Most startup founders don't know how to plan for their first investor cheque
Most founders don't lack ambition, they lack the investor lens and capital literacy to build a deliberate path to funding.
Growth Capital and Strategic Advisory for Canadian Food Business Owners
Scaling or Growing your food business isn't about one decision, It's about making a series of decisions that build on each other.
We help you access growth funding and capital, navigate the complexities of scaling and growing, and build out profitable customer economics.
$80M+
Supported · Canada · est. 2014
The Canadian food landscape
Four problems hold most Canadian food businesses back from scaling.
Growth capital is available, but most owners can't access it
The money is there. The gap is positioning — most owners arrive unprepared, or asking for the wrong thing.
Most food businesses grow in bursts, but the wins don't stick
Good years. Smart hires. Product launches. But without a thread connecting the wins, you rebuild from the same place each time.
Most owners build a business, but not one they can sell
Most food owners haven't structured for an exit. The financials aren't clean, the story isn't buyer-ready, and the value hasn't been surfaced.
The owners who win aren't the ones who work harder. They're the ones whose decisions compound.See How We Work →
A valued partnership
A valued partnership with multiple touchpoints
Since 2014, we've supported scaling and growing food businesses and organizations. Our approach combines finance, data, and leadership, and delivers the kind of insight and answers you need, not want. As a valued and reliable partner, we work with you through the challenges and celebrate the wins — whilst keeping focus on and momentum towards the end goal.
"Werner has been a key and trusted resource in supporting us raising capital throughout the journey of Novagevity. His cross-functional expertise, and his ability to serve as a “swiss army knife” has been very valuable in scaling and growing our brand and business."
Gregg Curwin, Co-Founder and CEO, Novagevity
We speak your language
Vision, ambition or opportunity is rarely the problem. It's HOW that matters.
Our job is not to cheerlead your vision or the size of the opportunity. It's about helping you break down the complexity of how to get there, and to do so in a logical, paced and practical manner that builds and compounds itself.
"Werner has been working with me for more than 3 years and has been instrumental in helping us build from an initial $300,000 investment towards a much larger vision. From the ups and downs of working towards accessing $13M in growth capital, to supporting us with decision-making at key milestones, to guiding us in developing a strong B2B GTM strategy and pipeline, getting to where we are today would not have been possible without him."
Dr Hesam Shahravan, CEO, Magnicon Group
Our Approach
Meeting people where they are.
After 15 years of working alongside founders, business owners and leaders, we've learned that creating meaningful value begins by meeting people where they are. We bring proven methods and rigorous thinking, but never a predetermined path. Our approach adapts to each organization's ambitions, realities and readiness for change.
- Clear language and practical thinking that resonate
- An integrated view of data, financials and human dynamics
- A pragmatic balance between future ambitions and today's realities
- Strategic clarity grounded in rigorous analysis
- Integrated expertise across strategy, finance, operations and DTC/B2B go-to-market execution
"We started working with Werner to help us access $1.5M in grants and growth funding. Since then, he has been part of our business for more than 3 years helping us navigate the complexity and balancing of sales, business development and GTM priorities — which in turn helps us to focus on building our leadership team."
Rosemary Larkin, COO, Larkin Farms
About
Your food business advisor who thinks with you.
The decisions that matter most tend to fall between your accountant and your bank, between this year and the next five. That's where we work — thinking alongside you, helping you see the full picture, and making sure the moves you make today still look smart three years from now.
Werner Müller founded CreateValue after more than a decade working alongside food business owners. Different markets, different stages, but the same gap every time: owners doing real work, without someone who actually understood what they were trying to build.
Read Werner's full story →11+
Years advising food & agrifood businesses
30+
Clients advised
2014
Year CreateValue was founded
For us it's never just about finding growth capital, or solving the immediate problem. It's about understanding what you are building, why it matters, and what it needs to compound.Connect on LinkedIn ↗
Client results
Advisory results that speak for themselves.
Value-Added Food Processing
Diversified Food Business Group
$300K→$22M
Business value2.5 yrs
Partnership"Originally starting my business with a $300,000 investment, Werner has been my advisor for the last 2.5 years, helping me fund and build out a diversified business group now worth $22M."
Business Owner · Diversified Food Business Group
Agrifood · Value-Added Processing
Value-Added Processor
$1.8M
Modernization investedExit
Targeted 2–3 years"Working with Werner for more than 3 years, he helped us invest $1.8M in modernization, restructure strategically, and position for a planned exit."
Founding Partner · Value-Added Processor
Start with the right conversation.
Tell us who you are and we'll route you to the right next step. We work with a small number of owners at a time, on purpose — no pitch, no sales process.
Start a Conversation ↗