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Robert Jakobi
Born (1985-04-07) April 7, 1985 (age 39)
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania (A.B.)
OccupationFood entrepreneur

Robert Jakobi (born April 7, 1985) is a Food entrepreneur. He is the former Managing Director and Co Owner of Metcalfe's Food Company, which was founded by Julian Metcalfe in 2009.[1]

Early life and education

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Robert Jakobi grew up in London and then moved to the US to study. Jakobi attended Duke University, and then the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated in May 2007.[2]

Career

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Barclays Capital

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Jakobi started his career as an Analyst in Investment Banking at Barclays Capital in New York.[3]

Pod bites

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In January 2010, whilst working in Finance, Jakobi founded a food company called Pod bites, which was a range of chocolate, and yoghurt covered edamame.[4] He launched Pod bites in Harvey Nichols and Selfridges amongst others in March 2010.[5]

Metcalfe’s Food Company

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Through Pod bites Robert Jakobi met Julian Metcalfe who is the Co Founder of Itsu and Pret A Manger.[6] Jakobi approached Julian as he was keen to get Pod bites into Itsu and Pret A Manger.[7] Jakobi became the Managing Director of Metcalfe's Food Company in October 2010.[1]

Metcalfe's Food Company enjoyed a compound annual growth rate of over 200% in revenues between 2011 and 2014.[8] In February 2014 the company had forecast to achieve £50 Million in sales within the next 3 years.[9] As of December 2014, Metcalfe's Food Company were the fastest-growing, privately owned food and drink company in the UK.[10]

Metcalfe’s skinny

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In January 2016 Diamond Foods acquired a minority stake in Metcalfe's skinny.[11] The investment will help to maximise the growth potential of the brand in the UK and Europe.[12]

In September 2016 the new owner of Kettle Foods Snyder's-Lance, Inc. acquired the remainder of the business.[13]

BOU

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In April 2017 Jakobi launched BOU, a range of better-for-you bouillon cubes into the US market.[14] AccelFoods, an investment fund focused on food and beverage startups, are the lead investor.[15]

Misfits Health

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In August 2021 Jakobi led the Series A round of Misfits, a UK plant-based nutrition brand with a £3 Million investment.[16] Misfits were ranked the 99th fastest growing business in Europe in the 2022 Financial Times 1000 list. [17]

webloom

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In March 2022 Jakobi launched webloom, a growth equity HoldCo to acquire emerging, better for you consumer brands. webloom will acquire UK companies to accelerate their growth in the US.[16]

Awards

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In December 2013, Metcalfe's Food Company were featured as one of ten ‘Ones to Watch’ in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.[18] The Fast Track 100 ranks the fastest growing privately owned companies in the UK.[19]

In April 2014, Robert Jakobi along with Julian Metcalfe were named as London & South finalists for the 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.[20] The award is considered one of the world's most prestigious business awards and is held in more than 145 cities and in more than 60 countries worldwide.[21]

In May 2014, Metcalfe's Food Company were announced as one of the winners of The Santander Breakthrough 50 Awards. The awards celebrate the UK's top 50 most exciting fast-growth companies.[22]

In July 2014, Robert was selected as one of 30 Young Guns. Young Guns celebrates annually the best 30 entrepreneurs aged 35 or under in the UK.[23]

In December 2014, Metcalfe's Food Company were ranked at number 4 in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.[24]

In January 2015, Robert was selected on the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Food & Wine.[25] In 2015 Forbes picked 600 people in 20 fields including Food & Wine.[26]

Appearances

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One Young World

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On 16 October 2014, Robert was invited by One Young World as a special delegate to head a panel on successful young entrepreneurs at their annual summit in Dublin.[27] The panel was chaired by Barclays CEO Anthony Jenkins and also included Hailo's Jay Bregman, made.com's Julien Callede, One Fine Stay's founder Tim Davey and YouTube celebrity Michelle Phan.[28]

The summit brings together the generations’ most passionate young people to debate issues of universal concern.[29]

Jakobi explained that the panel was to have a particular focus on the importance of inspiring youth entrepreneurship in an interview he did with Bloomberg prior to the summit.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Itsu founder nurtures a new generation". The Financial Times. 2014-01-21. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  2. ^ "Robert Jakobi; from Pod bites to Metcalfe's Food Company, we talk to this entrepreneurial MD". YHP Online. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  3. ^ "Robert Jakobi MD of Metcalfe's Food talks to The Startup Magazine". The Startup Magazine. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  4. ^ "Metcalfe's Food Company: Shaking up the snack industry". Real Business. 2014-04-08. Archived from the original on 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  5. ^ "Cinema-goers snap up snack beans". The Evening Standard. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  6. ^ "Every Friday I Have Dinner With My Family' - My Style - Robert Jakobi, MD Metcalfe's Foods". Management Today. 2014-07-11. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  7. ^ "How To Make Your First Million Dollars - Yo, Hailo And Others Explain". Forbes. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  8. ^ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  9. ^ "Popcorn maker tastes explosive growth". The Telegraph. 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  10. ^ "Metcalfe's is the fastest growing private food and drink firm". Food Manufacture. 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  11. ^ "Diamond Foods Announces Acquisition of a Minority Interest in Metcalfe's skinny Ltd". CNN Money. 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-11.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Snacking Greats Metcalfe's Skinny and KETTLE Chips Join Forces In Partnership Deal". Yahoo Finance. 2016-01-11. Archived from the original on 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  13. ^ "Snyder's-Lance, Inc. Acquires Remaining Interest in Metcalfe's skinny Limited". Yahoo Finance. 2016-09-01. Archived from the original on 2017-09-02. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  14. ^ "BOU brings better-for-you bouillon cube for today's health-conscious shopper". Food Navigator. 2017-05-09. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
  15. ^ "AccelFoods Announces Fund Expansion, New Investments". Bevnet. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
  16. ^ a b "Former Metcalfe's CEO launches investment firm to grow UK brands in the US". The Grocer. 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  17. ^ "FT 1000: the sixth annual list of Europe's fastest-growing companies". Financial Times. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  18. ^ "Fast Tracks Ones to Watch". Fast Track. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  19. ^ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  20. ^ "Dynamic London and South entrepreneurs create 24,000 jobs and turn over £4.6 million". Ernst & Young. 2014-04-24. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  21. ^ "EY Entrepreneur of the Year". Ernst & Young. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  22. ^ "Metcalfe's Food Company Breakthrough 50 Awards". Breakthrough 50. Archived from the original on 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  23. ^ "Robert Jakobi: Metcalfe's Food Company". startups. 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  24. ^ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  25. ^ "2015 30 Under 30: Food & Wine". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  26. ^ "2015 30 Under 30". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  27. ^ "One Young World Special Delegates". One Young World. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  28. ^ "Three ways young people can become entrepreneurs". The Telegraph. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  29. ^ "One Young World About Us". One Young World. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
  30. ^ "Where to Find the Davos for Young People". Bloomberg. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
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