For founders

Pitch us

No warm intro needed. We built First Run so the best food founders don't have to know somebody — they just have to be building something people want to eat.

Tell us what you're making. A real person reads every pitch.

Which door is yours

Three ways in — pick the closest.

01
Idea → first revenue

The Accelerator

You have a product — or a recipe and the will. We build with you: production, pricing, packaging, the first shelf.

02
Early traction, raising

The Angel Network

You have real customers and repeat purchase. Our members invest directly, typically alongside the round you're putting together.

03
Scaling

The Fund

You've proven demand and margins. We invest to help take you from regional to national.

Not sure? Pick the closest. We route every pitch to the right place anyway.

What we look for

We back signals.

We back a recognizable set of signals — and we pass when they're missing.

  • Founder obsession. You watch customers, not trend reports.
  • A product people buy twice. Repeat is the only vote that counts.
  • Premium price, earned. Margin should come from how good the product is — not how cheap the inputs are.
  • Coachability. We work shoulder-to-shoulder. It only works if you want that.
What we don't fund

The honest list.

We're probably not your investor if you're building:

  • Restaurants or single-location concepts
  • Pure foodservice
  • Supplements
  • Anything we can't put on a retail shelf or into eaters' hands
What happens next

The process, in plain terms.

We read it. Every pitch, by a partner — not a screener.

If there's a fit, you'll hear from us within two weeks to schedule an introductory call.

First call: 30 minutes with a partner about the product, the customer, and the numbers.

From there: an Accelerator working session, an Angel Group presentation, or Fund diligence — depending on your door.

The pitch

Company intake form.

We review every submission carefully. We're selective about who we work with — not to exclude good founders, but because deep partnership requires genuine alignment. This form gives us a clear picture of your business, and gives you a clear picture of whether First Run is the right fit.

HubSpot form embeds here at launch Your intake screener renders in this slot once it's live in HubSpot — sections for company basics, founding team, product & market, traction & financials (with stage-based branching), capital, and fit & intent, plus a deck upload and an automated follow-up email. Styled to match this page.

First Run takes confidentiality seriously. We will not share your submission or any materials with third parties without your consent. Questions? hello@firstruncpg.com

The best time to talk to us is early.

Start your pitch