#214 - Founders & Funders: The Early Stage Investor Event of the Year
Hannah Dittman, Startup CPG’s finance and operations lead, and Simon Solis-Cohen, founder of Huxley, discuss the upcoming 'Founders & Funders' event in New York City, designed to connect early-stage CPG brands with active institutional investors. Dittman details the curated lineup of VCs, including Collaborative Fund and Simple Food Ventures, and explains the event’s matchmaking structure, which includes pre-vetted one-on-one meetings and educational panels on deal terms and margins. Solis-Cohen shares his perspective on building authentic relationships with investors before asking for capital, emphasizing that early-stage fundraising relies heavily on trust and founder-vendor fit rather than just product metrics.