We look at it across three main channels. The ingredient channel is simple, orders come in, we produce and ship, and margins are about 30–35%. It’s not the highest margin, but it’s clean, dependable, and helps get our operations running efficiently. Private label is a step up with around 40% margin, though there’s more complexity with brokers, chargebacks, etc. Still, it builds volume and helps cover fixed costs. Our own brand offers the highest margin, 40–50%, but it’s the most expensive to grow. You need to pay for demos, slotting, and marketing, and navigating retail can be punishing if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Within brand retail, Costco has been a great starting point, clean operations, good partnership. Walmart is similar. Looking ahead, our big push is a new multi-pack kids’ snack line for school lunches, aimed at mainstream grocery. That’s typically a tough and costly channel, but we’re focusing on the produce department, which is very different. It uses regional distributors, not the big national ones like UNFI or KeHE, which often squeeze smaller brands. The produce section also brings higher traffic, no slotting fees, and aligns perfectly with our brand positioning. Plus, there’s an incumbent, Crispy Greens, with a $20M business in this exact space, but they manufacture in China and are facing tariff pressure. We can undercut them on price, $6.99 versus their $9.99, while offering a better product. So we think there’s a real opportunity to disrupt and take meaningful share quickly.

05/08/2025 What is your dilution strategy going forward, and when will cash flow sustain the business long term?

We are close to break-even now. This year’s challenge is that we just opened a new factory, which is complex to operate. We hired 200 employees in January and are learning to run new products at scale. Each new product launch, like our first-ever strawberry run for Costco, involves unique handling challenges and process optimization. By year-end, we expect a broad, proven, and efficiently scaled product portfolio. We are running a small, limited ATM to grow the sales team, hire a marketing director, potentially add another salesperson, and build a sales broker network for our produce line. These investments will help capture the current market opportunity.

05/08/2025 What key metrics should investors watch over the next 6–12 months to see if BranchOut is on track to eliminate all liabilities without further dilution?

We are actively paying down debt and have a full-year cash flow model showing all liabilities being paid off. The main variable is timing of large orders, cash may need to be reinvested in production before payment is received. This is a good problem, as growth drives the need for working capital. Unless production volumes rise substantially beyond plan, we still expect to eliminate all liabilities this year.

05/08/2025 Should investors view debt raises as a positive growth indicator?

Yes. Debt is primarily used for growth initiatives, such as capitalizing on the tariff environment and executing our produce department strategy. We believe BranchOut can become a national brand, and this funding ensures we can pursue that opportunity aggressively.

Competitive Advantage

19/07/2025 What technology protections do you have, and can competitors replicate what you’re doing with Nwave machines?

We have an exclusive license agreement with Nwave for around 10 products in Peru, which we believe is one of the best countries operationally and economically to do this. For some key products, our exclusivity extends across North, Central, and South America. So while the setup isn’t bulletproof, it’s pretty strong. Most companies working with Nwave use the machines for very different use cases, specific industrial processes or single products at a much larger scale, and often in unrelated sectors like cannabis or pharmaceuticals.

Could someone theoretically replicate what we’re doing in another country like Colombia?

Yes, in theory. But in practice, it would take years. You’d need to source the right machines, which takes a year, build a local team, fine-tune product R&D, and build retailer relationships, which took us another couple of years. So if someone wanted to truly compete, the faster route would probably be to acquire BranchOut. Meanwhile, we’re innovating daily, new products, new relationships, continuous development. That accumulated head start is a moat in itself.

05/08/2025 What protects BranchOut from competitors buying the same N-Wave machines?

We’re a food company with a strong intellectual property moat compared to most in the industry, which typically rely solely on brand recognition. As an early partner of N-Wave, we negotiated valuable exclusivities , we have Peru locked up entirely, and three to four products with exclusivity across the broader Americas.

