In this Founder Fundraising Journey episode, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Troy Bonde, co-founder and CEO of Sauz, to trace the winding path from a college side hustle to building one of the fastest-growing brands in the tomato sauce category.
Troy's road to Sauz started with a hand sanitizer and thermometer dispenser he and childhood friend and co-founder Winston sold to schools during COVID, using the proceeds to fund early angel investments and, eventually, Sauz itself. Frustrated by a commoditized tomato sauce aisle with no flavor innovation, Troy and Winston sold their cars to bootstrap the brand, launched at Erewhon in July 2023, and scaled from 10 doors to 3,500 in just 12 months, landing Whole Foods, Central Market, and Target distribution along the way.
Hannah and Troy dig into how Sauz built a data story compelling enough to win over major retail buyers, when and why the brand knew it needed institutional capital, the emotional and practical challenges of fundraising, and what Troy wishes he'd done differently around unit economics and hiring.
Listen in as they discuss:
- Troy's unconventional path from teenage car salesman to M&A banking intern to tomato sauce founder
- How a pandemic side business selling hand sanitizer dispensers funded Sauz's earliest days
- Why Troy and Winston felt tomato sauce was overdue for the same reinvention seen in beverage brands like Poppy and Olipop
- The surprising science behind flavors like hot honey and summer lemon marinara, and why they make dinner special
- How Sauz turned demo data at Erewhon into distribution at Central Market, Whole Foods, and Target
- The moment Sauz knew it needed to bring on institutional capital to fund growth
- What made Coefficient Capital the right venture partner for Sauz
- Why Troy believes velocity alone doesn't guarantee a smooth fundraise, and what else matters
- Lessons learned about unit economics, hiring an ops lead sooner, and building a high-trust team
- Troy's approach to deciding when to take outside advice versus trusting his own gut
Episode Links:
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
