Hardware Podcasts

Oddball's Path From Idea to Funding a Nationwide Target Launch

The Startup CPG Podcast · 11 Jul 2026 · 32m · Episode 338

What this episode covers

Sophia Cheng, Founder and CEO of Oddball, details her unconventional path from management consulting and Bridgewater Associates to launching a fruit snack brand inspired by her childhood in Singapore. She explains how she validated the product through benchtop formulations at farmers markets and pitch competitions before securing funding, ultimately achieving a nationwide launch at Target. Cheng discusses the specific challenges of fundraising as a first-time, minority woman founder in 2023, emphasizing the mental shift from convincing investors to finding aligned partners, and her strategy for managing a cap table with approximately 20 investors in her first round.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Target, Bridgewater Associates, Estée Lauder, Springdale Ventures, Sprouts
Products
Oddball

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