Why Rivalz?
To understand Rivalz, we must begin with the question: "Why Rivalz?" Dr. Harold Schmitz, Founding Partner of The March Group, and I have spent years discussing the pressing issue of metabolic health and the urgent need for delightful, affordable products that seamlessly fit into people's lifestyles while authentically addressing the diet-related health crisis unfolding around us.
Rivalz emerged from these discussions, conceived against the backdrop of a global pandemic of obesity and type II diabetes. We recognized that modern living — characterized by meal fragmentation and snacks contributing 20-30% of daily caloric intake — presented a significant opportunity for intervention. Moreover, we observed a glaring lack of genuinely "good for you" options in the market.
As we navigated the aisles of supermarkets, we encountered a literal canyon of low-protein, low-fiber, high-carbohydrate foods that are tasty, affordable, and consumed in mass quantities. Unfortunately, many of these items are marketed as health foods to an unsuspecting public, often labeled as wholesome, natural, sugar-free, fat-free, organic, whole grain, and more. However, a closer examination of the nutrition facts panel reveals that most of these products are starch-filled metabolic time bombs, ready to explode into simple sugars and trigger a chain reaction of elevated blood sugar, mitochondrial dysfunction, and liver fat deposition — ultimately dooming the consumer.
Devoid of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients, consumers are left unsatiated, craving more of these items to meet their basic nutritional needs. Thus, the "why" of Rivalz is clear: we aim to create enjoyable, satisfying foods, grounded in the latest health science, making them affordable and easily accessible.
The Vision Behind Rivalz
Having spent decades in the food industry, Harold and I recognized a significant gap in the market for the next generation of food. We chose extrusion as our primary production method because extruders produce a wide variety of snacks and account for roughly 30% of products found in modern grocery stores. Additionally, extrusion technology is scalable and efficient, yet we believed it was under-optimized from a nutritional perspective.
Given that a substantial portion of the snack market is produced using extruders — resulting in products loaded with starch, sugar, salt, and artificial colors — our central question became: could we apply artificial intelligence (AI) to the extrusion process to replace starch with high-quality protein and fiber?
Assembling the Team
To answer this question, we needed an exceptional team. Over several months, we assembled a group of talented experts and entrepreneurs. The March Group provided a network to help us conceptualize how to bring our ideas to life.
Miguel Reyna, President and CEO of Western Foods, assisted us by providing a facility to test our early ideas and generate prototypes to attract investors. John Thamm, our R&D Head and extrusion expert, brought invaluable R&D, operations, and technical skills to the team. Dr. Ilias Tagkopoulos, Founder of PIPA and Professor at UC Davis, contributed not only AI expertise but also insights into the end-to-end opportunities that data science and analytics could offer.
We were fortunate to have Victor Friedberg, Founder and Managing Partner of New Epoch Capital, join our team, providing early marketing insights and helping us navigate the challenges of early-stage companies with his clear and balanced perspective. Additionally, we greatly benefited from hiring Frank Simone as Head of Sales and Erica Pattni as CMO; both have excellent track records in the startup world. The most crucial initial decision we made was bringing on Peter Barrick as CEO. Peter possesses exceptional leadership skills and has built an outstanding team. His business acumen, organizational skills, and unwavering belief in our mission are foundational to Rivalz. For Peter, profit without impact is an empty promise. After a few months, we truly had a dream team in place.
Path to Market
The Rivalz brand has its origins at UC Davis, where inputs and advice from technical experts across the academic and business ecosystem have played a vital role in shaping our direction. Through the UC network, we established a wonderful collaboration with the Sacramento City Public Schools, where we provided tasty croutons that met both vegetable and meat serving requirements. This led to a “low-risk” route to market by starting in schools and testing a range of novel products. Within a short time, we began selling our Rivalz Stuffed Snacks direct-to-consumer (DTC), while John and the PIPA team continued to apply advanced data and analytical approaches to improve product quality and operational efficiencies.
In the last 20 months, the brand has grown dramatically, achieving success in both retail and DTC. Rivalz is now available in 2,000 outlets and boasts online repeat purchase rates in the mid-30s. Rivalz has become the official snack food of UC Davis Athletics and was recently featured on Bloomberg’s Wall Street Week. The brand has also received several awards for both product and packaging, and our stuffed snack has been clinically tested and determined to be a low-glycemic food. With 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, a low glycemic index, and phenomenal flavor, Rivalz has no rival in the savory snack category.
Conclusion
Rivalz is more than just a food brand; it is a mission to transform the way we think about nutrition and health. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and a dedicated team, we are committed to creating products that not only satisfy cravings but also nourish the body. Together, we can address the dietary challenges of our time and pave the way for a healthier future.
— Ralph Jerome, Co-Founder, Rivalz