# @startupcpg on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc_Rt9njhsx
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70118124-startupcpg-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/878bb1a1ae.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-07T14:00:08.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Startup CPG (@startupcpg) — https://gondola.cc/startupcpg

## Caption

Hot Brands of 2026: MILKish 🍉 Watermelon. Seed. Milk.

drinkmilkish is the world’s first watermelon seed milk, created by founder Guilherme Maia Silva as a new take on plant-based dairy. It’s delicious, with a slightly nutty taste with a hint of sweetness, with zero sugar, zero gums, zero processed seed oils, and non-GMO ingredients. It actually performs like milk: you can steam it for lattes, mix it with matcha, blend it into smoothies, or pour it over cereal.

So why watermelon seeds?
Guilherme studied plant sciences and became obsessed with the environmental footprint of the crops behind the products we consume. He eventually landed on watermelon seeds: according to his research, they have a 99% lower water footprint than almonds, with more protein and fewer calories.

And MILKish is starting to get some serious traction.
They launched into Northern California earlier this year and are now in 125 locations including cafes, with some of our favorite retailers like Berkeley Bowl, Rainbow Grocery, Oliver’s and Mollie Stone’s. Next up: a big Southern California expansion, including a planned launch at Erewhon. Available through Rock Island, and soon in UNFI Valley.

Oh, and no biggie, but MILkish won the 2025 Startup CPG Shelfie Award for Best Plant-Based Alternative.🏆

Plant-based milk is obviously a crowded category, so if you’re gonna do it, why not create an entirely new base ingredient with a compelling sustainability story? I guess that’s why they have a 4.63 average star rating out of 133 reviews. Go MILKish!!!!

#CPGCommunity #CPG #PlantBased #FoodandBeverage #StartupCPG

## Stats

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- **Likes:** 206
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## Tags

startupcpg, foodandbeverage, plantbased, cpgcommunity, cpg

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