Brand Mission
•
$15M Fund
•
Food & Beverage Category Creators
•
Media-Driven Value Creation
• $15M Fund • Food & Beverage Category Creators • Media-Driven Value Creation
Fuel the next wave of food-and-beverage category creators by pairing early-stage capital with unapologetically honest storytelling. Turn founders’ conviction into culture-shifting brands consumers can’t live without.
Fund 0: Backing the Category Creators of Tomorrow
Generational Demand and Category Growth in Food and Beverage CPG
THE OPPORTUNITY
GEN Z HOUSEHOLDS
spending
$1.2T annually by 2027 1
86%
discovering new food brands on
YOUTUBE/TIKTOK
GEN ALPHA controlling
$5.4T in family purchase influences
Zero VC platform today pairs capital and consumer-facing content to capture this attention.
We back category creators –
BRANDS THAT SET THE RULES:
Category creators historically absorb
≈ 75% OF CATEGORY ECONOMICS.OUR EDGE: media flywheel + category creator ID + operational credibility + authentic storytelling
This is the future of CPG Funding
INVESTMENT THESIS
THE VC PLAYBOOK WASN’T BUILT FOR THE NEXT FOOD AND BEVERAGE ICON
MISALIGNED TIMELINES, FORCED OUTCOMES
The standard 10-year fund life pushes companies to sell early or miss their real breakout. Great CPG brands need 10‒15 years to own their categories.
We match our support to that life cycle.
CONTENT-AS-A-
STRATEGIC ENGINE
Traditional funds outsource content and treat it as a cost. We build a media platform that turns customer acquisition and market definition into growth levers, not marketing expenses.
96% OF VC FIRMS DON’T
REACH CONSUMERS DIRECTLY
Our always-on content and YouTube-first approach turn discovery into a proprietary sourcing and brand-building flywheel.
OUR SOLUTION
Dedicated YouTube channel documented in real time drives awareness + inbound deal flow.
Media-First VC Fund
15 yrs in the trenches → rapid credibility with founders.
About
ANDREW
SERIAL F&B ENTREPRENEUR
built Populace Coffee from tiny roaster to multi-unit brand.
EARLY EMPLOYEE at INTELLIGENTSIA & BELLWETHER
always where innovation happens first.
NETWORK
founders/investors Leisure Hydration, Intelligentsia Coffee, Biggby Coffee, Perfy
MISSION-DRIVEN
storyteller + operator empathy.
I was born to teenage parents and grew up poor in a trailer near the shores of Lake Huron in Michigan.
I fought my way out of my adolescence and crashed into the world in my early 20’s. I built a small coffee business that still exists today and for the last 6.5 yrs I’ve been building a startup in the coffee hardware space as the sales leader.
The best decision I ever made was marrying my best friend and we have built a life that I could have only dreamed of.
No one outworks me & no one can slow down like me.
Slowing down. Taking a step back. Taking a deep breathe. Getting wisdom from advisors and counsel is a skill I cherish.
Advisory & Resources
STORY ARCHITECT
Filmmaker and storyteller (community-driven doc series); shapes brand narratives.
YOUTUBE INSIGHTS LEAD
Works inside YouTube data team; advises on algorithm + trend mapping. Leading Industry-Edge Partner
EXPRESS CHECKOUT & GOOD CPG
Pipeline and signal on breakout CPG brands.
REAL-TIME CATEGORY INTELLIGENCE
The old model focused only on writing checks. Today, success means bringing operational insight, media firepower, and authentic scale together.
VENTURE CAPITAL IS EVOLVING
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT (AND WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOU):
REAL-TIME TRANSPARENCY: Watch and engage as we build brands in real-time, with our portfolio journey documented on YouTube and beyond.
ACTIVE COMMUNITY: LPs get more than quarterly reports. They get connection, co-creation, and open lines of communication with our team, founders, and advisors.
DIRECT VALUE CREATION: See your capital in action, helping founders educate consumers, create categories, and spark movements, not just companies.
YOU DON’T NEED TO BE A VETERAN TO BUILD THE FUTURE
Whether you’ve backed funds for years or are new to VC, Thirsty Friends makes the next generation of investing accessible, transparent, and high-impact.