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Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands | TechnologyAuthor: Mike Gelb
Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place.Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription.Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch.This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled.For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter. Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The “Better-For-You” Food Lie No One Talks About ft. Tyler Mayoras
Monday, 12 January, 2026
Food can be “better for you.”But that doesn’t always mean it actually is.In this episode, Mike chats with Tyler Mayoras, Managing Partner at MANNATREE, a growth equity firm focused on investing in food, beverage, and wellness brands that genuinely improve human health. Tyler has spent decades investing across food and agriculture, from early plant-based pioneers like Boca Burger to modern brands navigating today’s tougher retail and M&A landscape.Tyler breaks down how “better-for-you” food has evolved, why many plant-based brands lost consumer trust, and what investors really look for when evaluating health claims, ingredient labels, and unit economics. He also shares hard-earned lessons from scaling brands too fast, why frozen is one of the most brutal categories in retail, and what founders misunderstand about profitability, category creation, and selling to big CPG.You’ll learn:✅ Why many plant-based brands lost their way✅ What “better-for-you” actually means to serious investors✅ How ingredient labels matter more than marketing claims✅ Why frozen is one of the hardest categories in grocery✅ When brands should (and shouldn’t) expand into mass retail✅ Why profitability now matters more than growth at all costs✅ How strategic buyers really think about M&A today✅ The biggest mistakes founders make when scaling too early✅ Where Tyler sees the next opportunities in food and wellness👉 If you’re building or investing in food, beverage, or wellness, this episode is a grounded look at what actually matters beneath the hype.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:00 Tyler’s path from private equity to food & agriculture03:00 Early lessons from investing in Boca Burger05:30 The rise and fall of plant-based burgers09:00 What “better-for-you” really means12:00 Ingredients, labels, and investor red flags15:00 Sugar alternatives, sweeteners, and health tradeoffs18:30 Why sustainability messaging often comes second21:00 The realities of launching food brands in retail24:00 Why frozen is such a difficult category27:00 When brands should expand into mass retail31:00 Natural vs conventional grocery shoppers35:00 Why M&A expectations have changed38:00 What strategic buyers want today41:00 Growth equity vs venture investing45:00 Revenue and profitability benchmarks49:00 Category creation vs smart trade-ups53:00 Oversaturated categories and the protein boom57:00 Where Tyler sees future opportunity01:00:00 Lessons learned and advice for founders01:05:00 Breaking into food & beverage investing01:08:30 Book recommendations📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights:👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter – https://www.theconsumervc.com/Follow Mike Gelb:Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc
