SHAPED BY EXPERIENCE. BUILT TO TAKE ACTION.
WHO IS BEHIND HYTON
Robert Jakobi - Founder
British-born entrepreneur, investor, and operator with over 20 years of experience building and scaling category-defining consumer, hospitality, and sports brands across the UK, Europe, and the US.
A former CEO and co-owner of itsu [grocery] and Metcalfe's skinny, Robert has launched, grown, and exited multiple high-growth companies. He is a founding investor and director at Misfits Health, a founding partner at webloom, and a co-founder of E1 Team Miami in the world's first electric powerboat racing championship. He is also a member of the 2015 Forbes 30-under-30 list.
Based between Miami, New York, and London, Robert brings deep global relationships across consumer, hospitality, and sports, with a track record of turning vision into execution.
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.