The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and VentureFuel announced Petit Pot as the grand prize winner in the 2024 Real California Milk (RCM) Excelerator product innovation competition. The award was presented during the Future of Dairy Expo and Final Pitch Event on November 14 in San Ramon, Calif., where four new finalists were also selected to compete for the 2025 grand prize.

This competitive program is designed to drive value-added dairy innovation using California milk, ultimately strengthening the industry by providing startups with access to sustainably produced milk as well as resources, expertise, and non-dilutive funding to grow their businesses. As the winner of the 2024 RCM Excelerator, Petit Pot will receive $100,000 worth of marketing support from the CMAB to continue scaling their dairy-based desserts in California and beyond.

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Through the Real California Milk Excelerator, early-stage companies are able to leverage the power of Real California Dairy through access to:

- Tailored content and resources specific to the dairy industry, including access to quality, sustainably sourced milk
- Mentorship from leading experts across product development, marketing, distribution, and sales
- Extensive exposure to industry stakeholders

Petit Pot was one of four finalists in the 2023 RCM Excelerator event. The company was selected for its innovation in product packaging with the introduction of a paper dessert cup to further drive its commitment to sustainability. Since being selected for the 2023 cohort, founder Maxime Pouvreau has scaled up production in California and demonstrated his company's tremendous potential for growth. The CMAB selected the company as the Grand Prize Winner based on the company's $2MM+ in retail sales over a one-year period and rapidly expanding presence through 6,000 stores across the country. The $100,000 grand prize will provide marketing support for initiatives like on-pack promotions, digital and instant redeemable coupons, product sampling, and in-store signage to further drive brand awareness.

Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif, Petit Pot was founded by French-born pastry chef Maxime Pouvreau and specializes in single-serve gourmet desserts crafted with dairy and other organic ingredients.  The company has seen rapid growth since it first participated in the Excelerator's snack-focused competition in 2020.

The Real California Milk Excelerator was established by CMAB to drive transformational growth for innovative dairy products that can deliver value both to consumers and to the dairy community. At a time when venture funding for food and beverage startups has slowed, programs like the Excelerator play a crucial role in bridging the gap for high-potential food and beverage startups.

At the 2024 Future of Dairy Expo, attendees also experienced product tastings and exhibitions from 20+ pioneering dairy startups, and witnessed the selection of four new finalists chosen by the CMAB from this year's incubator cohort during the live pitch event:

-  Pluff, a fluffy protein dessert with high nutritional value, represented by its founder, Dylan Paul;
- Projo*, an instant coffee blend infused with dairy and collagen, represented by Charbel Mawad, founder and CEO;
- Smearcase, a cottage-cheese-based ice cream, represented by founder and CEO, Joe Rotondo;
- And Todo, a meal replacement shake with a balanced nutritional content, represented by founder, Niket Soni.

The event offered industry stakeholders an opportunity to engage with products poised to shape the future of dairy, while also showcasing the commitment of California's dairy farmers to sustainable practices.