Buckle Me Baby Wins the Kickfurther CPGrow ’25 Pitch Competition and $250,000 in No-Cost Inventory Financing

2nd annual virtual pitch competition showcased innovative and scaling consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands

Other winners include Freestyle Snacks as the runner up and COBA Coffee is the winner of the Rising Brand award

BUFFALO, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kickfurther, the leading inventory funding platform for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, has announced the winner of the CPGrow 2025 pitch competition. This annual event provides a stage for emerging CPG brands to showcase their innovative products and growth potential.

The 2025 competition had over 698 applications, nearly 300 more than 2024, of which 5 made it to the live event and shared their founder story. Judges assessed their financial strength and growth potential, factors that painted a clear picture of why these brands stood out and how they would make an impact and succeed in the future.

The winning company is Buckle Me Baby Coats, a company making moms' lives easier with car seat coats, blankets, and blowout blockers.

“I’m honored to be chosen and really excited to help so many more families with easy car seat safety both through coats and pajamas with this funding prize,” said Dahlia Rizk, Founder and CEO, Buckle Me Baby Coats. “The $250k will help fund more inventory, reduce stockouts and bring in top-line revenue without increasing ad spend.”

The finalists competed for the grand prize: $250,000 in no-cost inventory funding (valued at up to $30,000 based on creditworthiness). Winners also received additional prizes from partners including ShipBob, Cin7, Forecastr, Hawke Media, RangeMe, eComEngine, and Power to Pitch, resources designed to accelerate the growth of scaling CPG brands.

The 2nd-place finisher, Freestyle Snacks, a premium olive snack that gives you all of the taste with none of the hassle, received $75,000 in no-cost inventory funding.

Other finalists for the 2025 competition were:

• DTOCS, an eco-friendly sustainable single use dinnerware solution for a plastic free world.
• FTL, an original bag that combines the functionality of a duffel bag, garment bag & briefcase while maintaining an aesthetic for both a locker room & conference room.
• BlueHenry, a provider of premium dried fruit garnishes and rimming salts and sugars.

"We believe grit, passion and creativity are the cornerstones of entrepreneurial growth,” said Sean De Clercq, Founder and CEO of Kickfurther. “We are incredibly excited to provide a platform for emerging brands to showcase their groundbreaking products and fuel their journey towards success."

Coba Coffee is the winner of the Rising Brand award, a special category for smaller companies with less than $400,000 in revenue. It was awarded $15,000 in no-cost inventory funding.

You can watch the virtual pitch competition that took place live on March 19, 2025. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FssioF4Qdi4) Judges for the Pitch Competition were Le’Spencer Walker, Director, Target Accelerators: Activation & Growth; Danielle Blount, Partner at BOLD Ventures; and Josh Feine, General Partner at Forma Capital.