Snack foods are a popular starting point for many young founders, said Kara Nielsen, the vice president for trends and marketing at CCD Innovation in Emeryville, Calif. It’s a trend that has had legs, beginning with millennials who, she said, “were always on the go and looking for healthy eating.”

Hunger can be a great motivator.

Rip Pruisken of the Netherlands was frequently on the hunt for snacks while a student at Brown University. After visits home, he often hauled back stroopwafels — a popular Dutch cookie and caramel combination that was not readily available in Providence, R.I., home to Brown.

“Everyone wanted them, which I thought was cool, but I didn’t think twice about it until my junior year,” Mr. Pruisken said. When not studying, he began to experiment with making the waffles.

Through trial and error, he hit on a recipe and consistency he liked. He began selling his confection on campus in 2008, finding a ready audience among snack-hungry students. Their popularity prompted him to increase his production, so he found a kitchen, acquired a food license and worked on packaging.

With Marco De Leon, his co-founder and a fellow Brown student, he continues to experiment with new recipes nine years after graduation. One is their version of a 200-year-old cookie. And they are trying to reduce sugar content in the foods while maintaining taste. Their company, Rip Van Wafels, has expanded far beyond its New England roots, with national distribution at many grocery store chains.