Hanesbrands Gets Acquired, The Better Meat Co. Raises $31M, Target & Ulta End Partnership and more
Consumer VC Roundup #131 – Latest News in Emerging Consumer Brands, Tech & Commerce Enablement From the Week of August 11th
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Hey friends,
I’m at Newtopia Now this week in Denver. If you’re here for the rest of the week, would love to say hello at our event on Friday morning (link below).
Events:
Friday, August 22nd 👉 Rise, Roast, & CPG at Newtopia Now
If you will be in Denver for Newtopia Now (or live in Denver) I’m excited to partner with Glimpse and MFD and bring our morning event series to Newtopia Now! Join us on Friday, prior to the expo starting, for coffee and baked goods.
Tuesday, September 16th 👉 Embark Summit in Bentonville, AR
Embark Summit is a strategic, one‑day hub for those building tomorrow’s consumer brands—bringing action‑able content, curated experiences, and unrivaled connections in the heart of retail innovation. We’re delighted to be running the Showcase Stage. We also have some brand showcase opportunities for brands. Submit here
📰 Consumer News📰
The U.S. extended lower tariff rates on Chinese imports until Nov. 10, while China maintained its suspension of retaliatory duties amid ongoing trade talks. RD
Target and Ulta will end their shop-in-shop partnership in August 2026, though customers can continue earning Ulta rewards points at Target until then. RD
Sales of Huda Beauty on Sephora’s U.S. website have declined after founder Huda Kattan shared a TikTok video expressing anti-Israel views. BI
Anastasia Beverly Hills missed an interest payment on its $650M term loan, dropping its credit rating from CCC- to D. Lenders granted a forbearance agreement expiring September 10. BP
The FDA sent a Warning Letter to Supergoop! stating its Play SPF 50 Body Mousse makes drug claims, classifying it as an over-the-counter sunscreen drug product. BP
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💰Fundraises💰
Better Origin Ingredients, a Canadian supplier of plant-based omega-3s, has raised $1.25M to expand its North American inventory and speed up delivery. The company distributes Fermentalg’s Origins® algal oils and partners with Nature’s Crops International’s Ahiflower®, aiming to become the go-to source for premium DHA and advanced lipid ingredients. VG
The Better Meat Co. (BMC) has raised $31M in an oversubscribed Series A led by Future Ventures and Resilience Reserve, with support from Epic Ventures, Sigmas Group, Hickman’s Family Farms CEO Glenn Hickman, and others. The funding will help scale BMC’s patented Rhiza™ mycoprotein fermentation technology, with the goal of producing protein at costs lower than US commodity ground beef by 2026. VG
💸M&A💸
Gildan Activewear is acquiring HanesBrands for $2.2B in a deal of 87% stock and 13% cash. The move nearly doubles Gildan’s revenue but may face antitrust hurdles. RD
Allied Blenders and Distillers has scrapped its plan to acquire a majority stake in Good Barrel Distillery but says it will continue pursuing other growth opportunities. JD
Fundamental Brands Inc. has acquired Amala Beauty, the luxury biotics-based skincare brand, to fuel growth, innovation, and new product development. BP
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansions🚀
J.C. Penney is adding Aeropostale, Volcom, and Hurley to its fall lineup, along with exclusive JS Jessica Simpson designs, supported by new TV ad campaigns. RD
Nakery Beauty, HSN’s top beauty brand with $100M in sales, is expanding into Ulta Beauty. Starting online and rolling out to 305 stores in October, it will offer eight body care products under $40, including Ulta exclusives like SkinRecovery creams and a Tension Relief Roll-On. BI
Dick’s Sporting Goods has launched Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, an in-house production studio supporting its sports storytelling efforts, debuting with the documentary Big Dreams: The Little League World Series 2024. RTP
Frilliance by Fiona Frills is skyrocketing on TikTok with 38,000% growth and 225K weekly views, fueled by collaborations with The Glow House. The traction has boosted sales 137% year-over-year, and the brand is gearing up to launch its own app. BI
Knix has opened a 1,400-square-foot store in New York’s SoHo, featuring bra, underwear and activewear bars, plus a section for its teen brand Kt by Knix. The store uses mobile checkout instead of a cash desk, with plans for more locations in the area. RD
Sophia Wojczak, granddaughter of Conair founder Leandro Rizzuto Sr. and former new products director at the company, has launched Arachne, a new professional hair tools brand, alongside a team of former Conair colleagues. BI
