The Consumer VC Roundup #85
The Consumer VC Roundup #85
News & Events For the Emerging Consumer Ecosystem
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This Week In Consumer
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💰Fundraises💰
🍫 Habitat Partners has invested in Mezcla, a producer of plant-based protein bars. Mezcla was founded in 2019 by Griffin Spolansky. The brand was recently accepted for its 6th and 7th SKU placements nationwide at Whole Foods and will launch in 8 divisions of Albertson's later this year. Mezcla joins Habitat's portfolio of notable CPG brands including Muddy Bites, Happy Wolf Snacks, KinderFarms, and PopUp Bagels. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ModernRetail
🧀 Formo, a German maker of fermented cheese alternatives, has raised $61 million in Series B funding. The round included existing investors like Foodlabs and EQT Ventures, as well as new backers such as Sazaby League and REWE Group. Formo's products are now available at over 2,000 stores. Vegconomist
💸M&A💸
🍻 Henkell Freixenet, previously a minority shareholder in Vinicom, has acquired full control of the Portuguese distributor. Vinicom, established in 2004 with businessman Francisco de Sousa Coutinho, had been 49.5% owned by Henkell Freixenet. The company highlighted Portugal as one of Europe's fastest-growing sparkling wine markets. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. JustDrinks
🏷️ BRANDED, a digital consumer products platform, is set to acquire Heyday, a digital brand creation pioneer, to form a new company called Essor. With over $400 million in annual revenue, Essor will feature a portfolio of rapidly growing health, wellness, and lifestyle brands such as Boka, Puracy, and ZitSticka, sold globally through digital marketplaces, direct-to-consumer channels, and major retailers like Target and Walmart. BusinessWire
🍟 Our Home, known for its wholesome snacks, has acquired ParmCrisps from Hain Celestial Group, expanding its snack offerings and nationwide reach. CEO Aaron Greenwald highlighted the benefits of integrating ParmCrisps’ expertise with their own to enhance both brands. ParmCrisps, known for its high-protein, low-carb cheese crisps, has quickly become a market leader since 2017. PRNewsWire
🍺 Sabeco, the brewer behind Bia Saigon, plans to increase its stake and become the majority shareholder in fellow Vietnamese brewery Sabibeco, where it is already a minority investor. JustDrinks
💰 L Catterton has acquired a majority stake in Stenders, a premium bath and body care company founded in Latvia. The investment will boost Stenders' international expansion into Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. Stenders offers over 400 products inspired by northern Europe's natural environment, emphasizing safety, sustainability, and functionality. BeautyPackaging
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansion🚀
🛒 ESW Beauty, the clean beauty skincare brand focused on healthy living, is expanding its reach by entering mass retail and lowering prices, making the brand more accessible in both location and affordability. BeautyIndependent
💄 Basma Beauty is making its in-store debut with a Sephora rollout, allowing customers to purchase its products in person for the first time since the brand launched three years ago. BeautyIndependent
✨ Tammy Demos, co-founder of CosMedix and Osmosis, has launched Kleos+Klea, a skincare brand free of synthetic ingredients. BeautyIndependent
🛍️ Balmain’s first beauty collection, Les Éternels de Balmain, features eight all-gender eaux de parfum. Creative director Olivier Rousteing has reimagined four classic scents and added four new ones, inspired by the quest for self-realization. The collection includes fragrances from Musk, Amber, Floral, and Woody families. GCIMagazine
🛒 L’Occitane en Provence has opened a redesigned boutique on the Upper West Side of NYC, blending historical elements with the brand’s heritage. This store, one of five new concept boutiques opening this Fall in the Tri-state area, features a unique design and sensory experience through natural materials and iconic skincare products. BeautyPackaging
🥼 RescueMD, known for its advanced skincare solutions developed by plastic surgeons, is now available on Dermstore. The brand's products, including Lapachol—a clinically proven ingredient that slows proteins hindering DNA replication—are designed to improve skin appearance and damage. BeautyPackaging
🧼 Dr. Squatch, the organic and natural handmade soap, has introduced new collaborative products: Minecraft and Wolverine scrubs. The Minecraft Diamond Scrub, celebrating the game's 15th anniversary, features a heavy-grit lather with diamond powder and pumice, and a scent of smoke, cedar, oak, and thyme. A Minecraft Sticc Deodorant is also available. Packaging includes a code for unlocking a diamond bathrobe in-game. BeautyPackaging
🫧 Walgreens has introduced a private label skincare line described as "affordable luxe," offering premium quality at an accessible price for its customers. BeautyPackaging
✨ SkinCeuticals, the L’Oréal-owned skincare brand, has launched its HA Intensifier Multi-Glycan – a breakthrough hyaluronic acid serum that plumps, hydrates, contours, fills fine lines, and helps stimulate skin-plumping glycans to help maintain skin's structural integrity and hydration. BeautyPackaging
💧 Vaseline has launched its first serum-burst formula, the Pro VitaB3 Serum-Burst Lotion. This new lotion turns into water droplets upon application, absorbing instantly for a soft-velvet, non-greasy finish and providing all-day hydration. BeautyPackaging
