In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff speaks with David Fudge, Co-Founder and CEO of Aplós, and Amanda Amos, Investor at Collaborative Fund, for a comprehensive discussion on the current fundraising landscape in consumer packaged goods.

Together, they break down what has — and hasn’t — changed in the early-stage fundraising environment, with actionable advice for founders from both an operator’s and investor’s perspective. Amanda shares how Collaborative Fund evaluates startups, what investors look for in pitch decks, how to think about market size, and the importance of aligning with the right capital partners. David offers hard-earned insights from building Aplós, including how he navigated early fundraising, how his pitch evolved over time, and what advice he gives to other founders stepping into the fundraising arena.

They also discuss bootstrapping vs. raising venture capital, SAFE notes vs. priced rounds, how to build authentic investor relationships, and the real expectations around valuation and ownership.

Whether you're a founder preparing to raise or just curious about how the process works behind the scenes, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and candid reflections.

🎧 If you’re building in CPG — or just want to sharpen your fundraising game — don’t miss this one. Listen now!

Listen in as they share about:

• Fundraising Strategy & Venture Capital
• How to approach different investor types
• Pitching & Due Diligence
• How VCs Evaluate TAM
• Founder-Investor Alignment
• Investor Perspective & Fund Dynamics

Episode Links:
Website: https://www.aplos.world/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwfudge/ 

Website: https://collabfund.com/ 

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaamos/ 

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

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Head to www.rho.co/startupcpgto learn more.