A competitor could theoretically buy a machine and set up in another country, like Colombia, but they’d face the same multi‑year capital investment and operational challenges we’ve already overcome. We believe our head start is significant. Large CPG or private equity firms tend to avoid the kinds of risks we took early on; they’d be more likely to acquire us than replicate our model. Additionally, Peru offers unique advantages , low costs, year‑round access to affordable produce , making it one of the best locations for our operations.

05/08/2025 What is your ideal long-term revenue mix between ingredients, private label, and branded products, and how will each contribute to EBITDA?

Currently, revenue is roughly evenly split among the three. Ingredients offer tighter gross margins but better net margins due to no marketing expenses, making it a stable, predictable, and growing segment with multiple growth opportunities. Private label is similar, with margins in the 30s and no marketing costs since it’s under the retailer’s brand. These two segments provide the base profitability that supports brand-building. Our branded products, including Costco partnerships, deliver strong returns and brand visibility. While all three channels will grow, the branded segment will receive more investment over time to maximize valuation multiples in a potential future exit.

Operations

19/07/2025 What are the main friction points as you ramp the new facility, and how should we think about operational progress over the next few quarters?

Great question. The initial plan was a best-case scenario, if everything went smoothly, but manufacturing is messy, especially with new tech. We had to build a factory in six months, create a new supply chain, and hire and train about 200 people, including flying our team to Vancouver to learn the Nwave tech. The fact that we got it all operational that quickly is a huge accomplishment, but it hasn’t been perfect.

For example, you can't just toss a banana in the machine, there’s a prep process. Q1 was like running in first gear. In Q2, we’re shifting into second or third. The factory has the capacity we need, but we’re still dialing in processes. We had a big Q1 order backlog and scrambled to fulfill it, $160K in air freight alone. That continued slightly into Q2 but is easing. We also incurred one-time expenses tied to building the plant. So we’re catching up fast, and every week we’re more efficient.

05/08/2025 What are the struggles of managing a rapidly growing business?

It is very hard, and not for everyone. You need to be able to take constant hits and keep moving forward , starting and growing a business feels like getting punched in the face every other day. My engineering background helps me cut through problems and get to the core issues quickly, which is essential. You have to identify the base of a problem, solve it, and move forward. People from purely corporate backgrounds often struggle in this environment because it’s unpredictable and fast-moving.
It’s challenging, but also rewarding. Every day is a roller coaster, and it’s never boring. In corporate America, things moved too slowly for my taste. Here, despite the challenges, we’re making great progress and pushing ahead.

05/08/2025 How did you learn about food and produce without prior experience?

I first joined my family’s business, where we built a factory in Oregon and created a national cookie company. That’s where I learned a lot about the food industry, particularly retail , knowing which channels to target or avoid. Operationally, my engineering experience made it easier to adapt; in engineering firms, I often had to jump into new industries and master them quickly.

Of course, there were mistakes along the way, but we’ve built a strong team. We hire strategically , bringing in people with expertise in food safety, quality systems, ERP systems, and other areas where I’m less experienced. This targeted hiring has been crucial to our success.

Competition

05/08/2025 Why aren’t more companies pursuing the produce department strategy?

Some companies do, but only products that fit the fresh produce department can succeed there. A few other freeze-dried brands operate in that space, including one that has built a $20–$25 million business following this model. We did not invent the strategy; we observed it working for others. However, their products are sourced from China and face a new 55% tariff, plus consumer trust issues with Chinese food products. This creates an opportunity for us to compete with a proven model without taking on untested risk.

Growth

19/07/2025 Do you need to educate customers about the difference between freeze-dried and dehydrated products, or is the value clear from the start?

Yes, we do need to educate customers, especially because we’re still new. That’s the double-edged sword of being new, people are curious, but also unfamiliar. It’s tough to describe the sensory difference between freeze-dried and our product; it’s subjective until someone actually tries it. Once they do, it clicks. That’s why Costco has worked really well for us, people try the product at the demo tables, and it sells itself. Often, they don’t even know or care about the technical difference; they just know it tastes incredible, better than any dried fruit they’ve had. So sampling is key, and we're still figuring out how to tell that story in settings where sampling isn’t possible. It's a challenge, but as we grow, brand awareness will help fill that gap.

