Emerging Consumer Brands Shine at SHOPLINE and Plug and Play Pitch Day in Los Angeles

Rising Consumer Brands at Pitch Day

On October 1, 2026, in a vibrant atmosphere, SHOPLINE and Plug and Play hosted the On the Rise: Consumer Brand Showcase in Los Angeles, concluding their Future of Commerce Accelerator program. This event featured live presentations from 14 innovative early-stage consumer brands, marking a significant opportunity for networking among founders, investors, and industry leaders, with Silicon Valley Bank playing a crucial role as the event sponsor.

Unlike a typical conference format, this gathering functioned more like a working session, beginning with keynote speeches from representatives of SHOPLINE, Plug and Play, and Silicon Valley Bank. This blend set the stage for an insightful panel discussion and fast-paced pitches followed by a reception at demo tables, allowing attendees to engage directly with brand founders and sample their products.

A highlight of the event was the panel discussion titled “Retail Ready: What Makes a Consumer Brand Break Through,” moderated by Jarret Christie, Managing Partner and Investor at Vibrant Consumer. Christie provided invaluable insights from an investor's perspective, discussing key indicators that suggest a brand is ready for retail, the relevant metrics at different growth stages, and common pitfalls that can hinder emerging brands from reaching their potential.

Christopher Yang, Co-President of SHOPLINE, emphasized the importance of genuine customer engagement in brand presentations: “These founders had a few minutes each to win over a room of buyers and investors, and the best pitches were built on real customers.” He highlighted SHOPLINE’s commitment to supporting brands that are not only established but also prepared to scale efficiently when they secure the right retail partnerships.

The showcased brands spanned a range of categories, including food and beverage, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and pet products. Notable participants included:
1. Sunny Side Up
2. Nalwaya Foods
3. Urania London
4. Ojai Essentials
5. No Consequence
6. Brandage
7. MoboKey
8. Sooz
9. Olas Coffee
10. Adonis Arcana
11. Korjin
12. Vedari
13. Pablo's Fire
14. StayLyte

Several of these brands entered the pitch session with a track record of success. For instance, Sunny Side Up has sold over 100,000 units of its pet care products, while MoboKey has attained more than 10,000 paying customers for its keyless-entry device. Additionally, StayLyte’s hydration drink has received accolades, ranking No. 15 on RangeMe's Top 50 Food & Beverage Brands due to impressive repeat sales across numerous retail locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Justin Chung, the founder of Korjin, expressed how the accelerator program reshaped his business approach: “I came in thinking I had to figure everything out alone, but walked away with mentors and a platform partner who genuinely wanted to see Korjin win.” He emphasized the value of switching to the SHOPLINE platform for its extensive support, as it enabled him to focus on growth rather than logistics.

Muhammad Ali Rashid, CEO of RoboArt, Inc., similarly praised SHOPLINE for streamlining their operations: “We have sold MoboKey from a self-hosted WordPress store for years, and too much of our energy went into keeping that store running rather than growing it. What excites me about SHOPLINE is having commerce, content, and social selling in one place.”

The SHOPLINE × Plug and Play Future of Commerce Accelerator program aims to nurture consumer brands from early to growth stages. It provides mentorship, infrastructure, and practical guidance to entrepreneurs focused on commerce, operations, and market execution, backed by SHOPLINE’s omnichannel commerce platform. This program is an ongoing effort to foster innovation and growth in the consumer goods sector, following their previous cohort showcase dubbed The Next Wave held in Beverly Hills earlier this year.

Founded in 2013, SHOPLINE has established itself as a leading global Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider and omnichannel commerce platform, supporting over 700,000 merchants in their business development. Through their comprehensive suite of tools, they empower businesses to thrive in today’s competitive market, underscoring their commitment to elevating retail operations for companies of all sizes. To learn more about their offerings, visit www.shopline.com.