FMCG HQ
Cohort One · Application-only

Apply for cohort-one capital

A short application. We respond within one business day. If we move forward, scoping happens within a week and term-sheet timelines compress to two-to-four weeks.

~10 minutes Founder-controlled data sharing No data room required upfront
What Happens Next

The five-step path from application to term sheet.

Day 1 — Application acknowledged. We confirm receipt within one business day. If your brand is operationally aligned with what cohort one is shipping, we schedule a 30-minute discovery call. If we're not the right fit, we tell you within 48 hours so you don't wait for an answer that isn't coming.

Week 1 — Discovery call + scoping. A direct conversation with the capital team and an operating principal. No pitch theater. We align on the question your capital is supposed to answer, the operational signal we'd underwrite against, and the structure that fits.

Week 1–2 — Operational signal review. If you're already in cohort one operationally, the signal review is fast — we have direct visibility. If you're applying cold, this is the longer step. We'll request a focused subset of data; nothing data-room sized.

Week 2–4 — Term sheet. If we're a fit, the term sheet lands inside 28 days of application — typically faster for brands already operating in cohort one. Founding-cohort terms; no per-deal price discovery games.

Before You Apply

What we're looking for — and what we're not

Strong fit for cohort one capital

  • Brand actively running sampling, UGC, or private-label through FMCG HQ
  • Clear thesis on how capital deploys against operational signal
  • Honest about stage, revenue trajectory, and unit economics
  • Founder-led with retained brand IP and customer data
  • US-first, or willing to align with the beta-market roadmap

Probably not the right fit

  • Pre-product, narrative-only stage with no operational signal yet
  • Categories outside cohort one scope (CBD/THC, tobacco, regulated)
  • Brands looking for purely financial capital (no operational support fit)
  • Brands requiring an immediate close (we're not bridge financing)
  • Brands unwilling to share operational signal with the capital team
The Application

Four sections, ~10 minutes

Company

Tell us about your brand.

Founder

Who's running this?

Financials

Best-available numbers. We're not auditing today.

The pitch

Three short answers.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Not strictly — but operational signal makes underwriting cleaner and faster. If you're applying cold, expect a longer signal-review window. If you're already running sampling or UGC through FMCG HQ, the signal's already live.
Ticket sizes are calibrating with cohort one. We'll share specific ranges during the discovery call rather than publish ranges we're still figuring out.
The capital team signs a mutual NDA before discovery. Founder-side control over which operational signal shares with which team members is granular and revocable.
Through the application + diligence window only. After a term sheet (or pass), the elevated access ends. Ongoing visibility only continues for active capital relationships.
We give you the reason in writing inside 48 hours of the decision. Most passes are about stage timing or category fit — not absolute “no.” Many declined applicants re-apply in subsequent cohorts.

Related reading

Submit your application

Application-only cohort one capital. We respond within one business day. Term sheets in 14–28 days for brands with mature operational signal.