19/07/2025 How do you decide which products to launch, and what lessons have you learned about customer preferences?

Initially, our strategy was to showcase the range of our technology by doing what hadn’t been done before, things like Brussels sprouts and avocados. That created buzz and helped us get meetings with buyers, but when you look at actual sales data, it’s clear that Americans gravitate toward the familiar: apples, bananas, pineapples. So while unique SKUs got attention, the core fruits are what really sell. Right now in Costco, we have pineapple, banana, and bell pepper. The fruits are doing great; the bell pepper, less so. That’s why our new kids’ product line focuses on the five most loved fruits, done better, better quality, better price.

We also take cues directly from retailers. For example, in a recent call with Target, we walked through our technology and then asked, “What can we make for you?” They suggested broccoli and cauliflower with specific flavor profiles, and we said, “Sure.” Same with Costco and Kroger, they often make direct product requests, and we act on them. In those cases, we almost function like an outsourced R&D team. So new product ideas come both from market data and from retailer-led collaboration.

19/07/2025 Can you describe your ingredient channel partnership and the size of that opportunity?

It’s a strong relationship that’s been in development for about a year. The partner came to Peru in February to review our plant and quality systems in person before moving forward. That due diligence delayed the contract a bit, but now it’s ramping quickly. In Q1, we only shipped one container, but we’ve since shipped several more, four are currently on the water, with more going out shortly. Each container averages around $140K–$145K, just to give a sense of scale.

Their reach in the ingredient space is exceptional. For example, they recently got our dragon fruit product in front of Starbucks, which currently sources a freeze-dried version from Asia. The feedback was strong, and we’re actively engaging there. If even one of these enterprise opportunities lands, and they’re working on several, it would be a meaningful step function in our business. We don’t have the relationships to reach those accounts directly, so this partnership is like plugging into a whole new sales channel overnight.

05/08/2025 What lessons or insights can you share on managing relationships with major retailers, and how do these partnerships work on a day-to-day basis?

The main grocery channel is dominated by two distributors, Unify and Kehi, and you generally must go through them to get into grocery stores. They treat suppliers poorly, with little transparency about chargebacks, delayed payments, and difficult business terms. This dynamic has worsened over the past 10–20 years as food companies with significant private equity and venture capital backing have driven aggressive growth, allowing distributors and retailers to take advantage. While companies still pursue this channel, many lack strong intellectual property and engage in a race to grow at any cost. Our approach is different: we avoid these pitfalls by focusing on Costco and Walmart, which operate cleanly and do not require those distributors. However, grocery remains the largest opportunity, so we developed a multipack snack line for the produce department, aimed at parents buying school lunch items. This area is supplied by local distributors or direct delivery, avoiding the main distributor problem. Produce sections have higher foot traffic, no slotting fees, and are a natural fit for our product. This is our main growth strategy for 2026, and we are excited about its potential.

Outlook & Guidance

19/07/2025 How do you approach new product development, and what infrastructure do you have to support it?

We have a dedicated R&D team based in Peru, where we operate a smaller-scale machine for product development. Innovation is core to our business, and we’ve built the capability to move fast on ideas. Since launching in December, we’ve probably tested around 100 different products on that machine, just exploring what works and what stands out. We’re not simply copying freeze-dried SKUs and converting them; we’re looking at what’s unique, what has potential in our format, and iterating quickly. Our current product mix might seem eclectic, fruits, flavored fruits, bell peppers, but that reflects our experimental approach. We’re testing the boundaries of what this technology can do, and the infrastructure is in place to keep doing that at speed.

19/07/2025 How much visibility do you have into your customers’ inventory levels across your three sales channels?

It varies by channel. Walmart gives us excellent visibility, they’re very data-driven. When we launch new SKUs with them, they provide a full 52-week forecast based on projected sell-through, and they’re usually quite accurate.

