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.
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.
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Clayton Christopher and Brian Goldberg are two legends in the CPG space—between them, they’ve built and scaled brands like Sweet Leaf Tea, Waterloo Sparkling Water, Austin Eastciders, and SkinnyPop. Now, they’ve teamed up to launch Astro Consumer Partners, a $400M+ growth-stage investment firm focused on scaling consumer brands.
In this episode, recorded live at Austin’s Consumer Week, Clayton and Brian share what they’ve learned as both operators and investors—and what it really takes to build a brand that lasts:
✅ The biggest differences between early-stage and growth-stage investing
✅ How to know when you’re ready to raise capital—and why profitable brands still choose to do it
✅ The distribution trap: when to go deep vs. wide with retail
✅ DTC vs. retail: which to prioritize and why
✅ What “eliminating strategic risk” looks like in practice
✅ Real talk on CPG categories: why some brands crush DTC but flop in stores
✅ What actual value-add looks like from an investor
✅ Why profitability and leverage matter more than ever
👉 Whether you're scaling past $5M in revenue or wondering how investors really evaluate CPG brands—this conversation is packed with wisdom from two of the best in the game.
Timestamps-
00:00 Intro
01:10 Meet Astro Consumer Partners: $400M Growth-Stage CPG Fund
05:30 What They Look For in Brands: People, Margins, & Category Leadership
08:00 When Should a CPG Brand Be Profitable?
10:35 Why Profitable Founders Still Raise Capital
13:30 Avoiding the Strategic Risk Trap
16:45 When to Go Deep vs. Wide in Retail
20:00 DTC Brands Going to Retail: What Works, What Doesn’t
24:00 Launching in Natural vs. Mass Retail
28:00 Building Retail Leverage Through Velocity and Data
31:00 Positive Leverage: Retail, Manufacturing & Celebrities
34:00 What “Value-Add” from Investors Actually Means
38:00 Advice for Early-Stage Founders
41:00 The Emotional Journey of Entrepreneurship
45:00 Live Audience Q&A
📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter -https://www.theconsumervc.com/
Follow Mike Gelb:Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc