Milk startups compete for $250,000 in Real California Milk Accelerator competition

Milk-based beverages for active kids and ready-to-drink lattes with collagen are among the nine finalists announced in the California Milk Advisory Board’s (CMAB) Real California Milk Accelerator dairy startup competition designed to inspire ideas integrating the values of fluid milk into contemporary products and provide resources to help bring them to market. The competition, launched in 2019, aims to inspire innovation and investment in fluid milk products, packaging, and capacity within California by connecting manufacturers, producers, investors, ideas, and entrepreneurs for high quality, sustainable dairy beverages.

The nine innovators will receive up to $25,000 of support each to develop protocepts (a product developed in the laboratory to meet the promises of the product concept) while receiving mentorship from marketing, packaging, and distribution experts, including a business development trip to tour California dairy farms and production facilities and meet with industry leaders to help facilitate their new ventures. The final competition will take place live on November 7 in the San Francisco Bay Area, culminating in a grand prize winner who will receive up to $250,000 worth of additional support to deliver their new product to market.

Finalists include:

• Bears Nutrition Daily Nutritional Milk Beverage for Active Kids
• WheyUp Protein Dairy Beverage with 12 live and active probiotic cultures and whey protein
• Good Citizens Ready-to-Drink Latte with Collagen
• Thai Star Brewing Co. Thai Star Iced Tea
• Nutraberry Upcycled High Fiber Polyphenol Milk Protein Beverage
• NAICHA Milk Tea w/ Probiotics and Vitamins
• ALLPUR FIZZA Sparkling Dairy Nutrient Refresher
• Cheese Yogurt Fermented Dairy Beverage
• Stuyt Dairy Dairy-Based Dessert Beverage

Press release