Ruani Adaptogenic Brownies Wins NOSH Pitch Slam 12
Adaptogenic brownie startup Ruani was crowned the winner of Pitch Slam 12 at NOSH Live Summer 2022 on Tuesday, with founder Anirudh Mamtora taking home bragging rights and a $10,000 industry awareness package.
Ruani emerged triumphant out of a group of six finalists that also included: allergy-friendly trail mix Absurd Snacks, cheese alternative Farmer Foodie Everything Cheeze, crunchy mushroom snacks Popadelics, protein-rich waffle sliders Start Right Foods and plant-based “dips for dinner” Niramaya Foods.
Following Monday’s semi-final round, the finalists were given five minutes to pitch their product and brand while explaining to the panel of judges about where their specific products are situated in the market, their roadmap to scale and how they plan to differentiate themselves in the crowded healthy food category.
The final round was judged by Ibraheem Basir, Founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins; Holly Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager at The Kroger Co.; Mia Medina, Founder and CEO of Gather Brands; and Carol Ortenberg, Editor of NOSH.
Ruani means “from the soul” in Hindi and is also a portmanteau of the names of Mamtora and his wife. After working for years as a pastry chef, Mamtora wanted to use his expertise to create a gluten-free treat that was low in refined sugar and easier on the gut. Ruani’s brownies combine almond flour, avocado oil, organic pasture-raised eggs, and unrefined coconut sugar with the stress-relieving benefits of ashwagandha.
Ruani earned universal acclaim from the judges on taste, with NOSH’s Carol Ortenberg praising the brand for positioning itself as an premium snack with less sugar while avoiding a pivot into alternative sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit.
Mamtora’s background as a pastry chef trying to avoid sugar was especially interesting and there was room to “play with the positioning” of the product to reach adult consumers looking for a better-for-you sweet, Basir advised.
Speaking after his win, Mamtora described the experience as “surreal.” He said he is working to remove eggs from the recipe while keeping the same taste and also hopes to expand the business with new brownie flavors and other types of desserts in the future.
Ruani joins an impressive list of past Pitch Slam winners with a track record of success in the CPG food category, including frozen empanada brand Cocina 54, keto-friendly donut maker Elite Sweets, frozen appetizer brand Savorly, Know Brainer keto marshmallows, Beckon lactose-free ice cream, Creation Nation protein bar mixes and Pitch Slam 11 winner Kokada coconut spread.