✨ Jovan has reintroduced itself with a new fragrance collection aimed at a younger audience. The Jovan Musk Fragrance Collection features three dual-gender scents that modernize the brand's musk legacy in a fresh and captivating way. BeautyPackaging
🏠 K-3, the luxury home and lifestyle brand co-founded by the late Kenzo Takada and Jonathan Bouchet Manheim, has launched an exclusive fragrance collection. Debuting globally in January 2020, the new range draws on K-3's key themes and honors Takada’s creative legacy. Takada previously founded 'KENZO,' which was sold to LVMH in 1993. BeautyPackaging
🫧 Cetaphil, a leading dermatologist-recommended sensitive skincare brand, has launched its first chemical exfoliation products with Gen-Z & Gen Alpha's favorite beauty creator, Katie Fang. BeautyPackaging
👠 DKNY, the New York fashion powerhouse, has launched its newest fragrance—DKNY 24/7 eau de parfum. The fragrance encapsulates the energy of NYC and is a tribute to those who are always on the move. BeautyPackaging
Sarah Creal has launched her luxury beauty brand in 22 Sephora locations nationwide and online. Catering to women 40+, the brand offers high-performance, vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, fragrance-free, and clean makeup and skincare products. BeautyPackaging
🪇Collabs🪇
🎮 Shopify is partnering with Roblox to enable in-game shopping, allowing brands to sell physical items directly within the game. The integration, piloted with Shopify’s checkout system, will launch more broadly in early 2025, giving Shopify’s brands access to Roblox’s nearly 80 million daily users. RetailGazette
❤️ E.l.f. Cosmetics and Tinder have teamed up for the “Put Your e.l.f. Out There” Vault collection, blending self-expression and confidence. The collaboration features new product innovations, exclusive features, and limited-edition beauty products and packaging. BeautyPackaging
🛍️ Superdry has partnered with Next to launch its first kidswear collection. The 95-piece line, featuring outerwear, T-shirts, sweatshirts, polos, and dresses for ages two to ten, will be available on Next’s website starting next month and in five UK stores from November. RetailGazette
❄️ Wet n Wild Beauty has teamed up with Disney to launch a limited-edition collection inspired by Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Featuring beloved characters like Jack Skellington and Sally, the collection includes innovative formulas and skin-nourishing ingredients, appealing to both makeup enthusiasts and Disney fans. BeautyPackaging
↪️Relaunches & Rebrands↩️
🧴 Snow Fox, the skincare brand, after exiting U.S. retail two years ago, is making a cautious return with a new focus on professional distribution and plans to re-enter retail. BeautyIndependent
✨ Bluemercury, Macy's luxury beauty retailer, has rebranded its digital presence and announced new brand partnerships to mark its 25th anniversary. The rebrand, called "The New Blue," aims to redefine modern luxury in beauty. BeautyPackaging
💄 Maybelline New York has relaunched its iconic jingle and catchphrase, "Maybe It's Maybelline," with a modern twist. The refreshed melody aims to capture the brand's energy and values. The new campaign features fan-favorite products and global ambassadors Gigi Hadid, Storm Reid, Peggy Gou, and Shay Mitchell. BeautyPackaging
👩💼Key Hires👨💼
UNREAL – the beloved brand reimagining nostalgic candy with zero artificial dyes and up to 55% less sugar – has hired a new Chief Commercial Officer: Alison Whritenour. After over a decade at Seventh Generation, Alison brings her mission-driven expertise to the UNREAL team as the brand continues to expand into new categories.
💻Consumer Software💻
💰Fundraises💰
🩺 Thatch, a health benefits platform for employers, has raised $38 million in a Series A funding round led by General Catalyst and Index Ventures, with participation from new investors SemperVirens and the General Partnership, along with existing backers Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Avid Ventures. The funds will be used to scale growth, continue product development, and expand the team. MobiHealthNews
🚴 Cowboy, the Brussels-based e-bike maker, raised €5 million, including €1 million in debt facilities, in a strategic round led by Cypress Capital. The company is targeting profitability next year and sought an investor with strong ties to Taiwan, a key hub for the global bicycle industry. TechCrunch
🤖 You.com, armed with $50 million in new funding, aims to outshine Google on complex queries, focusing on productivity and knowledge work. Founder and CEO Richard Socher believes their technology can be "10x better than Google" by excelling where others falter, targeting users who need advanced, productive searches rather than simple facts. TechCrunch
🎯 DubClub, a Chicago startup, aims to help amateur sports bettors win more by connecting them with vetted professional "cappers" who offer expert betting advice. In a market that generated $10.9 billion in 2023, DubClub seeks to level the playing field against data-rich sportsbooks. TechCrunch
💰Funds Raising Funds💰
💵 Atomico has announced its largest fundraise yet, totaling $1.24 billion. The funds include a $754 million Growth VI fund for Series B to pre-IPO investments and a $485 million Venture VI fund for early-stage startups, reinforcing Atomico's mission to support Europe's most ambitious founders at every stage of their journey. Atomico
🛒eCommerce & Retail Tech🛒
💰Fundraises💰
💡 Zamp, launched by Rohit Bhadange, provides automated sales tax solutions for e-commerce and SaaS companies, addressing the complexity of tax collection following the 2018 Wayfair ruling. TechCrunch