Grace Mittl and Eli Bank of Absurd Snacks, part of Lighthouse Labs’ newest cohort. (Courtesy Absurd Snacks)
A Richmond-based snack startup is among the latest group accepted into a long-running local accelerator program.
Absurd Snacks, which sells nut-free, bean-based snack mix products, was selected alongside eight other startups to participate in the regular accelerator program run by Lighthouse Labs, the organization announced on Feb. 13.
Nearly 100 companies applied for this year’s class, according to a Lighthouse Labs news release. Only nine were selected, including Absurd Snacks.
Absurd Snacks CEO Grace Mittl and COO Eli Bank interviewed for the program earlier this year in front of a panel of 24 stakeholders across the Lighthouse Labs network. The two said that while they felt confident in their product, that didn’t stop them from being nervous.
“The breadth of industry focus in the room was really wide. We didn’t know what the decision-makers were looking for,” Mittl said. “We were holding our breath.”
The 11-week-long hybrid program helps companies explore different competencies of business, including marketing, fundraising and finance, human resources and more, Mittl said.
“The purpose of the accelerator is to give programming and resources to companies who’ve validated their product, maybe they have some initial revenue, but they’re just looking for that next jump in their journey,” she said.
Absurd Snacks was founded in 2022 by a group of University of Richmond students through the school’s Bench Top Innovations program. The company was inspired by a classmate who had severe food allergies and struggled to find safe snack products, Bank said. Absurd Snacks products do not include the top nine FDA-recognized allergens.
The startup started selling its snack products in local stores like Stella’s Grocery and Libbie Market in early 2023. Since then, the brand has launched regionally with Whole Foods, Kroger and Publix, and is available in around 165 locations across the country, including college campuses, hospitals and cafes.
Absurd Snacks sells both a rosemary sea salt and maple-cinnamon version of its snack mix, which contains roasted chickpeas, seeds, fava beans, dried fruit and other ingredients. Single-serve bags are $2.79 and family-size bags are $9.99 on the shelf. Prices range from around $20 to $57 for the company’s multiple family-pack and single-serve pack options via the company website.
Absurd Snacks’ first run-in with Lighthouse Labs occurred in the fall of 2022, when Mittl and Bank originally audited the accelerator program to learn more about what it entails.
“Now, given the stage that we’re at, the opportunity to be a part of Lighthouse was really perfect timing,” Bank said.
Absurd Snacks began its production at Hatch Kitchen RVA, a food-and-beverage incubator in Manchester, and then moved to another allergen-free facility in New Jersey in early 2024.
Now, the company is in the process of moving production into a bigger manufacturing facility in the Midwest sometime soon. The company declined to share production volume figures.
“That ability to scale our production volume and take advantage of new opportunities sales-wise and marketing-wise is definitely an exciting milestone for us,” Bank said. “Hopefully with the support of the Lighthouse network and mentors, we’ll get some support as we step into that momentum.”
Absurd Snacks raised a pre-seed round of funding from angel investors near the end of 2022 that has been fueling their growth since, Bank said.
The snack brand, which also sells its products on its website, is also working on an account for Amazon, which should launch sometime this spring.
Unit sales were up about 42% for Absurd Snacks in 2024, Bank said.
Absurd Snacks is headquartered in Startup Virginia. Outside of some part-time sales staff, Mittl and Bank are the only employees.
Lighthouse Labs’s accelerator program is on its 18th cohort. The program runs from early March to mid-May.
Other Richmond-area startups accepted to the latest Lighthouse Labs program are Richmond-based Buckstop, a services company that provides support to smart device manufacturers, and Mechanicsville-based Tow Ninja, a platform that connects vehicle owners with towing companies.
Grace Mittl and Eli Bank of Absurd Snacks, part of Lighthouse Labs’ newest cohort. (Courtesy Absurd Snacks)
A Richmond-based snack startup is among the latest group accepted into a long-running local accelerator program.
Absurd Snacks, which sells nut-free, bean-based snack mix products, was selected alongside eight other startups to participate in the regular accelerator program run by Lighthouse Labs, the organization announced on Feb. 13.
Nearly 100 companies applied for this year’s class, according to a Lighthouse Labs news release. Only nine were selected, including Absurd Snacks.
Absurd Snacks CEO Grace Mittl and COO Eli Bank interviewed for the program earlier this year in front of a panel of 24 stakeholders across the Lighthouse Labs network. The two said that while they felt confident in their product, that didn’t stop them from being nervous.
“The breadth of industry focus in the room was really wide. We didn’t know what the decision-makers were looking for,” Mittl said. “We were holding our breath.”
The 11-week-long hybrid program helps companies explore different competencies of business, including marketing, fundraising and finance, human resources and more, Mittl said.
“The purpose of the accelerator is to give programming and resources to companies who’ve validated their product, maybe they have some initial revenue, but they’re just looking for that next jump in their journey,” she said.
Absurd Snacks was founded in 2022 by a group of University of Richmond students through the school’s Bench Top Innovations program. The company was inspired by a classmate who had severe food allergies and struggled to find safe snack products, Bank said. Absurd Snacks products do not include the top nine FDA-recognized allergens.
The startup started selling its snack products in local stores like Stella’s Grocery and Libbie Market in early 2023. Since then, the brand has launched regionally with Whole Foods, Kroger and Publix, and is available in around 165 locations across the country, including college campuses, hospitals and cafes.
Absurd Snacks sells both a rosemary sea salt and maple-cinnamon version of its snack mix, which contains roasted chickpeas, seeds, fava beans, dried fruit and other ingredients. Single-serve bags are $2.79 and family-size bags are $9.99 on the shelf. Prices range from around $20 to $57 for the company’s multiple family-pack and single-serve pack options via the company website.
Absurd Snacks’ first run-in with Lighthouse Labs occurred in the fall of 2022, when Mittl and Bank originally audited the accelerator program to learn more about what it entails.
“Now, given the stage that we’re at, the opportunity to be a part of Lighthouse was really perfect timing,” Bank said.
Absurd Snacks began its production at Hatch Kitchen RVA, a food-and-beverage incubator in Manchester, and then moved to another allergen-free facility in New Jersey in early 2024.
Now, the company is in the process of moving production into a bigger manufacturing facility in the Midwest sometime soon. The company declined to share production volume figures.
“That ability to scale our production volume and take advantage of new opportunities sales-wise and marketing-wise is definitely an exciting milestone for us,” Bank said. “Hopefully with the support of the Lighthouse network and mentors, we’ll get some support as we step into that momentum.”
Absurd Snacks raised a pre-seed round of funding from angel investors near the end of 2022 that has been fueling their growth since, Bank said.
The snack brand, which also sells its products on its website, is also working on an account for Amazon, which should launch sometime this spring.
Unit sales were up about 42% for Absurd Snacks in 2024, Bank said.
Absurd Snacks is headquartered in Startup Virginia. Outside of some part-time sales staff, Mittl and Bank are the only employees.
Lighthouse Labs’s accelerator program is on its 18th cohort. The program runs from early March to mid-May.
Other Richmond-area startups accepted to the latest Lighthouse Labs program are Richmond-based Buckstop, a services company that provides support to smart device manufacturers, and Mechanicsville-based Tow Ninja, a platform that connects vehicle owners with towing companies.
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Congrats Grace and Eli, fun to follow your journey! Keep stacking those wins and slinging those snacks! Love to see Spiders making entrepreneurial moves
Thank you, Ralph!! We appreciate you.