#United States #Tracy #California Milk #Dairy Innovation #Excelerator 2025

California Milk Excelerator Launches 2025 Cohort

The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has announced its seventh annual Real California Milk (RCM) Excelerator cohort, focusing on the evolving demands of consumers for proteins, clean labels, sustainability, and indulgent flavors. This initiative works to elevate dairy innovation and support emerging brands in the industry. In partnership with VentureFuel, the CMAB has selected 14 distinct companies to join this year's program, which now operates under two tracks: the Excelerator, aimed at growth-stage businesses, and the Incubator, tailored for early-stage products.

A New Approach to Dairy Innovation

With the rising consumer interest in health-conscious and sustainable food choices, the Excelerator program has adapted its offerings. This year’s program showcases seven selected brands under each track, providing them with access to mentorship, resources, and a financial stipend to catalyze product and business growth. By doing so, the initiative aims not only to foster innovation but also to ensure that businesses can effectively meet market demands.

Notable participants in the Excelerator track include:
1. Foggy Bottom's Boys' Jersey Scoops from Loleta, CA, which produces organic, lactose-free, carbon-negative farm-to-scoop ice cream rich in protein.
2. Joseph Farms' String Cheese, featuring 99% lactose-free cheese sticks with seven grams of protein each.
3. Kea Wellness, producing shelf-stable liquid collagen creamers that enhance skin health and joint wellness with natural ingredients.
4. King Cheese's Spirella Minis, known for their premium artisanal cheese and meat rolls.
5. Mavens Creamery from San Jose, known for its unique ice cream flavors that blend Asian influences with classic indulgence.
6. Pioneer Pastures, offering ultra-filtered A2 whole milk crafted for superior taste and easier digestion.
7. Sweet Craft Dessert Cups, which provide clean-label dessert options packaged sustainably.

Moreover, the Incubator track highlights another set of companies aiming to introduce innovative dairy products, including:

• - Clover Sonoma, Coney Island Creamery, and Nalwaya Foods, which each bring unique products such as functional puddings and single-serve yogurt cups to the table.

Fostering Market-Ready Solutions

According to Bob Carroll, CEO of CMAB, this year’s finalists represent the diverse needs and preferences of modern consumers seeking wellness, indulgence, and sustainability in their food choices. The program is not merely about innovation but about driving real-world market success. By nurturing these companies, the CMAB strengthens the broader dairy industry while allowing startups to flourish.

The apex of this year’s Excelerator will occur in December, at an exclusive pitch event in Napa, California, where participants will present their business ideas to a panel of industry judges. Four finalists selected from this event will receive $30,000 in marketing support, and they will also be tracked over the following year for sales growth, competing for a grand prize of $100,000 slated for 2026.

Fred Schonenberg, CEO of VentureFuel, emphasizes the program's ambition to connect emerging brands with investors and mentors effectively. The goal remains clear: to stimulate demand, generate measurable business outcomes, and maximize the potential of California's dairy industry.

As consumers become increasingly conscious of their food sources and the environmental impacts of their consumption, the role of real dairy through programs like the Excelerator could redefine the landscape of dairy products in the coming years.

For more details on the 2025 cohort and their innovative products, visit the Real California Milk Excelerator's official website.