Costco is different; their model is rotational. They place large, one-time regional orders, usually 2–4 truckloads per region, that sell through in 3–4 weeks. After that, they intentionally let inventory run out before reordering. So it’s episodic but predictable. We usually know when they’ll reorder, but it’s not a replenishment model like Walmart.

The ingredient channel (e.g., MicroDried) is newer, so visibility isn’t as tight yet. But we’re in constant communication with their sales team, who share updates on customer conversations and inventory flow. That transparency is improving as the relationship deepens.

19/07/2025 What’s your five-to-ten-year vision for BranchOut?

We’re aiming high. We believe our platform, especially what we’ve built in Peru, can fundamentally replace freeze-dried products. It’s a $36 billion market globally, and while we’re not saying we’ll take it all, we’re targeting it directly. Our products are lower cost, higher quality, more sustainable, and better tasting. So from our perspective, the question is: why should freeze-dried remain?

We also want to build a dominant brand around this platform, a national household name for dried fruit and vegetable snacks. No one has ever been able to deliver dried fruit and veg at high quality, at scale. Freeze-drying never quite worked, air drying didn’t either. This is the first time it’s possible. We intend to be the company that makes it happen.

05/08/2025 With ongoing discussions with Target and Kroger, what are the key hurdles to securing new national accounts, and can you share pilot timelines or rollout criteria?

The biggest hurdle is the internal decision-making process at large retailers. While both Target and Kroger have expressed enthusiasm for our products and team, they need to determine timing internally. Tentatively, both have suggested early to mid-2026. We also see opportunity with Walmart’s center store freeze-dried section, which is currently almost entirely sourced from China. This could give us a competitive advantage if tariffs remain in place.

05/08/2025 How is cost per unit trending, and when will gross margins return to the 30–35% target?

We are much closer to that range now. The factory is built for $40 million in output and priced assuming 60% utilization, but Q1 was around 30% and Q2 about 40%. Low utilization inflates overhead per unit, affecting margins. As we increase throughput toward the modeled utilization rate, gross margins are expected to normalize in the 30–35% range.

05/08/2025 Are you open to acquisition offers, and what valuations are you seeing in the space?

We are early in our growth journey and focused on scaling toward a few hundred million dollars in revenue before seriously considering a sale. While we would evaluate a compelling offer, our priority is execution and efficiency. The food sector has seen renewed acquisition activity in recent months, but we remain focused on building long-term value rather than short-term exits.

Risks & Macro

05/08/2025 Are tariffs ultimately a net positive for your business?

Yes. While Peru has a 10% tariff, our model ships product in bulk to Texas for packaging, seasoning, boxing, and markup. Only about half of the final product’s value is imported and subject to tariffs. This limits tariff impact on costs while positioning us favorably against fully imported Chinese-sourced products.

05/08/2025 Given that Peru is now a key production hub, what contingency plans exist for political, logistical, or labor disruptions?

We are exploring Panama as a potential long-term production site, though there are no concrete plans yet. Peru has faced issues in the past, but operations were unaffected. We also have fallback options: N-Wave’s facility in Vancouver and Microdride’s facility in Idaho. These alternatives are more expensive and limited in product range but provide emergency capacity if needed.

Financials

19/07/2025 What specific bottlenecks have you identified, and how are you improving plant efficiency?

We’ve worked in plants our whole careers. Initially, machines sat idle waiting for dryers, that was the first bottleneck. That idled capacity put efficiency around 16%. So we added more dryers and doubled production in Q2. It’s a classic case of finding and solving bottlenecks in sequence.

And it’s not a demand issue, our backlog keeps growing. We’re already running three shifts; it’s about making the most of that time. Once fixed costs are covered, and they now are, each new $1M in revenue only requires raw materials. No added labor, no new equipment. That’s a 50% incremental margin. So for every $1M in added sales, we’re generating roughly $500K in gross margin. At $20M instead of $15M, that’s $2.5M in additional EBITDA, just from better utilization.

19/07/2025 Gross margin fell to ~17% in Q1. What caused that, and what should we expect going forward?

