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Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

blog.soylent.com

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Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#41

Post by ninjakeyboard »

joering2 wrote: post #8

Serious question -- do they have an FDA approval?? Can they produce and sell it without it? Recently learnt about some Amish selling home made honey without FDA approval; now awaiting trial on a 20 years jail charge.

Well first you have to ask where the product fits into the FDA's spectrum. https://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm194879.h...

This is not a supplement or additive so it's a food. It's not a pill you take in addition to your meal but a meal replacement. The best route from here is to see if ensure is fda approved and if it is, what's the value of that stamp? Is it objective 100%? You can't make many assumptions so we must continue on from this point. I"m not sure there are regulatory requirements for a product like this and if there are what is the value? Does an FDA stamp on this supplement mean 100% that a product can replace all food forever?

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#42

Post by robbiemitchell »

mks40 wrote: post #32

A question to Soylent customers: Do you use it as the occasional convenient meal replacement or how far do you go into replacing all real food? I suspect there is both, but what I am getting at is how much Soylent's long-term success depends on people seeing eating as a nuisance that should be optimized away versus something that should be savoured and enjoyed. To me this is in the context of the larger question of p…

Occasional meal replacement. I keep a couple in the fridge at home and work and will grab one if I'm looking to save time and/or money. Bought one case each of Coffiest and Nectar on Amazon.

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#43

Post by tzamora »

skciva wrote: post #7
moat wrote: post #3

I feel like I'm the only who has ever read the nutrition facts. It's a garbage product full of ingredients I wouldn't aim to put in my body. Love the idea of it all, just not the science behind it.

Can you elaborate a bit? What exactly is garbage about the ingredients?

Soy has proven to be not as healthy as people believe. Maltodextrin is just sugar.

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#44

Post by Danihan »

freyir wrote: post #15
moat wrote: post #3

I feel like I'm the only who has ever read the nutrition facts. It's a garbage product full of ingredients I wouldn't aim to put in my body. Love the idea of it all, just not the science behind it.

You piqued my curiosity. Here are the nutrition facts from their drink product: Calories 400 Total Fat 21g 32% Saturated Fat 2g 10% Polyunsaturated Fat 2.5g Monounsaturated Fat 16g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 300mg 13% Total Carbohydrate 36g 12% Total Sugars 9g Protein 20g The ratios don't seem that bad. The top ingredients are water, soy protein, maltodextrin (a filler/preservative with a high glycemic in…

It depends how you view nutrition. I'm personally a big proponent of eating lots of cholesterol and saturated (read: stable) fats.

One of cholesterol's most important functions is to support learning and memory — the brain is basically made of cholesterol. And statin drugs provably lower cognitive function, for instance.

Anyway, it's a real rabbits hole to go down research wise, but I certainly wouldn't advocate a cholesterol-free diet like soylent.

And saturated fats have been unfairly demonized for years.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-...

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#45

Post by Kattywumpus »

I wonder how long it will be until some VC forces the inevitable rebranding of the Soylent name.

"We need to reach out to a larger demographic with a name that communicates the value proposition of the product. Liquid Lunch focus-groups well in the demographic of females 18-30, which is where we see our growth trending in future..."

I've always liked the cheekiness of the Soylent name and it's really the only thing that's made me pay the slightest bit of attention to the product.

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#46

Post by skciva »

parthdesai wrote: post #17
skciva wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate a bit? What exactly is garbage about the ingredients?

I'm wondering the same. The only thing that jumps out to me is 9g of sugar but even that is not bad. 20g of protein in a 400 calorie meal is pretty good.

Yeah I'm hoping the parent responds, I don't consider myself an expert on nutrition so I'm curious if theres something we're not seeing! I tried Soylent for a bit and had mixed results, but that was I think mostly due to misjudging how many calories I actually needed.

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#47

Post by samdoidge »

zorbadgreek wrote: post #16

I'm trying to understand what Soylent's business moat is. My inclination is economies of scale to drive cost of goods down, like many food companies. To that end, I don't see their product as all that unique or difficult to replicate, and I also foresee headwinds for them if/when they try to market to a broader base of consumers who already have powders, shakes, bars, and hundreds of other meal substitutes to choose…

Supportive case: Huel in the UK.

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#49

Post by tonydiv »

It amazes me that VCs find this type of business interesting because it's not defensible in many of the ways a software company is. I am also not sure why the company wants to raise this much money -- they need to continue growing like crazy (outside of tech regions where engineers who are unwilling to cook live) or go bust.

Nonetheless, the drink is ok. I tried it for a few months. Instead of avoiding cooking, I have embraced it, and now cook incredible meals for $3-$4 using my Joule sous vide. Eating real food has changed my mood significantly.

If anyone in SF wants to buy a whole box of Soylent Original (white bottles), I will sell an extra I have for 40% off. Must pick up, located at Chavez/Bryant.

Re: Soylent Closes $50M Series B Round Led by GV

#50

Post by mulletbum »

mks40 wrote: post #32

A question to Soylent customers: Do you use it as the occasional convenient meal replacement or how far do you go into replacing all real food? I suspect there is both, but what I am getting at is how much Soylent's long-term success depends on people seeing eating as a nuisance that should be optimized away versus something that should be savoured and enjoyed. To me this is in the context of the larger question of p…

I have done both in my time with Soylent.

When I first started I went 100%, then was one of the first people to get horribly sick of the bars, eventually quitting.

Now I eat Soylent as a replacement for meals in which I usually eat crap foods. If I was going to get a sausage mcmuffin from McDonalds, instead I eat a Cookies and Cream Soylent "shake." I think that Soylent's big play is in a healthy meal replacement that is scientifically formulated to be healthy. They have fought with that and being environmentally friendly, but I think it all comes back to being a healthy food in the end. The 3 people I know who eat it, do exactly the same as me. Most tried 50% for a bit, but eventually it is used as a convenient mildly healthy meal replacement when needed.

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