Robert Jakobi
Robert Jakobi | |
---|---|
Born | April 7, 1985 |
Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania (A.B.) |
Occupation | 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
[edit]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
[edit]Barclays Capital
[edit]Jakobi started his career as an Analyst in Investment Banking at Barclays Capital in New York.[3]
Pod bites
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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]
E1 Team Miami
[edit]In December 2023 Jakobi launched Team Miami with global entertainment icon Marc Anthony in the world’s first all-electric powerboat championship called the E1 Series.[18] The celebrity backed series is raising awareness around sustainability and includes other teams from celebrities such as Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal and Will Smith.[19] In July 2024 Team Miami announced a partnership with Azimut Yachts.[20]
Awards
[edit]In December 2013, Metcalfe's Food Company were featured as one of ten ‘Ones to Watch’ in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.[21] The Fast Track 100 ranks the fastest growing privately owned companies in the UK.[22]
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.[23] 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.[24]
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.[25]
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.[26]
In December 2014, Metcalfe's Food Company were ranked at number 4 in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.[27]
In January 2015, Robert was selected on the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Food & Wine.[28] In 2015 Forbes picked 600 people in 20 fields including Food & Wine.[29]
Appearances
[edit]One Young World
[edit]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.[30] 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.[31]
The summit brings together the generations’ most passionate young people to debate issues of universal concern.[32]
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.[33]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Itsu founder nurtures a new generation". The Financial Times. 2014-01-21. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Robert Jakobi MD of Metcalfe's Food talks to The Startup Magazine". The Startup Magazine. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Cinema-goers snap up snack beans". The Evening Standard. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "How To Make Your First Million Dollars - Yo, Hailo And Others Explain". Forbes. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
- ^ "Popcorn maker tastes explosive growth". The Telegraph. 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Metcalfe's is the fastest growing private food and drink firm". Food Manufacture. 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
- ^ "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 ]
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "AccelFoods Announces Fund Expansion, New Investments". Bevnet. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "FT 1000: the sixth annual list of Europe's fastest-growing companies". Financial Times. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
- ^ "E1 electric powerboat racing league to bring race to Miami in November 2025". Miami Herald. 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
- ^ "Marc Anthony represents Miami in new electric boat racing championship". Axios Miami. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
- ^ "Azimut Is Backing Mark Anthony's E1 Team in the First Electric-Powerboat Championship". Robb Report. 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
- ^ "Fast Tracks Ones to Watch". Fast Track. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "EY Entrepreneur of the Year". Ernst & Young. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "Metcalfe's Food Company Breakthrough 50 Awards". Breakthrough 50. Archived from the original on 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
- ^ "Robert Jakobi: Metcalfe's Food Company". startups. 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "Fast Track 100". Fast Track 100. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "2015 30 Under 30: Food & Wine". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "2015 30 Under 30". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
- ^ "One Young World Special Delegates". One Young World. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "Three ways young people can become entrepreneurs". The Telegraph. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "One Young World About Us". One Young World. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "Where to Find the Davos for Young People". Bloomberg. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2015-01-18.