Dairy Innovation Health and Wellness Contest Picks Winners at Future of Dairy Expo

 

The Real California Milk Excelerator competition returned for a sixth year. Hosted by the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), in partnership with innovation advisory VentureFuel, this year’s innovation competition was for health and wellness startups. 

Last night, Nov. 14, 2024, eight judges (myself being one of them) selected four of the seven finalists to move onto the second phase of the contest. 

The four companies and their products:

Drink Todo is a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast smoothie designed to provide a convenient and nutritious solution for busy lifestyles. The shelf-stable meal replacement features 25 grams of milk protein and 6 grams of dietary fiber in every 12-ounce bottle. It is also enriched with essential vitamins and minerals.

Pluff is a high-protein dessert primarily made from a combination of Greek yogurt, heavy cream, cottage cheese and whey protein blended and whipped together. It’s a brand new concept unlike anything in the marketplace. 

Projo is an instant coffee blend of organic Arabica coffee, marine collagen, organic coffee fruit extract, digestive enzymes and 100% whole milk. This coffee boosts energy and supports health and wellness. A ready-to-drink version is in the works

Smearcase is FroCo, a trademarked name for the world’s first cottage cheese-based frozen dairy dessert. The product is infused with collagen and provides 40 grams of dairy protein per pint. Smearcase was the People’s Choice winner. 

The annual competition, which focuses on accelerating value-added products using real milk, features an immersive mentorship program and access to non-dilutive capital and an innovation ecosystem for brand growth. The winners made their final pitches at the end of the Future of Dairy Expo, which included a number of panel discussions on hot topics in dairy innovation along with an expo floor featuring products tastings. 

The Real California Milk Excelerator is the largest global dairy accelerator. The program is open to innovative companies producing products made with at least 50% real milk or dairy. This year, these products had to leverage the benefits of dairy to promote health, wellness and general well-being. This year’s competition offered a value of up to $500,000 in prizes and program value for products that introduce novel applications in any form and drive utilization of Real California dairy.

“Innovation is the lifeblood for all industries. Our investment in the Excelerator and the California Dairy Innovation Center continues to introduce new products and innovators/founders into the pipeline and relationship with Real California Milk,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB (pictured above, right). “With an overall market value of more than $5 trillion, the health and wellness focus make sense and allows us to hone in on startups that are leveraging the natural goodness of milk and its myriad benefits. Wellness for consumers is an everyday pursuit – whether physical or mental – and real dairy delivers. This is an exciting time to create products and we look forward to connecting with founders to take them to the next level.”

Each of the seven finalist of the 2024 cohort had access to a group stipend and a robust network of resources to refine and scale their product and business. They also participated in a three-month immersive CMAB/VentureFuel Mentorship Program, consisting of elite counsel from successful founders, investors, leading corporate executives and experts across design, marketing, sales, manufacturing, distribution, farming and processing industries. 

The four winners received $30,000 each to grow and expand their product in California and have access to an Investor/Buyer Virtual Roadshow. One participating company will unlock an additional $100,000 grand prize by establishing their presence in California and exhibiting the most promising growth within 12 months of the final competition. 

From the 2023 cohort, that winner is Petit Pot, a French-style dairy dessert sold in paper-based cups that are made with more than 80% sustainable/renewable fiber.    

The other three finalists from the 2024 cohort are: 

Stellify, which is a low-calorie, functional, dairy-based energy and wellness shot made with reduced-fat lactose-free milk for lactose-intolerant individuals. It features natural caffeine from coffee cherry, theobromine and L-theanine. 

TruJoy is an elevated frozen Greek yogurt made with simple, natural and timeless ingredients. It boasts a robust nutritional profile, with protein and probiotics, as well as a clean label.

Voyager Milk is the only USDA organic dried whole milk for toddlers. It comes in a convenient stick-pack format for on-the-go usage.

Congrats to all participating companies. They are all winners in my eyes!