The Woman-Led Accelerator Program And Venture Capital Fund Is Now Seeking Its Inaugural 2025 Class Of 20 Growth Stage CPG Startups
Bentonville, Ar (February 25, 2025) – Today marks the launch of Ignite20 Ventures, a $7M venture fund and accelerator program investing in the next generation of consumer brands. The fund will select and invest in 20 innovative CPG startups annually, supporting a total of 60 companies over three years across health, beauty, food, beverage, and pet care categories. Founders will receive a $50,000 in capital investment alongside strategic guidance from industry leaders and access to an extensive network of mentors, investors, and retail buyers. Applications are now open for the inaugural 2025 class.
“Ignite20 Ventures’ mission is to provide emerging CPG brands with the resources they need to break through to the next level in an increasingly competitive and complex industry,” said Gabriela Morales, CEO and Co-Founder of Ignite20 Ventures. “As a CPG founder myself, I understand firsthand the challenges these entrepreneurs face and the impact the right strategic investment and guidance can have on their success.”
With the global CPG market anticipated to reach around USD 2,786.83 billion by 2029, consumers are increasingly favoring innovative, purpose-driven brands. Ignite20 Ventures seeks to position its participant companies to capture this growth by operating from two key CPG hubs: Bentonville, Arkansas – home to Walmart’s global headquarters – and Miami, Florida, a major fundraising and investment gateway for international consumer brands. The strategic presence will allow participants to network directly in the path of retail buyers, distributors, and potential growth capital.
Program Highlights
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Capital Investment: $50,000 in funding for each selected company to accelerate growth and operations.
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Comprehensive Training: 12-week hybrid program combining virtual and in-person sessions, culminating in a demo day with industry leaders in Bentonville, AR.
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Expert-Led Resources: Over 70 hours of specialized training including Meta’s digital marketing expertise, Santatera Capital’s fundraising workshops, and RPM Foods’ distribution guidance.
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Personal Mentorship: One-on-one coaching from successful founders and industry veterans focused on your company’s specific challenges.
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Industry Access: Direct connections to retail buyers, distribution partners, and follow-on investors to fuel continued growth.
The fund combines strategic backing from Santatera Capital, Redwood Ventures and RPM Food. Santatera Capital and Redwood Ventures are leading early-stage venture funds with over $250M AUM in combined assets under management. Santatera Capital specializes in transformative food and beverage companies, focusing on next-generation consumer brands and food tech innovations whose portfolio includes breakthrough brands Hiyo, Mezcla and Wildwonder. Redwood Ventures, the largest institutional fund in Western Mexico, invests in high-impact technology companies globally, with significant presence across Latin America. RPM Food is a dominant force in food distribution across the Midwest and Southwest and investors from New York City and Mexico City. Together, these firms provide portfolio companies with cross-industry expertise and access to strategic networks spanning multiple markets. The ingnite20 fund leverages their deep operational expertise and an extensive network across supply chain, production, and distribution.
Applications for the Ignite20 accelerator program close May 4th, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. Selected companies will be announced in late May 2025, with the program beginning in June.
For more information and to apply, please visit www.ignite20.com/the-program.
About Ignite20
Born from the success of Santatera Capital and Redwood Group in Mexico, Ignite20 builds on a legacy of investing in over 50 companies across the Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Beauty and Pet Food & Care sectors. With its robust network and expertise, Ignite20 strives to redefine how startups scale in the CPG industry.
About the investors
Santatera Capital and Redwood Ventures are leading early-stage venture funds with over $250M AUM in combined assets under management. Santatera Capital specializes in transformative food and beverage companies, focusing on next-generation consumer brands and food tech innovations. The fund leverages deep operational expertise and an extensive network across supply chain, production, and distribution. Redwood Ventures, the largest institutional fund in Western Mexico, invests in high-impact technology companies globally, with significant presence across Latin America. Together, these firms provide portfolio companies with cross-industry expertise and access to strategic networks spanning multiple markets. For more information, visit santatera.com and redwood.ventures.
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CONTACT
Cassidy Lunney
[email protected]
