Nate Cooper wrote the first real check into Olipop when it was still just an idea that tasted 99.9% like Diet Coke. The Founder and Managing Partner of Barrel Ventures joins Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi, in the same week Olipop’s own founder stepped down as CEO, to talk about what he looks for in “functional lunatic” founders, why a nicotine-pouch startup is growing faster than Olipop ever did, and the hemp-derived beverage category he thinks could be worth $50 billion a year.
Timestamps
0:00 The $3 million bet that became Olipop
1:08 What makes Ben Goodwin a “functional lunatic”
4:30 His role once he writes the check
5:49 Could Olipop become the next Coke or Pepsi
7:33 Ultra: the fastest-growing company he’s ever backed
10:34 Go Nanas, and what GLP-1s mean for snacking
13:32 Nowadays: betting on hemp-derived THC beverages
16:15 What he’s learned from investments that didn’t work
17:38 The next grocery store trends to watch
#NateCooper #Olipop #PowerPlayers #YahooFinance #ConsumerVC
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