The March Group

Have your snacks and eat it too! TMG Founding Partner Dr. Harold Schmitz, and Venture Partner Ralph Jerome joined Bloomberg's Wall Street Week to discuss feeding healthier appetites with AI through TMG's investment in Rivalz?. Erica Pattni (CMO of Rivalz?) and Ilias Tagkopoulos (Founder of PIPA - Process Integration & Predictive Analytics) share insights on how the Company is differentiating itself by placing AI at the centre of its business model to revolutionize the way we eat. Watch the full Wall St. Week episode hosted by David Westin on Bloomberg: https://lnkd.in/diz2K-Vu Special thanks to Peter Grant Barrick, the Rivalz? team, Justin Siegel and the Innovation Institute for Food & Health, UC Davis team!

Our second Expo West in the books! ?? Thank you to everyone who stopped by for some Rivalz snacks! We loved meeting so many passionate and innovative people, reconnecting with industry friends, and were thrilled to showcase our newest flavor (stay tuned on that!) Here's to great times and even better snacks! #expowest #expowest2025 #cpg #naturalproducts #stuffedsnacks Natural Products Expo

On ?????????? ????????, our Founding Partner, ????. ???????????? ??????????????, takes the stage at ??????????’?? ?????????????? ?????????????????? ?????????????????? to break down how AI is rewriting the rules of snacking—with Rivalz? as a case study. The food industry is at a major inflection point: ?? ??????-?? ???? ?????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ?? ?????????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ??????-???????? ?????? ?? ???????????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????????????. It’s driving ??????????, ????????????????, and ?????????? ????????????-??????-?????? food solutions that meet consumers where they are — giving Rivalz? the edge to achieve ????????-?????? ??????????????-???????????? ?????? in this rapidly evolving landscape. Proud to be part of the conversation with MISTA and industry leaders shaping the ???????????? ???? ????????. ?? Full details here: https://lnkd.in/gPGcK5xi #AI #FutureOfFood #GLP1 #UPFs #FoodInnovation #MISTASymposium #NextGenSnacking

?? Investing in the Future of Human and Planetary Health ???? Last week, we had the incredible opportunity to co-host an event alongside AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) and Summit Trail Advisors, bringing together startup founders, venture capitalists, institutional investors, academic researchers, and global food leaders. The conversations throughout the day underscored the transformative role of research and innovation in shaping the future of food, agriculture, wine, and health—highlighting how UC Davis research is driving real-world impact. ?? UC Davis startups leading the charge: ?? Rivalz? – Using AI to create low-glycemic, craveable snacks tackling obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition. ?? Digestiva – Leveraging computational enzyme discovery and precision fermentation to make protein healthier for all. ?? VinZymes – Pioneering enzyme-driven solutions for the wine industry. ?? Caffree Co. – The new gold standard for decaffeination, delivering full flavor with greater convenience, health, and sustainability. These visionary companies exemplify the power of academic-industry collaboration, translating breakthrough science into commercial solutions that address pressing global challenges. ?? Investing in Innovation: A panel of seasoned investors shared insights on bridging the gap between research and commercialization: ?? Jonathan E. Lewis, Summit Trail Advisors ?? Aryeh Ganz, Cornucopian Capital & Barnstorm Foundry ?? Andres Rodas García, Magdalena, Campo Para Crecer ?? Harold Schmitz, The March Group ?? Steven Sterman, CFA, UC Investments They emphasized the vital role of investment in bridging the gap between research and commercialization to ensure groundbreaking innovations make it to market. This event opened the door to new connections, collaborations, and opportunities—all pointing toward a healthier, more sustainable future for all. A huge thank you to all who participated! Let’s keep the momentum going. ?? ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/dvJ7SbWh Justin Siegel | David Hultman CIMA?,CWS? | Ilias Tagkopoulos | Kim Fisher | Steve Brown | Peter Grant Barrick | John Melo | Patrick Nichols | Eric Quick | Bruce German | Vine to Bar

We're thrilled to share that we've been selected as a finalist for the 3rd Annual Albertsons Companies Innovation Launchpad competition! We're exactly 1 week out where we'll be at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim sharing how we're changing the snacking game with bold, stuffed snacks that actually satisfy. See you on March 4th! #ExpoWest #InnovationLaunchpad #cpg #snacks

We're headed to Expo West! Stop by our booth in the Hot Products Hall to meet the team, chat all things sustainable protein, and try our tasty NEW mycelium Breakfast Patties. Will we see you there? Let us know in the comments. #ExpoWest2025 #Meati #ExpoWest #FoodInnovation #SustainableProtein #CPG #PlantBased #NaturalProductsExpo #Mycelium

?? We hit the court with our partners at Cal Athletics for an exciting halftime layup contest, bringing energy, competition, and fun to the fans! We’re all about fueling performance, and what better way to do that than engaging with the Cal community in a way that celebrates movement, competition, and a little friendly rivalry #Cal #CalAthletics #UCBerkeley

Our 20-month startup got 20+ minutes of airtime on Bloomberg's Wall Street Week, featured on Bloomberg TV, YouTube, Bloomberg’s newsletter and PBS Friday. ? https://lnkd.in/diz2K-Vu ? In this feature, fellow Rivalz Co-Founders, Harold Schmitz, Ilias Tagkopoulos, Ralph Jerome, and Rivalz CMO Erica Pattni shared how:? ? - Rivalz is capitalizing on the urgent need to deliver tasty, nutritious, and affordable salty snacks, to reduce obesity diabetes and malnutrition - Rivalz is the first food company to apply AI to the extruder, allowing for novel product design, which are exponentially better, faster, cheaper than traditional R&D methods allow - Rivalz product design provides a halo around GLP-1 usage, further propelling Rivalz' growth, success, and positive impact? ? This unprecedented visibility and recognition so early in Rivalz’ journey confirms this rocket ship of a trajectory we’re on. ?? ? To learn more about investment opportunities, please reach out to?[email protected] Peter Grant Barrick Victor E. Friedberg Miguel Reyna David Westin Sam Hornblower PIPA - Process Integration & Predictive Analytics The March Group Rao Unnava Innovation Institute for Food & Health, UC Davis #ai #cpg #wallstreetweek #glp1 #betterforyou #snacks #bloomberg #rivalz

"How can we search through this vast protein universe to find those that meet our specific needs?",?our key partner Dr. Justin Siegel talks about the role of computational?#protein?design in addressing the complex challenges around human and planetary health — applying his research to our portfolio companies Digestiva & VinZymes. ???? Dr. Justin Siegel?also joined his PhD mentor and?#NobelLaureate in Chemistry,?Dr. David Baker at?the ongoing The Nobel Prize?award ceremony — congratulations to?Dr. David Baker?for his success once again! Thank you both for being part of the effort to make the world a better place. Proud to share this journey with you! Read more about protein design here: https://lnkd.in/gxmgv_X9 #nobelprize #AI #technology #venturecapital

Our venture partner Ralph Jerome recently had the privilege of appearing as a guest on What We Know, What We Don't. ?? ?? During the hour-long episode, Ralph shared his unique journey throughout the food science space, dove into the history & development of the modern food industry, and the future of food safety & nutrition. To find out more, listen to the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gTNcyMMH #food #sustainability #venture