For FMCG & CPG brands.
From production run to retailer shelf.
MOQs, distributor margins, retailer pricing, volume discounts, regional sales, and production planning, modelled end to end so the margin stack is clear.
Startup Suite is an AI planning workspace that helps FMCG and CPG founders model the channel margin stack, MOQs, and trade spend from production run to retailer shelf.
This page is forFMCG and CPG founders modelling margins, production cash, and channel pricing.
- Retail & wholesale pricing
- Volume by region & channel
- Trade & volume discounts
- BOM / production cost
- MOQs & landed cost
- Distributor & retailer margins
- Channel margin-stack model
- Production & cash plan
- CPG margin & cash model
- Scenario Workbench
- Forecast Engine
- AI mentors
You shouldn't need a finance team to answer this
The everyday questions this module makes simple.
The margin stack is a mystery
By the time distributor and retailer margins come out, you're not sure what you keep.
MOQs tie up your cash
A production run drains the bank, and the cash doesn't come back for months.
Trade spend is a guess
Promotions and volume discounts erode margin in ways you can't see in advance.
Model the CPG margin stack and production cash
Edit the BOM, run size, and channel margins and watch net margin and the cash a production run ties up, then test a supplier increase.
Build a nested BOM into unit cost, stack distributor and retailer margins to net, and model MOQ cash for a defensible margin and cash plan.
- Assumptions
- Model
- Scenarios
- Mentor Review
- Outputs
AI mentorCurrent BOM and channel mix, margin holds to net and the run pays back within the cycle.
Not a dashboard, a model that connects end to end.
Editable assumptions change the model, scenarios expose the trade-offs, an AI mentor explains the risk, and the result is an output you can defend. Example view · illustrative.
Edit BOM cost and MOQ size
Editable assumption
Net margin and production cash recompute
KPI impact
Compare base, ingredient-up, and run-size
Base / upside / downside
Flags when a production run drains cash
AI risk insight
CPG margin & cash model
What you can defend
Illustrative, capabilities and typical targets, not guaranteed outcomes.
Why founders reach for this
From production run to retailer shelf.
Model minimum order quantities and the cash they tie up against demand.
- Production & MOQs
- Channel margin stack
- Trade & volume discounts
Decisions you can make this week
Practical calls this module helps you get right, no finance background needed.
The capabilities that earn the work.
Production & MOQs
Model minimum order quantities and the cash they tie up against demand.
Channel margin stack
See what's left after distributor and retailer margins on every unit.
Trade & volume discounts
Plan promotions and volume tiers without guessing at the net.
Regional demand
Roll sales up by region so production matches where it sells.
From signal to decision.
- 1
Set the cost stack
Production cost, MOQs, and landed cost per unit.
- 2
Layer the channels
Distributor and retailer margins, by channel.
- 3
Plan trade spend
Model promotions and volume discounts on net margin.
- 4
Forecast by region
Match production runs to regional demand.
More than a spreadsheet, more than a consultant
| Feature | Spreadsheetthe old way | Consultant$10k+ / model | Startup Suiteconnected workspace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nested BOM → COGS → net margin | Manual | ||
| MOQ cash tied up and returned | Hard | ||
| Channel margin stack (distributor / retailer / DTC) | Tabs | ||
| AI mentor explains the production-cash risk | Hourly | ||
| CPG margin & cash model output |
- Nested BOM → COGS → net margin
- Manual
- MOQ cash tied up and returned
- Hard
- Channel margin stack (distributor / retailer / DTC)
- Tabs
- AI mentor explains the production-cash risk
- CPG margin & cash model output
- Nested BOM → COGS → net margin
- MOQ cash tied up and returned
- Channel margin stack (distributor / retailer / DTC)
- AI mentor explains the production-cash risk
- Hourly
- CPG margin & cash model output
- Nested BOM → COGS → net margin
- MOQ cash tied up and returned
- Channel margin stack (distributor / retailer / DTC)
- AI mentor explains the production-cash risk
- CPG margin & cash model output
Built for your specific model.
Food & beverage
Shelf-life, waste, and co-pack vs in-house, model perishable margins and run economics.
Output · Perishable margin model
Health & beauty
Premium positioning and retailer margins, model the stack from formula cost to shelf price.
Output · Retail margin stack
Distributor-led
Volume tiers and trade spend, model net margin after distributor and promotional discounts.
Output · Trade-spend model
CPG + DTC hybrid
Wholesale plus own-site, model blended margin and working capital across both channels.
Output · Blended channel model
See the CPG + DTC hybrid modelQuestions founders ask
Can it model distributor and retailer margins?+
Yes, the full channel margin stack is modelled, so you see what's left at net on every unit.
Does it handle MOQs and production cash?+
Yes. Minimum order quantities and the cash they tie up are modelled against demand and runway.
What is a CPG financial model?+
It builds the nested BOM into a unit cost, stacks distributor and retailer margins to a net figure, and models MOQ cash and trade spend, so you see the margin you actually keep.
Is this just a spreadsheet template?+
No. Edit an ingredient cost or run size and the margin stack and cash update live, scenarios compare side by side, and an AI mentor explains the production-cash risk.
Can it compare distributor vs DTC margin?+
Yes, model wholesale and DTC channels together and see the blended margin and working capital across both.
Adjacent capabilities.
Make this the last spreadsheet you build
Build your plan, connect your data, and see this working on your own numbers, no finance team required.
From idea to investor-ready · built for founders, not finance teams