Tastebase

Tastebase operates as a personalized discovery platform for food and beverage products, connecting consumers with emerging CPG brands. It was founded in 2020 by CEO Phil Chen and Alex Shebar. The concept arose from Chen's personal experience of purchasing new food products that didn't meet his taste expectations, identifying a gap in the market for a more personalized discovery process.

The platform serves both consumers and brands. For consumers, the journey begins with a questionnaire about taste preferences and dietary needs, which the platform uses to create a curated and personalized shopping experience. Users can explore and learn about new snack products, rate them, create custom lists, and place orders directly. A rewards program was also planned to incentivize user engagement through content contributions.

For CPG brands, Tastebase offers a channel to reach their target consumers in a saturated market. Participating brands can add their product catalogs, use tags to optimize discovery, and interact directly with users by responding to reviews. The platform was designed as a central place for discovery and sharing, featuring companies like Olipop, Fly By Jing, and Magic Spoon in its early stages. According to PitchBook, the company is no longer in business as of August 2023.

Keywords: food discovery, beverage discovery, CPG platform, personalized shopping, emerging brands, consumer packaged goods, snack products, food tech, taste preferences, dietary needs, brand discovery, direct-to-consumer, product ratings, food community, e-commerce, food startup, online marketplace, Alex Shebar, Phil Chen