CocoMar, founded by Michigan State University students Fatima Taha (’26) and Valentina Sgrillo (’26), secured the People’s Choice Award and a $1,000 prize at the Startup Zoo Pitch Competition in Kalamazoo, MI. Startup Zoo’s mission is to bring community, education, and investment to high-growth startups, connecting founders with resources across West Michigan.
Supported by MSU’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, CocoMar is redefining clean hydration and clean protein with a ready-to-drink, coconut-water-based smoothie designed to solve everything people dislike about traditional protein shakes.
Each bottle delivers 20 grams of protein, all nine essential amino acids, natural electrolytes, and zero added sugar. Since launching, CocoMar has sold more than 1,000 bottles in just 20 days and maintains a 97 percent approval rate across customer surveys.
The team earned the award by demonstrating strong early traction, rapid sales, exceptional user satisfaction, and increasing support from top advisors in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space. This recognition will help accelerate CocoMar’s next stage of product development, retail expansion, and customer engagement.
About the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation: The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is the destination where students launch high-impact, entrepreneurial journeys at Michigan State University. The Burgess Institute empowers students to learn through action by providing global mentors, courses, seed funding, entrepreneurship competitions, student organizations, resources, and campus-wide co-working spaces.