For decades, Expo West has been a launchpad for new brands and a showcase for rising stars that disrupt the consumer products industry with their innovations. But this year, the iconic event felt different. With tighter capital, cautious consumers, and persistent input cost pressures, the challenge of standing out and staying relevant has become more difficult than ever. Reflecting this shift, only 150 new exhibitors were tagged in Expo West’s exhibitor list this year. That’s a 75% drop from 2024.

Yet some brands continue to break through. Many of the most compelling offerings at Expo West came from what Bain labels insurgent brands, which we define as independent companies with more than $25 million in revenue that outgrow their categories by at least 10 times. As we discussed in our latest research, Insurgent Brands Steal the Spotlight in 2025, these brands captured nearly 40% of growth across their categories while holding just 2% of market share last year. And these brands can scale: Since we began tracking in 2016, 73 insurgents (about 20% of the total) have surpassed $250 million in revenue, while three—Celsius, Chobani, and Rao’s—crossed the $1 billion line, officially graduating to what we refer to as scale insurgents.

Insurgents’ success is rooted in a simple but powerful advantage: They meet real consumer needs in new and better ways. Consumer demand for differentiated offerings remains strong, but today’s insurgents aren’t chasing innovation for innovation’s sake. Instead, they’re strategically building scalable, profitable growth paths and are more intentional about targeting their innovations toward demand spaces with solid tailwinds.

At this year’s Expo West, that discipline was clear. Innovation was largely concentrated in a few high-potential market trends.

Here’s where brands placed their bets.

Streamlined and supercharged: Protein dominates as functional claims get sharper

One of the most noticeable shifts was a move away from broad, vague functional claims in favor of bold, single-macronutrient messaging, particularly focused on protein and increasingly fiber. The shift serves a growing segment of consumers looking for nutrient-rich offerings, including consumers taking GLP-1 drugs. While few food and beverage brands explicitly referenced GLP-1 medications on their packaging, many acknowledged in on-the-floor interviews that clear, data-backed claims on protein, sugar, and fiber would be critical to compete for share of wallet with the growing consumer base using these drugs.

Protein content claims continued to climb, pushing as high as 30 grams per serving for Vacadillos beef jerky, Legendary Foods macaroni and cheese, and Chobani high-protein Greek yogurt drinks, among others. Protein enrichment also spread into unexpected categories, from pasta sauce (Chad & Barney’s Sturdy Sauce) to pretzels (Kindling) and chocolate (Oobli). The beverage category also saw new protein-powered offerings, including Protein2o protein hydration drink, Clean Simple Eats ready-to-drink clear protein soda, and Chike protein iced coffee.

Gut health also remains a benefit commonly touted by brands, but many increasingly prioritized straightforward fiber messaging over complex prebiotic or probiotic claims. Fiber claims spanned categories, from Magic Spoon’s new high-fiber cereal to popcorn (Popzup) and enhanced water (Daily Serve). Meanwhile, a wave of new offerings such as Slice’s relaunch, Health-Ade’s SunSip, and Bloom Nutrition’s Bloom Pop made the prebiotic soda category feel crowded despite lingering questions about whether the prebiotic claim itself is driving adoption or if consumers are simply seeking better-for-you soda alternatives.

The energy drink space—once a dominant category at Expo West—showed signs of slowing as recent consolidation (Alani Nu, Ghost acquisitions) left less room for continued proliferation in the category. Mood enhancers, nootropics, and adaptogens also seemed less prevalent than in prior years as consumers seek more clarity on ingredient benefits.

Back to basics: Simpler staples reclaim consumer interest

The shift toward simpler nutrient claims was matched by growing momentum for clean-label, real-food offerings in dairy and meat, as well as a resurgence of simpler sweeteners across categories.

In 2024, US dairy milk sales grew for the first time in years, while plant-based milk declined—a shift reflected in the strong performance of brands such as Alexandre Family Farm and Organic Valley. The trend also extended beyond milk, with Good Culture’s dairy-based cottage cheese rejoining our insurgent brand list. The buzzy raw milk category made an appearance at Expo West with Raw Farm. Meat-based offerings also gained traction, both in snacking (Chomps, Mighty Spark) and as meal ingredients (Amylu Foods, Diestel Family Ranch), reinforcing a broader consumer shift toward whole, minimally processed animal-based proteins.

