Cob is a food company powered by ancient supergrain sorghum that creates nutritious alternatives to conventional corn-based products, starting with corn-free popcorn. 

How we met 

After chatting with Jess following an introduction from another consumer fund in 2023, we were reconnected with Cob by an angel in our network this past summer. We were excited to see Cob’s progress on its brand, product development, and the strategic addition of tennis legend Novak Djokovic as co-founder. We joined the cap table right before Cob launched pre-orders in November. 

What clicked 

In the crowded CPG space, it’s easy to write off product-focused companies as seeming to take too small a swing at a much bigger opportunity, or for not knowing how to answer the question: “How does this get big?” Cob’s serving a mission to build a platform that delivers snack foods and pantry staples we know and love, without the use of corn, corn additives or derivatives. 

With one already-launched product (sorghum-based popcorn) and another coming coon (corn-free tortilla chips), Cob has an ambitious roadmap, based on an ingredient lauded as the next quinoa, and the opportunity to be a game-changer in our food system. 

Why we committed 

Jess has an infectiously positive attitude and deeply entrepreneurial spirit that has contributed to her long career in consumer, most recently working with several brands as a turnaround CEO. 

Add to that her mission-driven focus for building Cob (inspired to solve a food allergy for her son), an insightful approach to unlocking the power of an overlooked superfood, a keen sense of how to create brand value through innovation and activation, as well as a vision for building a truly massive food company, and it was clear that Cob has many of the qualities of the next great CPG powerhouse. 

Why Cob will become a big brand 

We’ve seen evidence that consumers in the food space are increasingly looking for better alternatives, and that you can create a huge company by building out a suite of products that center around a core insight like: “Let’s bring attention to the power of sorghum,” or, “Let’s develop a grain-free Mexican-American food,” or, “Beef jerky sticks could use a glow-up”.

With Jess’s leadership and product vision, Novak’s support with awareness and distribution, and a consumer audience with more ingredient consciousness and interest in getting more bang for their buck when they snack, we’re confident that Cob can build a platform around sorghum (and eventually other grains) that can scale online and in stores. 

Watch Bullish Managing Partner Brent Vartan in conversation with Cob Foods Founder and CEO Jessica Davidoff. 

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