Yes, the reported Q1 gross margin was around 17%, but that includes a lot of noise. First, depreciation and amortization from the new plant drag margins down by about six points. We’ll break this out more clearly going forward. We also had ~$160K in air freight and overpaid for raw materials due to tight timing, we had orders before the plant was even online and needed to catch up fast.

Also, Q1 factory utilization was far below the 60% we used to price our products. Our CPA ran an adjusted analysis: if you normalize for depreciation, freight, and raw input premiums, Q1 gross margin would have been closer to 35–40%. That validates our long-term model.

As we scale to $15M in sales, gross margin should stabilize around 30–35%. Beyond that, each additional $1M in revenue delivers 50% gross margin because our fixed cost base is already covered. So that margin expansion is built into the model, assuming continued efficiency gains and steady demand.

19/07/2025 How do you think about margin drop-through from added revenue, and how should it be modeled?

At this point, most incremental revenue drops nearly straight to the bottom line, aside from packaging and shipping, which might account for 10% at most. As engineers running the plant, we're constantly improving efficiency, so I’d model it that way with room for iteration. The key is that fixed costs are covered, so now, each $1M in additional sales only requires raw materials and a few variable costs. That’s roughly a 50% incremental margin. It won’t be perfect every quarter, but that’s the basic economic engine we’re working with right now.

19/07/2025 Can you clarify gross margin differences between branded, private label, and ingredient sales?

Sure. Ingredient and private label both deliver about 30–35% gross margin, and that’s typically what we actually realize. Branded products can get to 40–45% gross margin, particularly with our new kids’ product line. But you need to factor in about 10 points of marketing and retailer-related expenses, slotting, promotions, demos, etc., so the net margin is closer to 30–35% as well, at least early on.
Costco falls in that same gross margin range, around 30–35%, and it’s relatively clean operationally. E-commerce has much higher margins but is still a small slice of our revenue today. That will grow over time, but for now, the big levers are ingredient, private label, and branded retail.

Personal Questions

05/08/2025 Who are you, and why did you start BranchOut Foods?

I’m Eric Healy, founder and CEO of BranchOut Foods, which I started about four or five years ago. My background is in aerospace engineering, where I spent roughly a decade before shifting into the natural foods space. Entrepreneurship runs in my family , my uncle started a kettle chip brand that became an international, multi‑billion‑dollar business, and my family launched Kona Brewery, the first craft beer in Hawaii, which was later sold to Anheuser‑Busch. About ten years ago, my family also started a cookie company that began to take off. I decided to leave my engineering career, join the family business, and we eventually sold that cookie company to a private equity group.

In parallel, I was exploring how to dehydrate and make snack products from delicate fruits like avocados and certain banana formats that traditionally couldn’t be processed. I discovered a technology developed at a university and spun out into an equipment company. It was exactly what I needed, and I believed then , and still do , that it’s the future of food, capable of replacing all other dehydration methods. We went all‑in, spending several years building the foundation for the company you see today.

05/08/2025 How has your family legacy influenced your decision-making and approach to risk?

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, including a grandfather who built a ski resort in Oregon, showed me firsthand that building something substantial is possible and rewarding. While our work is risky, I view a traditional corporate career as risky in its own way, offering little control over one’s destiny. I value having the ability to control outcomes and make things happen directly.

05/08/2025 What are the hardest lessons you’ve learned as a founder, and how have they shaped you?

Everything takes longer and is harder than expected. Our business has pivoted multiple times, from drying avocados in a small Oregon facility to today’s large-scale operations in Peru. The key lesson is persistence: never give up, and adapt when something doesn’t work. Tenacity and the willingness to pivot have been critical to reaching our current position.

05/08/2025 How do you stay focused and grounded when facing setbacks, delays, or unexpected costs?

I step back to view the bigger picture, focusing on progress made and milestones achieved. It’s important to compare where we are now to where we were a year ago. This perspective helps address problems constructively. Balancing challenges with wins, like receiving large Costco orders or positive consumer feedback, keeps morale high and reinforces our mission.

