How Martie Co-Founders Raised $3M While Pregnant: Conviction and Learning

In January 2021, my longtime enterprise companion and pal, Kari Morris, and I, had an enormous choice to make. We have been each pregnant–my child had a due date in April, and Kari’s was in June. Each of our households have been rising, as we every already had a son, aged 2 and three, respectively.

We had spent the previous 12 months rising a enterprise, that includes a household of meals manufacturers, with better-for-you choices, and issues have been on observe. However the craziest factor occurred, and we simply knew we needed to change every part. And we came upon, not everybody was on board.

Our meals enterprise, Reimagine Meals, was succeeding, and we have been constructing one thing we have been happy with. Nonetheless, in January, we got here up with an even higher thought. Whereas we have been in market with a brand new vacation pancake combine, we got here throughout the very actual challenge of surplus stock. When Dec. 26 got here round, this vacation pancake combine was now not related, and we have been left with pallets of it, with no actual model or climate-friendly approach to offload the stock. Sadly this story is all too prevalent. Practically 40% of fine meals within the U.S. results in landfill, whereas 42 million Individuals expertise meals insecurity.

And that’s what led us to the thought of Martie – the web low cost grocery retailer that saves our customers as much as 70%, saves nice meals from going to waste, and makes liquidation for our companions not solely straightforward, however brand-right.

So, we had an enormous choice to make. Had been we actually going to pivot our meals manufacturing enterprise, into an internet meals retailing enterprise and fundraise–whereas pregnant?

The reply was a powerful sure. Our conviction was impenetrable, it felt prefer it was our true calling. As a 2x-exited entrepreneur, I do know that if you get that feeling, it’s time to behave. Understanding the infant timeline, we set to work. We had six months to bootstrap, construct the marketing strategy, and most significantly, LEARN.

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Step one ahead on our journey round constructing this enterprise, and finally, fundraising $3 million in our seed spherical, was to be taught. We obtained on the telephone with key teams of individuals, to glean as a lot qualitative and quantitative information as attainable. Who might we be taught from? How might this concept work? How might this concept fail?

Listed here are the 4 forms of teams we discovered from: 

Founders of rivals and complementary companies (some failed, some in enterprise):  

• We went deep into the aggressive panorama to know these enterprise fashions, and hopped on the telephone with founders. What have been missed alternatives? What are the pitfalls? What are a very powerful information factors? What are/have been you relentless about? 

Former staff (C-Suite) of rivals and complementary companies:  

• This cohort actually helped us perceive the behind the scenes. What is required to run a profitable division? How do you measure and perceive what strikes the enterprise? 

Buyers of corporations like ours:  

• We introduced buyers in early, lengthy earlier than fundraising. What are they searching for? What have they seen? Why would this fail? Buyers are wonderful information collectors and asking the precise questions offers you a head of necessary info. This began the dialog that led to ongoing suggestions loops and showcasing progress with specialists. The important thing right here is to leverage buyers which have invested in related companies. 

Potential Clients:  

• You may by no means begin this train too early. You’ll by no means be excellent, so don’t maintain again on questions. We spoke with a whole lot of potential prospects. Why would they like one thing like this? How would this make their life higher? The place do you store for groceries?

This group grew to become our pool for potential buyers, advisors and staff. Collectively, it grew to become, “who are you able to heat intro us to?” and “do you wish to be an even bigger a part of this?” And we rapidly discovered that not everybody wished in. Once we shared the information about our pregnancies, there was one investor who had a really off response. In fact, each entrepreneur is used to listening to “no”, however this was private. The consequence? Stronger conviction.

As soon as we have been prepared, we prepped everybody {that a} elevate was coming. We had a transparent understanding of what the timeline was (for us, this timeline had a tough cease…our supply dates!) and filtered by our checklist of potential buyers, getting our top-10 checklist finalized.

We by no means doubted any a part of the journey. The celebs aligned, and the second was proper. Certain, we occurred to each be pregnant, however that simply helped us drive ahead.

And in November 2021, we launched Martie.com – a brand new on-line grocery retailer on a mission to make good meals extra accessible, and assist save the planet from meals waste. We’ve labored with over 1,500 meals producers and distributors on their extra stock, saved our Smartie Consumers over $2 million versus buying at conventional grocery shops, and saved over 1.5 million kilos of meals from going to waste. We’re presently delivery in 12 states, and stay up for a nationwide growth later this 12 months. We have now constructed a lean distant crew of six full time workers and 6 half time staff, additionally throughout a pandemic!

We’re extremely happy with what we’ve constructed over these previous two years and the relationships we’ve made with manufacturers like Kellogg’s, Form, Annie’s, and a whole lot extra. Whereas the tagline of “fundraising whereas pregnant” certain is catchy, it’s not the entire story.

Our two lovely infants, Coco and Leo, have been each born wholesome and blissful in 2021 and helped information us in following our instincts. They each offered a neat timeline for us to arrange our enterprise round – and for that, we’re each so grateful and always impressed.