A spoonful of pistachio spread above a jar of pistachio spread with a green label, against a light green background.

CASE STUDY:

Pistakio

GROCERY AISLE:

Snacks

SERVICES:

An accounting sign with an abstract orange logo and the word 'ACCOUNTING' in orange text on a beige background with orange border.
A logo featuring three stacked green ovals on the left and the word 'FINANCE' in uppercase letters on the right, all on a light beige rectangular background with a dark green border.

CHALLENGE:

Pistakio’s co-founder, Nicola Buffo, was doing everything right: scaling fast, securing national attention, and earning love from both press and consumers.

But behind the scenes, he was managing the accounting and finance function himself. With major media coverage, millions of social views, and retail growth in motion, Nico knew he’d soon need to raise equity to keep pace with demand.

The problem? He wasn’t ready to hire a full-time finance team, but he also couldn’t go into a raise without sharper tools and investor-ready numbers.

OUR FIX:

We brought Pistakio into Cultivar’s Essentials package, our coaching-style service designed specifically for fast-growing, founder-led CPG brands.

From there, we:

  • Rebuilt the chart of accounts, making it easier for Nico to understand margin, COGS, and cash flow at a glance

  • Created a three-statement financial model tailored for his business, giving him visibility into runway, growth targets, and fundraising needs

  • Provided strategic finance coaching, helping Nico understand how to speak the language of investors while staying hands-on with his business

The Essentials package gave Pistakio what it needed: sophistication without complexity, clarity without overbuilding.

RESULTS:

Nico stayed in the driver’s seat, with better tools, smarter systems, and financial storytelling that matched his brand’s upward trajectory.

Now, Pistakio is positioned for a confident equity raise and sustained growth, backed by clean books, investor-ready models, and a founder who understands the numbers as well as the product.

BY THE NUMBERS:

100%

MORE CONFIDENCE

1

CPG-SAVVY GUIDE

  • "Pedro and the Cultivar team helped us connect the dots between the story we tell to customers and the one we need to tell to investors. They gave me the tools to speak confidently about Pistakio’s growth.”

    — Nico Buffo, Co-Founder

MORE TO EXPLORE:

Hand pouring red wine from a bottle into a wine glass on a wooden table outdoors.

Schweiger Vineyards

Family-run Schweiger Vineyards needed financial clarity to match its craft. Cultivar brought the tools, insights, and strategy to help them scale with confidence.

A wine glass filled with a pinkish-orange beverage with ice and lemon slices next to a pink bottle labeled 'UNDONE' containing a non-alcoholic bittersweet aperitif.

UNDONE

UNDONE was ready to bring its alcohol-free spirits stateside—but needed a full U.S. back office built from scratch. Cultivar set up the systems, structure, and financial clarity to fuel their launch.

Two jars of pistachio spread, one open with a spoonful of spread above, against a light green background.

Pistakio

Pistakio was winning hearts and headlines, but founder Nicola Buffo was still crunching numbers solo. With Cultivar, he leveled up to smarter tools, sharper systems, and storytelling that scales.