Ripi

Ripi is officially hiring! 🍝 Since launching last February, I've been the only full-time employee. That changes now as we bring on two critical roles: - Director of Operations - Director of Growth We've built real distribution quickly and early velocity is strong. Now it's about putting real systems in place so we can scale the right way. Director of Operations -- owns the entire physical business: demand planning, production, inventory, logistics and margins. This role makes sure the business runs cleanly day-to-day and that we can support growth without things breaking. Director of Growth -- owns how we drive sales in stores: tying together marketing, retail media, social content and data to increase velocity. This role sets the strategy, directs the work across partners and builds a system for increasing sell-through across accounts. Both are ground-floor leadership roles with real equity, a direct line to me and true ownership from day one. We're looking for builders who want to shape how this business scales (and ideally love pasta)! If that sounds like you (or someone you know), links are in the comments! 👇

So excited to share that Ripi has raised a $2.4M Seed round led by Cutting Horse with participation from Great Circle Ventures, SuperAngel.Fund and paperboy ventures! 🍝 I started Ripi with a simple idea: frozen pasta has been overlooked for decades, and there's no reason it can't be chef-driven, restaurant-quality and something you're genuinely excited to eat on a weeknight. Since launching last year, we've scaled quickly. Now nationwide at Whole Foods Market and hundreds of regional stores, with 1,100+ Target locations rolling out this month (and a 5th SKU launching as well!). A lot done, but a long way to go to build the category-defining brand I believe Ripi can be. Special thank you to Michael Wystrach, Chris Protasewich and Henry West, along with all of our other investors and partners who share the belief that frozen pasta is the next frontier ripe for disruption. Onwards! https://lnkd.in/e65FWkZ2

Introducing: Ripi x Rippey 🍝🏀 Excited to announce our NIL partnership with top high school point guard and Duke commit, Deron Rippey Jr.! When I started Ripi last year, the goal was simple: build a chef-driven frozen pasta brand that brings restaurant-quality pasta to more people, and do it in a way that feels culturally relevant. This is a step in that direction. Not a one-off post but something we're building together over time, spanning social content, branded merch and fan experiences next season at Duke University. Deron is still early in his journey but already focused on mastering his craft. That mindset resonated with how we're building Ripi. From the name to the mindset, it felt like a natural fit. A match made on and off the court! Special thank you to the team at WME Basketball (Drew Gross, Cecil White, Robert Kinnard) for their help in making it happen!

Ripi is officially NATIONWIDE at Whole Foods Market!!! 🎉 🍝 From just an idea a year ago to seeing our ravioli on shelves across the country, this is a truly surreal moment for us. Huge thank you to Chris Manca and Nuria Gonzalez at Whole Foods for believing in the brand and supporting us early, and to George Daines and the team at Cultivate for being relentless advocates and true partners throughout the process. You can now find 3 Ripi SKUs on shelves nationwide: Beef Short Rib Ravioli, Chicken Parmesan Ravioli and our new (WFM-exclusive) Cacio e Pepe Ravioli! Proud, grateful and just getting started. Onwards!! 🛒

Big news for Ripi! We’ve officially expanded into New England through the Shaw’s banner under Albertsons Companies! 💥🍝 Consumers across Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont can now find our Braised Short Rib Ravioli and Chicken Parm Ravioli in 150 Shaw’s stores. I couldn’t be prouder of the traction we’ve built since launching in February…and we’re just getting started! Excited for what’s ahead over the next 6 months as we continue bringing restaurant-quality frozen pasta to more homes across the country! 🛒 Huge shoutout to Keenan Smith and the Cultivate team for getting this across the finish line! 🏁

What’s the easiest way to create Michelin-quality ravioli at home? You might be a little surprised to hear that I’d say frozen might be the key. But that’s only since Ian Tecklin launched Ripi. Ian, Founder & CEO, joined Shelf Help: The Tactical CPG Podcast to share an inside look at how Ripi honed its recipes and production processes, chose its first SKUs, and built a distinctive brand identity in a sleepy category. We dove into R&D, how he selected and onboarded co-packers, and why launching with the right hero SKUs matters in frozen. Ian unpacks what most brands misunderstand about the frozen aisle, why packaging architecture matters more than founders think, and how Ripi thinks about shelf placement, facings, and competing behind a condensated glass door. Episode Highlights: 🍝 Building Ripi: a chef-led, premium frozen pasta brand 🧪 Formulating restaurant-level pasta that scales 🏭 How to choose and work with the right co-packer 📦 Why product set is critical in frozen 🎨 Packaging architecture that wins in the freezer aisle 🛒 Retail go-to-market & early traction 📊 Tactics for capturing more shelf space ❄️ What brands misunderstand about the frozen category 🧭 Advice for entrepreneurs entering frozen 🔭 Trends Ian is paying attention to The link to the full episode is in the comments. Make sure to follow on Apple, Spotify and Youtube to be the first to know when a new episode drops.

Whole Foods Market just dropped their Top Food Trend Predictions for 2026 and at #5 is...Freezer Fine Dining ❄️🍽️ Very cool to see, and honestly, huge validation for what we're building at Ripi. The idea that the freezer aisle can be a destination for chef-driven, restaurant-quality food has been our bet since day one. For decades, the freezer aisle got a bad rap, dominated by legacy value brands with subpar quality and questionable ingredients. But that's changing fast. Whether it's dumplings (MìLà, Laoban Dumplings), waffles (Evergreen Waffles), french fries (Jesse & Ben's), novelty (Trü Frü), ice cream (Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams), or pasta (Ripi 😉), modern brands today are redefining what frozen food can be and ushering in a new wave of elevated at-home dining experiences. The freezer aisle isn't where food goes to die anymore. It's where some of the most creative, high-quality and craveable products are being born. Here's to the Freezer Fine Dining era! 🥂 https://lnkd.in/esXHb3ek

Exciting news from the Ripi kitchen: we're officially live on Faire! 🍝 Faire powers thousands of independent & specialty stores nationwide -- and now those retailers can order our chef-crafted frozen ravioli with just a click. This is a great milestone as we grow Ripi's footprint and make it easier than ever for stores to discover (and customers to enjoy) restaurant-worthy pasta at home. Huge thanks to Allie Nichols & team for helping make it happen! If you own a store or know someone who does, click on the link to stock up! faire.com/direct/ripi