Twelve-week program culminates in Demo Day and Showcase in Austin on November 17
Photo: Consumer brands selected for the SKU Fall 2026 Accelerator Cohort
AUSTIN, Texas — August 13, 2026 — SKU, the original accelerator for consumer brands, today named the seven companies joining its Fall 2026 cohort.
The group spans food, beverage, supplements, hair care and oral care, with products including kulfi made from a hundred-year-old family recipe, agave-based Mexican soda, water lily seed snacks and a stainless steel oral care system built to replace disposable plastic.
“Most of these founders aren’t guessing at what their customer wants, because they are the customer. They know exactly what’s missing, because they went looking for it and couldn’t find it.
Our job over the next twelve weeks is to put the right operators, investors and specialists in the room with them so that conviction turns into a business that lasts.”
“Most of these founders aren’t guessing at what their customer wants, because they are the customer,” said Beau Bergman, Executive Director of SKU. “They know exactly what’s missing, because they went looking for it and couldn’t find it. Our job over the next twelve weeks is to put the right operators, investors and specialists in the room with them so that conviction turns into a business that lasts.”
The 12-week program begins September 1st and combines in-person workshops with virtual classes and hands-on mentorship from seasoned operators, investors, industry specialists and serial entrepreneurs. It culminates in the SKU Demo Day and Showcase on November 17 in Austin, Texas.
SKU has been a nationwide program since its inception, but Austin remains an important anchor for its community and a gathering place for the founders, mentors, investors and industry leaders who have helped shape the organization.
Why This Cohort Matters
All of these founders are selling something they already knew. Kulfi from a family recipe. Mexican soda built on agave. Water lily seeds, eaten in India for centuries, turned into a snack. Low FODMAP pasta made by someone who needed it. Colostrum for people already reading supplement labels. Hair repair for women who bleach and were tired of being told to stop.
That’s a different starting point than the white-space analysis that produced most of the last decade’s consumer launches, and it shows up in how the products are built. Founders working from inside a tradition or inside a problem tend to make decisions the category map wouldn’t suggest.
The Fall 2026 Cohort
BELLYCIOUS — Founders: Mariachiara Rota, Alberto Morandi. Italian meal kits for gut wellness: gluten-free, lactose-free, Low FODMAP certified, made with premium Italian ingredients.
Kaurina’s — Founder Aman Singh. Kulfi, the Indian frozen dessert, made from a hundred-year-old family recipe.
magic milk — Founders Kevin Young, Heather Young. Grass-fed colostrum and collagen that tastes like Saturday morning chocolate milk and works like a Monday morning supplement.
Orita — Founders Miguel Gutierrez Vila, Teodora Djingova, and Rafael Müller Morales. Modern Mexican soda built on agave, real fruit and bold flavor.
Singular Care — Founders Jose Ignacio Lopez Sanchez, Santiago Tejeda Palacios. Medical-grade stainless steel oral care on a circular subscription model, designed to replace disposable plastic.
Twice as Good Hair — Founders Nicole Miller, Natalie Miller. A clinically tested hair repair system for women who bleach and won’t trade away length or hair health to do it.
WonderPop — Founders Aakash Patel and Nupur Patel. Water lily seeds, an ancient Indian superfood, turned into light, crunchy, clean-label snacks.
About SKU
SKU is the original accelerator for the next generation of consumer brands. For 15 years it has been an early signal for the founders, products and consumer shifts that shape what comes next. More than 160 brands have completed the program, including Siete Foods, DUDE Wipes, EPIC and wildwonder.
Through a selective, hands-on program, SKU brings the right people and resources around in-market founders ready for their next stage of growth. Seasoned operators, investors, category specialists and serial entrepreneurs work alongside them on the decisions that turn early traction into durable businesses. Great consumer brands aren’t built alone — they take founder grit, well-timed capital, honest mentorship and real access.
Interested in joining SKU? Our applications are open year round.
Apply for Spring 2027 | Mentor Applications | contact hello@sku.is for more information.