The Startup CPG Podcast R&D Radio: Brian Chau from Chau Time
In this episode of R&D Radio, hosted by Adam Yee, Adam sits down with Brian Chau, founder of Chau Time — an R&D operations consulting firm lowering the barrier to entry in the food industry. With a team of 12 spanning every U.S. time zone and experience across 20+ countries, Brian walks through the full concept-to-commercialization process and shares why setting clear parameters — with ranges — is the single most important thing an entrepreneur can do before working with a food scientist.
Brian breaks down his four-phase R&D process, explains the trade-offs between cost, flavor, nutrition, and shelf life that every founder inevitably faces, and makes a bold prediction: fiber will eventually surpass protein as the dominant functional ingredient trend.
He also shares two standout case studies in better-for-you chocolate: Dirty Gut (prebiotic/probiotic chocolate using fiber stacking from upcycled cocoa husks, acacia fiber, and chicory inulin) and Femme Health (a women's health chocolate using lactoferrin for improved iron absorption) — both developed during the global cacao supply crisis.
Listen in as they discuss:
- Why you should create a parameter list with ranges before engaging any food scientist
- The four phases of R&D and why three rounds of development is the magic number for an MVP
- Fiber stacking: what it is and why it makes functional chocolate work
- How to navigate the cacao supply crisis by going direct to smaller and heirloom farmers
- Why fiber is poised to surpass protein over the next decade
- Bioactives trending in women's health, sexual wellness, and mushroom-derived nutraceuticals
- How startups vs. large companies prioritize trade-offs very differently
Episode Links:
Brian Chau – Founder & Principal, Chau Time
🌐 Website: www.chau-time.com
🍄Webiste Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chau-time/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chautime/
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Show Links:
- Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
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- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
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