Using data to help grow the leading consumer brands

About Us

Tasseo is a CPG focused investment firm that combines seasoned CPG investors with exclusive access to SPINS, the leading syndicated retail data provider. SPINS’ data and industry definitions have become the common language of the natural products industry, helping brands communicate their growth to retailers to scale their distribution and helping retailers understand and maintain their points of difference.

Tasseo seeks to partner with world class CPG entrepreneurs who have built great brands via DTC or Amazon and are seeking a capital partner with deep industry expertise to help turbo charge the next leg of their journey via retail expansion. While our brands range in size from <$5 million in revenue to >$100 million, all share the commonality of no/minimal retail distribution, but with a brand and product/market fit that our exclusive SPINS data algorithm validates as having significant retail potential.

Investment Criteria:

Equity Investments: $5 million-$30 million (up to $100mm with a strategic partner) per investment; can be at once or cumulative over life of Tasseo’s investment - our sweet spot is $15 - 20 million

Sectors of focus: Food, beverage, pet, personal care, VMS

Company Size: $5-100 million revenue; cash flow positive or clear path to cash flow positive in next 12 months with category competitive gross margins

Type of Investment: Minority investments with board representation

Helping brands innovate, grow, and scale

Go beyond the label

SPINS is the exclusive source of retail scan data and analytics for natural, gourmet and specialty retailers. SPINS’ proprietary “Innovation Marketplace” captures omni-channel data across all North American retail which makes SPINS the leading indicator of all innovation in CPG. SPINS tracks 3 million UPCs segmented into 400+ sub-categories and 400 product attributes.

The SPINS-Tasseo combination creates tangible value for our brand partners.

Using our exclusive and unparalleled access to SPINS data, we assist our brands in all facets of their retail journey, including:

Identifying the optimal targets (i.e. which doors in which zip codes at which retailers?) for distribution
Price/pack architecture
Promotion levels, types and frequency
Merchandising mix
Sequencing of retail rollout
Precision of velocity forecasting

Brands

Kitsch is a global beauty brand that supports its growing community with easy, elevated beauty and hair care products that are totally reliable, truly special, and made as sustainably as possible

https://www.mykitsch.com/

Physician's Choice’s mission is to ensure everyone has access to safe, high-quality supplements that actually work. We compile scientific research behind all of our ingredients and formulate innovative products that are always third-party-tested for potency and purity.

www.physicianschoice.com

Beard Club has spent years creating the ideal beard-grooming routine, so you don’t have to. With top-notch grooming essentials and high-quality ingredients that get as much sh*t done as you do.

www.thebeardclub.com

HighKey makes delicious versions of your favorite snacks without all the extra sugar and carbs. They taste so good, you won’t miss a thing (until you run out).

www.highkey.com

Cooks Venture is building an alternative to America’s meat industry. Get pasture-raised heirloom chicken, 100% grass-fed beef, kurobuta pork and more — from independent, regional farms, delivered to your door.

www.cooksventure.com

Senior Leadership Team

Daniel Gross

Managing Director

Daniel Gross co-founded Tasseo in 2019. Prior to founding Tasseo, Dan was COO of a leading private label dog treats business, where he led sales, finance, and international supply chain for the 350-person company across five manufacturing plants and was named one of PetAge Magazine’s “40 Under 40”. Prior to dabbling in dog treats, Danspent almost a decade at Encore Consumer Capital, a leading CPG focused private equity fund, where he focused on sourcing, transaction execution and portfolio management of food, beverage, pet and personal care companies. Dan holds a BA from NorthwesternUniversity and a MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business,where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Tony Olson

Chairman of the Board, SPINS

In addition to co-founding Tasseo in 2019, Tony is also the Chairman of the Board of SPINS, one of the fastest growing and most disruptive data and digital companies in North America. Tony has been recognized for his leadership as one of the most influential kingmakers among consumer and retail companies in Forbes. Tony is the winner of EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. SPINS’ mission is to expand the presence and accessibility of products that foster healthier, more vibrant living with good nutrition. As the premier thought leader and trusted adviser in health & wellness, SPINS partners with thousands of brands and over 100,000 retail locations. In addition to its business-driven impact, Tony brings SPINS’ mission to life as a champion of its groundbreaking corporate wellness program, Vibrancy360, which drives a multi-faceted approach to health and facilitates employee engagement and community service across the greater Chicagoland area.

Matt Feldman

Managing Director

Prior to founding Tasseo, Matt was a Managing Director at LionTree leading the firm’s global M&A advisory business. Matt joined LionTree in 2012 in New York as the first non-founding member of the firm, helping to grow LionTree into the leading global and merchant bank that it is today. After subsequently starting LionTree’s European franchise in 2016 in London, Matt concurrently led Ocelot, LionTree’s investment vehicle focused on digital media opportunities. Prior to LionTree, Matt worked at UBS Investment Bank in M&A from 2006-2012. Matt graduated from Yale University with a BA in economics in 2006, where he was also captain of the men’s division 1 varsity tennis team.

Ryan Rouse

Vice President

Ryan spent 12 years in finance, including 8 at Merrill Lynch where he worked on the equity syndicate desk partnering with the investment banking team to bring IPOs to market. In 2012, Ryan co-founded Factor_, a ready-to-eat meal delivery company where he led growth and was instrumental in building the brand that went on to be acquired for $277mm in 2020. Ryan later went on to lead the eCommerce functions at Serenity Kids and Highkey, two high growth CPG brands and worked as an advisor to many others before joining Tasseo

Advisors

Clayton Christopher

Operating Advisor

Clayton Christopher is an Operating Advisor for Tasseo. Clayton is a serial entrepreneur with an extensive track record building businesses in the food and beverage industry and often partners with Tasseo on investment opportunities. Clayton founded Sweet Leaf Tea in 1998 and grew it to a nationally recognized brand and eventually sold the company to Nestle in 2011. Subsequently, Clayton was the Co-Founder and CEO of Deep Eddy Vodka, which became one of the fastest growing spirits brands in the US before being sold to Heaven Hill Distilleries in 2015. Clayton then Co-Founded CAVU Ventures, an investment firm focused on best in class, better-for-you, food and beverage brands. Clayton was the winner of E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Central Texas and recipient of Austin Under 40 Austinite of the Year Award.

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