An olive oil startup founder apologized after accusing a rival brand on LinkedIn of copying his squeeze bottle. It's not his first public apology.

• The CEO of olive oil startup Graza issued a public apology after a recent LinkedIn post garnered criticism.
• Andrew Benin accused Brightland, another food startup, of copying Graza's squeeze bottle design on Tuesday.
• Many commenters criticized his claim, saying squeeze bottles have existed long before Graza started using them.

A spat between two olive oil startups has gone viral on social media, after one founder took to LinkedIn to accuse the other of copying his squeeze bottle design.

Andrew Benin, founder and CEO of olive oil startup Graza, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday that rival oil and vinegar brand Brightland copied his design, after the company announced its own squeeze bottle olive oil product designed to be drizzled on pizzas. 

In the post, Benin calls out Brightland CEO Aishwarya Iyer on claims her company participated in "copycat culture," which he wrote is "an incessant part of our entrepreneurial landscape." 

"Brightland and Aishwarya Iyer, while friendly competition was always welcome, I do view this as a blatant disrespect and am choosing to voice my discontent," Benin said, who in the post also accused squeeze bottle brand Goldi and an unnamed "fine foods" brand in New Jersey of copying Graza's design.

The post, which was edited to include a subsequent apology later that same day, stirred up debate on LinkedIn and beyond over use of the squeeze bottle. 

The more than 120 comments on Benin's post and across social media were divided, with some users supporting his accusation and expressing support for Graza, while others said it was silly to lay claim to the concept of a squeeze bottle, which has long been used in the food industry. 

"Andrew, with all due respect, you did not create the squeeze bottle," Alison Kayne, founder of Haven's Kitchen, commented on Benin's post. "Chefs and home cooks have been using it for decades."

"It's frustrating for an entrepreneur to see this happen, but it always does," John Foraker, CEO and founder at Once Upon a Farm, commented. "Been there many, many, times."

—clayton ???? amsterdam (@claytonchambrs) April 25, 2023

In an updated version of the post, Benin apologized to Iyer for the accusation, and called the post "out of character."

"I want to apologize for letting my emotions get the best of me," Benin wrote in the updated post. "I was heated, and reacted poorly, and have learned from the variety of comments that everyone has left today. Thank you to everyone for your candor, and for showing me that there was clearly a better way to address all of this."

Benin did not immediately respond to Insider's request to comment, and a spokesperson for Brightland declined to comment.

The Brightland incident is not the first time Benin has issued a public apology in recent months. The Graza CEO emailed thousands of customers during the company's first holiday season to apologize for issues like shipping delays and dented bottles.

Benin told the Wall Street Journal that apology — which was reportedly written by him within a few hours without proofreaders before it was sent to more than 35,000 people — was well received by Graza's customers, adding he believes people respond well when an executive apologizes like a person, and not like a business.