and gyms, it slots neatly into the functional bar set as a premium option for performance-focused consumers who want their supplements in food form.
Senada Greca launches functional wellness brand Aonic
Fitness entrepreneur Senada Greca has officially launched Aonic, a science driven wellness brand built to tackle what the founders call modern malnutrition. Aonic debuted with two products: Aonic Complete, a dual format daily system delivering 34 essential nutrients, and Aonic Revive, a sparkling electrolyte drink made with real fruit juice and no added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
The brand is positioning itself at the intersection of supplements and functional beverages, with more launches already in motion, including an all natural protein based drink set for December. With Greca’s large fitness audience and a premium, science first brand world, Aonic is aiming to carve out space as a next generation performance wellness platform.
Smash Foods raises seven figure round following major growth
Smash Foods, the better for you spreads and snacks brand founded in 2020 by Anna Peck and Steve Ford, has closed a seven figure funding round after more than tripling sales this year. The round was led by Eclair Partners, with Label Capital, Family Fund, and a strategic supply chain partner also participating.
The new capital comes as Smash Foods continues to scale its retail presence and expand its product offering, positioning the brand for its next stage of growth in the clean label snacking category.
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.
If you missed it earlier, I shared a quick CPG Connect Brand Partner Form to help bring together founders, operators, and investors.
If you’re a CPG brand or startup looking to scale in 2026, take a minute to fill it out. Cpgconnect was built to connect good people, share resources, and create opportunities that help everyone grow.
Catch you next week ✌️
Zach
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