In the slowing plant-based category, brands pulled back from broad experimentation, focusing instead on where they had a clear right to play. For many in the alternative milk space, this meant a race to own the coffee occasion, with brands vying to create the best-foaming clean-label option for lattes and cold brews.

Beyond meat and dairy, the clean-label shift shaped sweetener trends across categories. Where artificial and alternative sweeteners once dominated, brands are now leaning into light usage of real sugar, fruit juice, and honey—a shift reflected in Spindrift’s fruit juice–sweetened sodas and JonnyPops cane sugar–sweetened popsicles.

Elevated flavor: Taste still sets brands apart

Even as consumers prioritize health, they continue to crave bold, exciting flavors—whether inspired by ethnic cuisines, restaurant-style recipes, or nostalgic indulgences.

Global flavors expanded their reach, especially as brands aim to enhance the dinner occasion with bold flavors and regionally specific recipes. Mexican and other Latin American offerings grew significantly, with prominent displays from Somos and Siete alongside newer products such as Saucy Lips sauces and Chuza Mexican-spiced dried fruit. Asian flavors saw continued vibrancy, with newer entries such as Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce and Lucky Foods frozen spring rolls and pancakes.

Nostalgia also played a role, with brands introducing better-for-you versions of childhood favorites. Liquid Death, Nixie, and Vita Coco all expanded into nostalgic soda flavors such as Shirley Temples, colas, and cream sodas. Clean-labeled yet unapologetic indulgences, such as Fage’s Creamy Dreamy dessert yogurt or Killer Brownie, encouraged consumers to “live a little” and enjoy full-sugar, full-fat treats.

“Made for me”: Targeted supplements support people and pets

Personalized health and wellness continued to evolve, with brands introducing more targeted solutions for specific life stages and functional needs.

Women’s health saw specialized hormonal support, with products such as O Positiv Health’s Flo Women’s Endocrine superfood powder and Reprise’s menopause gummies. Brands also targeted distinct male health needs, with fast-growing formulations such as Force Factor’s testosterone-boosting supplements offered in a range of formats.

Longevity supplements also gained traction, with brands such as Qualia and Timeline developing products aimed at optimized aging and cellular health. Meanwhile, as GLP-1 medications reshape consumer habits, Youtheory and Supergut introduced GLP-1–specific supplements, targeting protein intake, digestion, and hydration support.

As they look to invest in their own well-being, consumers are also seeking advanced solutions to bolster their pets’ health. For example, Ion and Bundle x Joy showcased gut-support offerings tailored specifically for pets, hinting at the next frontier in functional nutrition.

Health, flavor, and convenience converge for every occasion

Across almost every eating occasion, we saw supercharged multibenefit products, in which protein, fiber, and clean ingredients combined into convenient and flavorful formats.

Some of the most notable innovation doubled down on protein and fiber to fuel consumers’ morning routine. Kodiak’s new granola (packing 17 grams of protein, plus fiber), Sweet Loren’s allergy-friendly fiber- and protein-enhanced breakfast biscuits, and Evergreen’s fruit-, vegetable-, and protein-filled waffles showcased how brands are layering multiple benefits into a single flavorful bite.

Snacking also remained a major focus, with protein-rich, on-the-go options dominating the show—whether through meat sticks, egg white chips, or protein balls. Meanwhile, new meal options such as Kevin’s Natural Foods stir-fry kits, Ramen Noodles by Chef Ramsay, and Hodo saucy tofu entrees elevated ready-to-eat category with protein and bold flavors.

Even vitamins and supplements evolved in formats and flavors to enhance convenience, with growing momentum in liquid multivitamins (New Chapter) and supplement strips (MaryRuth’s).

What does all of this mean for large consumer products companies and investors?

For consumer goods companies and private equity investors, the tightening of trends presents opportunities and challenges. Incumbents can learn from insurgents’ consumer-first approach, successfully tapping into trends with strong consumer relevance while finding new ways to address unmet needs. But as look-alike brands flood high-growth spaces, acquirers and investors alike will need to sharpen their acquisition playbooks. This will require more sophisticated due diligence and market sensing to identify the brands with the strongest growth potential as well as developing enhanced capabilities to translate that growth into long-term value creation.

The authors would like to thank Liz Lippert, Elizabeth Pearsons, and Charles Tillen, partners with Bain’s Private Equity practice, for their contributions to this article.