05/08/2025 How do you avoid letting business challenges affect you personally?

It’s difficult, but I try to balance negatives with the positives. For every problem, there is often an equally significant win. Positive customer feedback and the excitement around our products help offset the stress and keep me motivated.

05/08/2025 What is your favorite BranchOut product?

I enjoy sampling everything, including unreleased products. My personal favorite is a Peruvian golden berry, crunchy, tart, and sweet, though it may not reach market due to low consumer awareness. From current offerings, I particularly like the Brussels sprouts for their savory flavor, while pineapple remains the top seller among customers.

05/08/2025 How do you personally define success, and how has that definition changed over time?

While it’s easy to tie success to financial targets, visiting our Peru factory and seeing the 200 jobs we’ve created is incredibly rewarding. These are well-paying, stable jobs in an economically depressed area, and we provide daily meals and strong employee support. This positive local impact wasn’t something I anticipated when we started, but it has become a meaningful part of our mission. On the business side, success means building national brand awareness for BranchOut, offering a fruit-based snack line that is healthier, cleaner, and better tasting than anything currently available.

05/08/2025 What defines a good company culture, especially with most of your workforce based in Peru?

We have a small U.S. team of about six people and roughly 200 in Peru. The company feels like a family, we travel together, attend trade shows, and in Peru we celebrate local holidays and host large company events, like our Christmas party. This approach is very different from the way many foreign companies treat Peruvian workers, and it has fostered pride, loyalty, and unity across both locations, even though there are technically two distinct cultures.

05/08/2025 Which mentors or experiences most influenced your leadership style?

Family members, particularly those behind Kettle Brand, shaped my approach. Kettle was ahead of its time, adopting sustainable practices like building the first all-solar factory in Oregon in the 1990s, and treating employees exceptionally well. I believe that if everyone is happy and working toward the same goal, the company performs better. That’s why we’ve granted substantial stock options to our core team, aligning incentives and ensuring everyone benefits from growth, even if it means some dilution.

05/08/2025 How do you view the differences between being a public vs. private company CEO, and how are you managing the transition?

This is my first time as a public company CEO, and while it comes with extra work and expenses, I prefer it over taking private equity investment. In many private company cases I’ve seen, founders are eventually pushed out, and the business is taken in a different direction. Being public allows us to maintain control, keep our vision intact, and operate the company as a founder-led business, which I believe produces better outcomes.

05/08/2025 What advice would you give your 19-year-old self knowing what you know now?

Work hard, push forward, and solve one problem at a time. Expect the journey to take longer and be more complicated than anticipated, with challenges you can’t foresee. Maintain faith that it will work out in the end, it always does. Persistence and resilience are essential.

05/08/2025 What do you hope your team, investors, or family say about you in 10–20 years?

I want to be remembered for building a national brand of healthier, better-tasting fruit and vegetable products that help people lead healthier lifestyles. At the same time, I want our success in the U.S. market to create lasting economic benefits in Peru, uplifting our employees, farmers, and the entire supply chain. Achieving both would be a significant accomplishment, and I also hope it raises the standard for how other companies operate in Peru.

Other

05/08/2025 What is your biggest challenge in communicating with investors?

We simply haven’t done much investor outreach. This year we attended one conference, but the broader market still doesn’t know who we are. We’ve been focused on operations, so investor relations has been secondary. For 2026, we plan to establish a fuller investor conference schedule and increase our presence. A board member with deep investor relations experience is leading this effort. The lack of awareness presents an opportunity for new investors to learn about us early.

Sources

BranchOut Food (BOF): An Emerging Player in the Natural Foods Space

Cash Flow Inflection - BranchOut Food ($BOF)

Disclaimer:

The following transcript and Q&A have been generated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While we strive for accuracy, completeness, and clarity, the content may contain errors, inaccuracies, or misinterpretations. Neither the company featured in this document nor ValueBridge assumes any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information presented.

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as official company communication, financial advice, or a definitive representation of the company's views. Readers should independently verify any information before making decisions based on it.

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