Journey Foods

The Journey Foods Origin Story

It was late 2019. I was still working at Cleveland Avenue, leading innovation and investments at what was—and still is—one of the most influential hybrid venture firms in food and technology. At the time, Cleveland Avenue was rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the industry, not just in the U.S., but possibly the world. But while my work there was invigorating, a different vision was brewing—something more experimental, more disruptive.

That vision became Journey Foods.

We started with a small but mighty product: Journey Bites—nutrient-dense, bite-sized cubes of superfood innovation. Designed for optimal nutrition and convenience, they represented a radical departure from traditional snacks. We released five flavors, tested over a dozen, and pushed sales across Shopify, Amazon, grocery shelves, and live events. We crossed $340K in revenue quick. The demand was there.

But then we made a bold decision. We shut it down.

Not because it wasn’t working—but because something more scalable, more necessary, more future-forward was calling. The food industry didn’t just need another product. It needed a platform. A system. A new brain.

And so, Journey Foods went all in on AI.

It was early for generative AI—2019, before the hype—and I drafted our first white paper on the subject. That little document earned us an MIT award, but more importantly, it lit a spark. What if we could help food companies build not just better bites, but better everything—faster, smarter, and more affordably?

Even now, I tinker with the idea of bringing Journey Bites back. And I believe we will—by 2026, with all the data, insights, and infrastructure we’ve built. But this time, we won’t just be making Bites. We’ll be co-manufacturing for other companies, armed with years of learnings and a global network spanning 18+ countries.

The Business Problem: Why Most Food Innovations Fail

The global food industry is massive—$3 trillion massive—but broken in too many places. Shockingly, 85% of new food products fail. Why?

Because the system is stacked against innovation:

• Limited Resources & Expertise: There’s only 1 food scientist for every 38,235 people.
• Poor Supply Chain Visibility: Fragmented systems make sourcing and pricing a guessing game.
• Lack of Unified Data: Companies juggle too many tools and not enough insight.
• Skyrocketing R&D Costs: It takes an average of $400K and 1.6 years to bring a single product to market.

These inefficiencies don’t just delay launches—they kill them. Brands can’t keep up with changing consumer demands, and the price of trying is too high.

The Solution: AI-Powered Food Innovation

At Journey Foods, we’ve built a platform that solves these problems at their roots. Our AI-driven software helps food companies optimize product development, reduce costs, and accelerate their time to market.

We offer:

• ✅ 130,000+ ingredients & 22,000 manufacturers in our data ecosystem.
• ✅ AI-Driven Product Optimization for cost, sustainability, and nutrition in real time.
• ✅ Live Regulatory & Market Intelligence to stay compliant and proactive.
• ✅ 320+ Seamless Integrations with ERP and supply chain tools.

The Impact: What Happens When AI Meets Food

The results speak for themselves:

• 11.8M+ minutes saved for R&D teams.
• $2M+ in product units manufactured for clients.
• Up to 40x more insights during product development.
• Radical cost savings across the board.

With Journey Foods, food brands don’t just move faster—they move smarter.

A $3 Trillion Opportunity

The opportunity is staggering:

• 🌎 $3T global packaged food market
• 💸 $288B spent annually on R&D and food data
• 🚀 Projected $38M in annual revenue by 2027

Our SaaS model is designed for scalability, with tiered subscriptions for startups, scaling brands, and enterprise giants alike.

Building the Future of Food

At its core, Journey Foods isn’t just a company. It’s a movement. A vision of food innovation that’s data-driven, AI-powered, and globally scalable.

We’re not just fixing inefficiencies—we’re redefining how food is made, improved, and delivered. And soon, when Journey Bites returns, it will be more than a snack. It will be a symbol of everything we’ve learned and everything we’re building.

Let’s build the smarter food future—together.

‍