Best Buy has launched a third-party digital marketplace, more than doubling its product assortment. The expansion brings in brands like Martha Stewart and Beach Camera, while adding new categories such as small appliances, seasonal decor, furniture, and musical instruments. Customers can return marketplace purchases in-store or by mail, with licensed sports merchandise from Fanatics coming soon. RD
Stripes Beauty, Naomi Watts’ pro-aging brand, has launched at Credo Beauty, becoming the retailer’s first dedicated menopause partner both in-store and online. BP
Science-driven skincare brand Experiment is launching at Sephora, marking its first beauty specialty retail partnership. The 5-year-old company will debut online and appear on The Next Big Thing displays in 90 stores next month, offering its full six-product range priced between $16 and $32, with the exception of its $19 Avant Guard reusable sheet masks, which will remain online only. BI
Pour Tous, a skincare brand founded by seven Southern California moms, has launched with dermatologist-tested formulas designed for Gen Alpha and Gen Z. The line features colorful packaging and aims to deliver age-appropriate skincare that meets the needs of younger consumers. BP
🪇Collabs🪇
DoorDash has partnered with Ace Pickleball Club to become its official delivery and pickup platform, adding DoorDash Delivery Zones at club locations so players can receive orders between games. RTP
Pacsun has partnered with McDonald’s on a 1970s-inspired McDonaldland collection featuring apparel and accessories themed around characters like Ronald McDonald, Grimace, and the Hamburglar. RTP
↪️Rebrands & Relaunches↩️
Beyond Inc. is rebranding as Bed Bath & Beyond and will resume trading under the ticker BBBY on Aug. 29, aiming to leverage the brand’s stronger recognition. RD
🔻Closures, Bankruptcies & Downsizes🔻
Home Depot will permanently close its Mexico, Missouri distribution center on Oct. 26, impacting 61 employees. Inventory will be shifted to other regional facilities. RD
Top Shelf International, maker of Ned whisky, has entered administration and appointed McGrathNicol as joint administrators while exploring a sale or recapitalization. JD
💻Consumer Software💻
💰Fundraises💰
Sheffield and London-based Bumper, a BNPL startup for car servicing and repairs, has raised $11M in a Series B extension. The round was led by Autotech Ventures with backing from Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion Ventures, Suzuki Global Ventures, Porsche Ventures, and Shell Ventures. The funds will support expansion across Europe. TEU
Zurich-based EdTech startup Evulpo has raised €9.3M Series A to scale its AI-powered learning platform. The round, led by existing investors including Serpentine Ventures and several notable entrepreneurs, highlights strong confidence in the company’s vision despite a tight VC market. EUS
Fateless, the studio behind upcoming RPG Godforge, has raised an additional $8M, bringing total funding to $14M ahead of the game’s planned Q1 2026 global launch. Founded in 2023 by Simon “HellHades” Lockerby, Dan “Phixion” Francis, and Hisham “Sham” Saleh, the community-first studio is focused on player-driven design, immersive storytelling, and fair monetization. TEU
🛒eCommerce, Retail Tech & Retail🛒
🚀Launches🚀
Ace Hardware has launched RedVest Media, a retail media network developed with Epsilon Retail Media, giving brands access to onsite ads, email, in-store signage, and offsite programmatic campaigns. RTP
Saks Fifth Avenue is integrating generative AI into customer service with AWS and NLX, using voice-guided tools to handle inquiries and cut agent call volume by 20%. RD
💰Fundraises💰
Tote.ai raised $22.6M to scale its AI-native POS system for fuel and convenience stores, aiming to modernize the $837B U.S. convenience retail industry. YF
BetterPic, a European AI startup specializing in AI imaging, secures $2.5M seed round after bootstrapping to $3M revenue, generating over 32 million photos for clients including Fortune 500 companies. CBS
Spike AI raises $1.9M pre-seed to expand its AI-driven marketing platform MAGI, which unifies tools across channels to analyze, optimize, and implement growth strategies in real time. ET
Soho House, the global members’ club operator with over 200,000 members, is set to go private in a deal led by MCR Hotels, with billionaire Ron Burkle and other existing shareholders rolling over their stakes. WSJ
🪇Collabs🪇
Glimpse, an AI-powered deductions platform for CPG brands, has partnered with PLTFRM Companies, a brand sales acceleration leader, to integrate its AI-driven deductions service into PLTFRM’s ecosystem. The collaboration follows Glimpse’s $10M Series A in April 2025 and PLTFRM’s acquisition of Presence Marketing, expanding both companies’ innovation capabilities.
Thanks for reading!