OneSkin Raises $20M, Dollar General Partners with Uber Eats, Aria Growth Partners Closes Fund 2 & More
Consumer VC Roundup #130 – Latest News in Emerging Consumer Brands, Tech & Commerce Enablement From the Week of August 4th
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Events:
Wednesday, August 20th 👉 Newtopia Now Basketball + happy hour
If you’re headed to Denver for Newtopia Now and want to play some basketball, join Glimpse and Northstar for games of basketball, food and drinks. Email karyn@northstarcpg.com to get on the roster.
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📰
Under Armour expects tariffs to cut its profitability in half this year, adding $100 million in costs. The brand plans to offset the impact by raising prices, reducing SKUs, and focusing on premium products. RD
Nestlé’s France water division has denied allegations that its Contrex and Hépar brands may contain microplastics, calling the claims unfounded and misleading to consumers. JD
Vendors say Saks Global has failed to follow through on promised overdue payments, despite CEO Marc Metrick’s February pledge to address the backlog starting in July. Sunday Riley Modern Skincare warned it may take legal action if its account isn’t settled. RD
Kroger has settled with C&S Wholesale Grocers over a lawsuit tied to the failed $24.6 billion Albertsons merger. C&S had sued for a $125 million termination fee after the deal collapsed in December 2024; settlement terms were not disclosed. RTP
The EU is taking France to the Court of Justice over waste-sorting label laws, arguing the country’s Triman logo and Info-Tri requirements breach EU rules and hinder free product movement. JD
Claire’s UK has warned store managers that bailiffs may attempt to recover debts after the U.S. arm’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, and has suspended gift card payments while requiring pre-approval for staff hours. RG
PepsiCo is facing a U.S. lawsuit accusing it of price discrimination and engaging in anticompetitive, unfair, and deceptive practices in the sale of its Pepsi soft drinks. JD
E.l.f. Cosmetics has launched “e.l.f.ino & schmarnes,” a satirical legal-themed campaign starring Heidi N Closet and Matt Rife, promoting the brand’s stance against overpriced makeup. BP
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💰Fundraises💰
OneSkin, the skin longevity brand, secured a $20M Series A investment from Prelude Growth Partners, which proactively approached the brand to replace an early investor and support its next growth phase in the emerging skin longevity category. PRN
Australian non-alcoholic beer brand Heaps Normal has secured investment from singer Robbie Williams as it launches in the UK across select venues and online. JD
Geltor has raised new equity funding, bringing its total to $137 million, to expand its animal-free protein portfolio, launch new topical and ingestible products, and explore AI-enabled polypeptide design and biomanufacturing. VG
💸M&A💸
Century Pacific Food has acquired Loma Linda, Tuno, and other brands and assets from Atlantic Natural Foods for under $10 million through its North American division. VG
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansions🚀
Anthropologie is launching Maeve as a stand-alone brand, debuting dedicated social channels and its first store in Raleigh, N.C., this October, with three more test locations planned over the next year. Maeve is Anthropologie’s most-searched brand online, generating 3 million searches and 10 million TikTok views in the past year. WWD
Consumer Cellular has opened its 50th store and plans to double its footprint to 100 locations by 2026, continuing rapid growth since launching its first store in 2022. RTP
Farm Rio has opened a 732-square-foot Madison Avenue store, its third in New York City, featuring a 1.9 million–tile mosaic and exclusive previews of its fall collection. The B Corp-certified brand has over 143 stores worldwide and will expand to Los Cabos later this year. WWD
Seven & i Holdings will add about 1,300 large-format 7-Eleven stores in North America by fiscal 2030, with 200 openings per year and 1,100 new in-store restaurants. The expansion aims to reach over half of the U.S. population. RTP
Target is launching The Wild Collective, a new NCAA-licensed apparel brand for men and women, alongside tripling its game day merchandise selection. Verified students can get 50% off Target Circle 360 membership through Sept. 13. WWD
DoorDash is expanding its use of Relex AI-driven supply chain tools to optimize inventory, automate purchasing, and improve fresh product management across its DashMart fulfillment centers, supporting the rapid growth of its on-demand delivery network. RTP
Danone has launched Oikos Fusion, a high-protein yogurt drink in the U.S. aimed at GLP-1 weight loss drug users, offering 23g of protein, 5g of prebiotic fiber, and vitamins B3 and B12 to support muscle retention during weight loss. JD
Waterstones will open new bookshops inside John Lewis stores in Cheadle and Bluewater following strong demand, expanding on their Oxford Street collaboration. The bookseller has also secured £125 million in funding to support growth. RG
Philosophy has launched Hair & Body Fragrance Mists in Vanilla Hug, Coconut Rush, and Pistachio Paradise, offering 24-hour hydration, mood-enhancing benefits, and sophisticated, layerable scents in sleek oval bottles. BP
🪇Collabs🪇
Dollar General has partnered with Uber Eats to offer on-demand delivery from over 14,000 Dollar General and Popshelf stores nationwide, strengthening Uber Eats’ dominance in value retail delivery. A 40% discount on orders over $20 is available through Sept. 30. RTP
Mattress Firm is partnering with the National Women’s Shelter Network, donating funds, sleep products, and volunteer time, starting with Seattle’s new Elizabeth Gregory Home. RTP
🔻Closures, Bankruptcies & Downsizes🔻
Peloton will cut 6% of its global workforce as part of a cost restructuring plan aimed at saving at least $100 million by fiscal 2026 through layoffs, reduced spending, and work relocation. RD
💻Consumer Software💻
Voxela launched VCare Pro, an AI eldercare solution that automates incident reports, offers analytics to prevent accidents, and enables remote monitoring—reducing caregiver workload while improving safety and quality of life for residents. BW
💰Fundraises💰
Google veteran David Petrou has raised $8 million for Continua, a startup bringing AI agents to group chats on SMS, iMessage, and Discord to assist with planning, reminders, polls, and more. The seed round was led by GV with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners and angel investors. TC
Softwear Automation, the pioneer in autonomous sewing technology, raised $20M in a Series B1 round led by BESTSELLER’s Invest FWD, with existing investors participating, to advance its SEWBOT® automated sewing technology; BESTSELLER CFO Thomas Børglum Jensen will join the company’s board. PRN
Funds Raising Funds
Curql, a collective of 160+ credit unions jointly investing in fintech, closed its $360M Fund II, the largest fintech fund in credit union history and among the top 25 U.S. VC raises in early 2025, boosting its total assets under management to over $600M. BW
Aria Growth Partners has closed a $152 million second fund to invest $10–$30 million in minority stakes in high-growth beauty, personal care, supplements, and household product companies. The firm, known for backing Hero Cosmetics and LesserEvil, plans two to three deals a year. BI
Thanks for reading!