Why you’re struggling to raise capital and how to become a strong investment bet in CPG.
If you’re raising capital in CPG and hitting wall after wall, you’re not alone
Raising capital in CPG is tough. Unlike tech, you’re producing, shipping, and holding stock long before cash hits your account. That makes investment in consumer packaged goods a different beast. But here’s the thing: investors are still saying yes such as recent investments into CPG brands like Olipop. The question is, what makes them back one brand over another?
What Investors look for in a strong investment bet
It’s not just about passion or product. To attract the right capital, you need to prove you're a strong investment bet.
Here’s what you need to show:
What problem you solve - and for who
How your product is better or different vs other options
What traction and unit economics you’ve achieved
The size of the market opportunity
How your strategic growth plan will get you there
Investors aren’t guessing. They’re looking for evidence.
When your story, numbers, and plan line up - they listen.
Not all Capital is the same
While the VC route isn't typical for most packaged consumer goods brands, there are other options to secure investment (and they don’t all require you to give away equity!). There are a growing range of flexible and founder-friendly alternatives:
Raises typically start with friends and family
Angel investors is another popular starting place
Platforms like Kickfurther are gaining traction
Crowd-funding platforms like PledgeMe
Working capital support from GoTaxi
Strategic debt or trade finance
What matters is finding the right money for your current stage and strategy.
What sets investible brands apart?
Investors want to see signs that your business already works. That their capital will add fuel, not just plug holes.
Here’s what experienced founders do:
Use rolling forecasts, not rough guesses
Build bottom-up sales projections
Track trial, repeat purchase and reorder rates
Know their margin levers and cost controls
Traction and unit economics talk louder than vision slides. Make them clear, make them real.
Ready to raise? Make it easy to say ‘yes’
If you’re preparing for investment in consumer packaged goods, focus on making your business case watertight. Investors don’t just back ideas - they back clarity, capability, and credible growth plans.
Want more tools to help? Here are three next steps:
Connect with Chris Thomas from Duncan Cotterill, our Rise community expert in capital raising, for more insights on prepping for engagement.
Learn how to manage cash and profitability using the Profit First framework, taught by our resident expert Jennifer McKinley
Check out real CPG campaigns on PledgeMe for inspiration and proof that alternative funding works
Download my free checklist ‘stocked and selling’ so you can build the traction investors are looking for.
Good luck in building the foundations for your next raise.