Velocity adds Seed Ranch to growing garden of brands

BOULDER — Velocity CPG LLC, a Boulder-based accelerator program and consulting firm founded last summer and aimed at boosting young companies in the consumer-packaged goods space, has added Seed Ranch Flavor Co. as one of its associated brands.

Boulder-based Seed Ranch produces plant-based sauces and seasonings, as well as its GrownAs Foods brand of vegan macaroni and cheese. It first began selling its sauces in 2017 at the Boulder County Farmers’ Market.

“Companies engage us to do a few different things,” said Steve Savage, a co-founder and managing director of Velocity. “Sometimes we take an active strategy, and sometimes we do marketing for them. It depends on what a brand needs. They might be a warehouse partner, a funding partner, a consulting client or an office co-working partner.”

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As for Seed Ranch, he said, “they’re in our Playbook program, where we become an active member of their company.”

Velocity’s accelerator program has three components: a Discovery program, a Playbook team and a Runway program. Discovery is an eight-week bootcamp that takes a deep data dive into the company’s financials, operations, sales, and marketing strategy, and helps them decide their path forward — if there is one. If the brand has immediate promise, it will be invited to the Playbook Team and become an official Velocity brand.

“We’ve had eight brands so far in Discovery, and five didn’t move on,” Savage said.

The Runway program is for brands ready to execute a capital raise or exit.

“We always say the strength of bison is the herd,” Savage said. “Why not have all the shared resources of warehouse, office space, consulting instead of just going it alone.”

Savage said Velocity will start a $10 million fund next month to mimic the Techstars model in the consumer-product space.

Velocity brands include Bhakti Chai, Pasta Jay’s, Boulder Clean, Upslope Brewing Co., Wallaroo Hat Co. and Spinster Sisters Co.

“We’re going to have about 50 brands by the end of January,” Savage said. “It’s going quickly, with — no pun intended — a lot of velocity.”