Hey friends,
Thanks to all who came out yesterday to our Consumer Brews: Fancy Edition in NYC. I had a great time meeting new people in the food and beverage space and catching up with others.
Thank you Manufactured, VHS Ventures, J.P. Morgan, ForceBrands, Propeller Industries, Secure CPG and Dresner Partners for partnering on this! Thanks also to everyone who came out to our LA and Chicago monthly consumer mornings. Below for all the rest of our June events & the latest news in the world of emerging consumer. July events will be up in the next issue – and we’re expanding to some new cities!
This issue is brought to you by Propeller Industries.
Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies. Thinking about profitability, extending your runway, and improving efficiency in your operations? Managing your company’s finances requires multiple skill sets. Propeller’s fractional model offers a dynamic solution that provides a cost-effective alternative to hiring full-time finance talent.
To learn more about The Consumer VC sponsor opportunities, you can email me.
Consumer Morning Series
Austin, TX–>☕️ Wake Up! CPG
📆 Thursday, June 27th
🕗 8:30am-10:30am CST - SIGN UP HERE
Led by Marc Nathan
Toronto, ON–>☕️ Cuppa Consumer
📆 Thursday, June 27th
🕗 8:00am-10:00am - SIGN UP HERE
Led by CreatorClub
💻Consumer Technology💻
💰Fundraises💰
🥼 Heyday Health, the first virtual-forward value-based care provider for Medicare and dual-eligible patients, announced raising $12.5 million from Gradient Ventures (Google's early stage fund), Lionbird, a major national payer, Great Oaks Capital, and Maven Clinic CEO Kate Ryder. PRNewswire
🎮 Megamod, a multiplayer gaming platform, raised $1.9 million at a $27 million valuation to support its go-to-market strategy, focusing on retention and monetization. The round was led by Xsolla founder Alexander Agapitov's Hand of Midas, Rubylight Fund, and other private investors. PRNewswire
🧃Consumer Brands & Retail👚
💰Fundraises💰
📈 JF Fitness of North America, a leading Crunch Fitness franchisee in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S., has received an investment from Trive Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm, and 808 Capital Partners. PRNewswire
🏓 The Picklr, North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise, closed its Series B financing at a $59 million valuation, raising a total of $9 million. Led by Pickleball Inc., the funding aims to accelerate growth and enhance The Picklr's standing among premier pickleball franchises. PRNewswire
💸M&A💸
🍟 Nexus Capital Management LP, the private equity firm, has acquired salty snacks maker Cheeze Kurls LLC, CK Snack Foods, from private investment firm Kilroy Partners. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. FoodBusinessNews
🥤 Lassonde Industries Inc., the Canadian food and beverage company, plans to acquire Summer Garden Food Manufacturing, a US-based specialty food manufacturer and distributor, for $235 million in cash. FoodBusinessNews
✨ L Catterton, the private equity firm, has acquired Stripes Beauty, the beauty brand founded by actress and women’s health advocate Naomi Watts, boosting the brand’s investment in innovative, science-backed solutions for healthy aging. BeautyPackaging
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansion🚀
🪮 Bumble and bumble, the hair care brand, has joined the Amazon Premium Beauty Store, alongside other well-known brands like Kiehl's and Clinique. This development coincides with Amazon's efforts to become the leading beauty retailer in the U.S. GCIMagazine
🧃 Evolution Fresh, the cold-pressed juices company, is expanding to launch Evolution Fresh Real Fruit Soda. This organic soda, made from fruit, comes in flavors like orange squeeze, strawberry vanilla, lemon lime, tropical mango, and berry burst. FoodBusinessNews
🌸 Sol de Janeiro, the Brazilian-inspired cult favorite body care brand, has launched its latest scent, Cheirosa 48 Perfume Mist. This new fragrance, celebrating the debut of the bikini on Brazilian beaches in 1948, is available exclusively at Ulta. BeautyPackaging
🪞 Skylar Clean Beauty, the perfume brand, has launched the Citrus Reverie fragrance as part of its "Endless Summer" campaign, providing fragrance enthusiasts with scents that capture the essence of summer and can be enjoyed throughout the year. BeautyPackaging
🥩 Beyond Meat, the plant-based meat company, has launched its latest product lineup under the fourth-generation formula. This includes Beyond Sausage varieties like Brat Original and Spicy Italian, now available nationwide at stores like Whole Foods and Kroger, with a Mild Italian option coming later this summer. FoodDive
🪇Collabs🪇
🛍️ Axel Arigato, the Swedish fashion brand, has unveiled a new collaboration with "visionary and pioneer" Bloody Osiris, the streetwear icon and fashion influencer, launching online and in stores in London and Paris releasing two sneakers that blend its design with Bloody Osiris's innovative aesthetic. FashionNetwork
💄 Milani Cosmetics, the beauty brand, has partnered with four top female athletes for its latest campaign. Team USA silver medal-winning gymnast Jordan Chiles, WNBA pro Sabrina Ionescu, Team USA volleyball gold medalist Chiaka Ogbogu, and weightlifting champion Mattie Rogers join the “Face Set. Mind Set.” campaign to promote Milani’s Make It Last Setting Spray. BeautyPackaging
💅🏻 Sally Hansen, the nail care and beauty brand, has partnered with Illumination for its limited-edition Sally Hansen x Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 Collection. The collection features a range of quick-dry polishes and press on nails inspired by Gru, his family, and the Minions. BeautyPackaging
👗 M.M.LaFleur, the women's workwear brand, has incorporated Perigold's high-end furniture in its retail stores, using these pieces for dressing rooms and fixtures. The aesthetic match has been so successful that customers often take notice. ModernRetail
🛒eCommerce & Retail Tech🛒
💸M&A💸
💳 American Express, the credit card company, announced agreements to acquire Tock, a reservation and event management tech provider, from Squarespace, the website building company, and Rooam, a mobile payments and ordering technology company for restaurants and entertainment venues. AmericanExpress
💰Funds Raising Funds💰
🫧 Natura &Co has announced the launch of a corporate venture capital fund, dubbed Natura Ventures. The fund will be jointly managed by the Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer and impact investment firm, Vox Capital. GlobalCosmeticsNews
Thanks for reading!