SHAPED BY EXPERIENCE. BUILT TO TAKE ACTION.
WHO IS BEHIND HYTON
Robert Jakobi - Founder
Robert Jakobi is a British-born entrepreneur, investor, and operator with a proven track record of building, scaling, and exiting category-defining consumer brands across the UK, Europe, and the US. A former CEO and co-owner of brands including itsu [grocery] and Metcalfe’s skinny, Robert has launched, grown, and sold multiple high-growth consumer companies.
Today, he is a founding investor and director at Misfits Health, one of Europe’s fastest-growing plant-based protein brands, a founding partner at webloom, a growth equity platform scaling UK and European consumer brands in the US, and a founding investor in brands including Revello, Sonsie, and Sunshine Coffee.
Based between Miami, New York, and London, he brings deep global relationships across consumer, hospitality, and sports, along with hands-on experience of turning vision into execution. He is a co-founder of Team Miami in the E1 Series, the world’s first electric powerboat racing championship, as well as the commercial partnerships lead for the Fontainebleau Las Vegas during the Las Vegas F1 race.
Robert founded HYTON to unify two decades of founder, operator, and investor experience into a single, modern venture platform. From consumer investments and brand partnerships to experiential events and strategic advisory, HYTON builds and connects companies and positions them for long-term success.
Frank Carnevale
- Chief Business Officer
Frank is a commercial strategist and operator with a career spanning across major and emerging sports. He began his career with the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center, driving revenue across season ticket memberships, group sales, and premium suites. He also played a key role in building the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix by generating millions of dollars in premium ticketing, luxury suite programs, Paddock Club sales, and multi-million-dollar sponsorships.
In addition to his role as Chief Business Officer at HYTON, Frank was the Commercial Director of E1 Team Miami, where he lead partnerships, revenue strategy, and commercial growth as part of the world’s first electric powerboat racing championship series, E1.
Beyond sports, Frank is an entrepreneur and co-owner of a New York–based real estate investment company and general contracting firm, focused on value-add residential and commercial renovation, remodeling, and rental property management.
LEGACY VENTURES
Metcalfe’s skinny
UK’s first better-for-you popcorn brand - Exit to Kettle Chips
In 2010, Robert partnered with Julian Metcalfe (Founder of Pret A Manger) to launch Metcalfe’s skinny, rolling the brand out nationwide across grocery, wholesale, and food service. Under their leadership, Metcalfe’s skinny quickly rose to become the UK’s number one premium popcorn brand and the fastest-growing privately owned food and drink company in the country. In 2016, Robert relocated to the US to pursue new ventures, spinning Metcalfe’s skinny out of Metcalfe’s Food Company and overseeing its sale to Kettle Chips. The acquisition, led by Snyder’s Lance (owner of Kettle Chips), was completed at 19x EBITDA.
itsu
itsu [grocery] was the first high quality Asian grocery food brand in the UK - Exit (private transaction)
In early 2012, Robert launched itsu [grocery] to bring the itsu brand into UK supermarkets, identifying a clear gap in the market for Asian-inspired healthy snacks. The brand quickly gained traction by offering innovative, convenient, and restaurant-quality products, including miso soups, snack packs, and other Asian-inspired creations. Robert sold his 30% shareholding in itsu [grocery] in December 2015. Today, the business remains one of the fastest-growing privately owned food and drink companies in the UK and is on track to reach £80 million in revenue by the end of 2025.