The Consumer VC Roundup #87
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This Week In Consumer
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💰Fundraises💰
🧬 Scandinavian Biolabs has raised nearly $4.5 million in Series A funding, led by investment firm Auréa, to expand its hair growth products in Europe and the U.S. Other participants include SevenVentures and Blazar Capital. BeautyIndependent
🍪 Daily Crunch, the gluten-free snack company, has raised $4 million in a Series A funding round led by Launch Tennessee, which also participated in the company's seed round. This funding will help Daily Crunch accelerate growth, innovation, and marketing efforts. FoodBusinessNews
🛍️ Next has acquired a 16% stake in homeware and lifestyle brand Rockett St George for £800,000, following previous collaborations. A Next director will also join Rockett St George’s board. RetailGazette
💸M&A💸
🍷 John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Patrón Tequila, has acquired Waterloo Gin, originally launched by Treaty Oak Distilling in Dripping Springs, Texas, in 2009. JustDrinks
🧀 Flora Food Group BV, formerly Upfield Group, has acquired a manufacturing facility in Hugoton, Kansas, to produce its plant-based creams and cream cheese products. The company also operates a facility in New Century, Kansas, where it manufactures alternative butters and spreads. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. FoodBusinessNews
👓 Magrabi Retail Group and Rivoli Group, two leading Gulf eyewear retailers, have announced a merger to form the "Magrabi-Rivoli Enterprise." The merger aims to redefine the Middle East eyewear market and benefit customers and stakeholders. The combined business will enhance its store portfolio, solidifying Magrabi Retail as a major market leader across seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Egypt. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. FashionNetwork
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansion🚀
💄 Maed Beauty, a Sephora Accelerate participant, has launched a four-product system to protect the lip moisture barrier, with its Revive Day + Night Lip Balm as the hero product. Amid booming lip product sales, the balm features a bioactive lip complex with ceramides, collagen peptides, squalene, and coffee seed oil. BeautyIndependent
💅 IGL Nails, an inclusive press-on nail brand launched by Brittany Golden during the pandemic, quickly sold out after landing in T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, following a packaging redesign that sparked increased buyer interest. BeautyIndependent
💆🏻♀️ Prakti Beauty, the Indian-inspired skincare brand, will launch its full six-product collection at Credo on September 30, including bestsellers like the $48 PritiPolish Exfoliator and $65 SundaSkin Hydrating Serum. The launch follows a connection made by Sonoma Brands Capital. BeautyIndependent
🧈 UK brand The Tofoo Co has launched Tofoo Katsu, tofu fillets in katsu-style breadcrumbs, targeting the growing demand for meat alternatives. The launch follows The Tofoo Co's significant expansion, holding 62% of the UK tofu market and 20.7% YOY growth, making it the country's second-largest meat-free brand. Vegconomist
🧀 JULIENNE BRUNO, the London-based dairy-free cheese brand, is expanding into the Republic of Ireland through a collaboration with Tesco Ireland. Its award-winning Collection 01, featuring Burrella, Crematta, and Superstraccia, is now available at 65 Tesco stores and online at Tesco.ie. Vegconomist
💄 Glossier, the beauty brand, has launched three new Lip Gloss shades—Brown, Pink, and Bronze—and featured WNBA stars Brionna Jones, DiDi Richards, Skylar Siggins-Smith, and Ezi Magbegor in the campaign. BeautyPackaging
🌸 Lancôme has introduced the Absolue Les Parfums collection, featuring 11 bold fragrances centered around roses. Each scent incorporates roses from the Lancôme Domaine de la Rose in southern France and is housed in a sleek cylindrical bottle with a gold plate and a minimalist golden cap embossed with the Lancôme Rose. BeautyPackaging
👄 Babe Original, the TikTok beauty brand, has launched the Cloud 9 Lip Serum, featuring a cooling massage applicator for a refreshing experience that leaves lips smoother and firmer. BeautyPackaging
🪵 Viktor&Rolf has launched Spicebomb Dark Leather, a new masculine fragrance in the Spicebomb collection. The scent features the collection's signature black pepper, crafted by perfumers Jean-Christophe Hérault and Carlos Benaim. BeautyPackaging
🪮 eSalon Custom Hair Care has launched a high-performance line featuring personalized shampoos, conditioners, leave-in sprays, and hair masks tailored to all hair types. Created by expert stylists to meet individual hair goals, the products utilize proven technology and results-driven ingredients for optimal hair care. BeautyPackaging
🧴 Attitude, a Canadian leader in beauty and body care, has expanded its award-winning Oceanly Makeup Collection to include eyeshadows and mascaras. This collection features the world's first mostly plastic-free, entirely EWG Verified makeup, crafted with clean formulas and skin-loving ingredients that benefit both skin and lashes. All new products are packaged in bamboo or FSC-certified recyclable cardboard. BeautyPackaging
🎀 Mary Kay has expanded its international presence into Kyrgyzstan, marking a significant step in its global growth strategy. Tara Eustace, President of Mary Kay Europe Region, expressed confidence that this expansion will inspire women to experience the brand's award-winning products and strengthen its position as the leading direct-selling brand in skincare and color cosmetics worldwide. BeautyPackaging
🧴 Credo Beauty has launched its own skincare brand, featuring packaging that includes an innovative pump co-developed with Pact Collective, touted as the most sustainable pump option on the market. BeautyPackaging
🥐 Belgian Boys, a women-led brand known for its European-inspired breakfast items, has launched grab-and-go breakfast options, including Pancakes & Go cups and Breakfast All Day boxes, at over 1,800 Walmart stores. These new products aim to simplify mornings for busy families and mark the brand’s expansion into the grab-and-go category. PressRelease
🪇Collabs🪇
👜 E.l.f. has teamed up with designer Laurel DeWitt to give the iconic 1987 Caboodles makeup case a stylish update. The limited edition 'It bag' features a glossy black finish, a gold cable chain strap, and gold e.l.f. charms, making it a chic accessory for carrying lippies. BeautyPackaging
⛩️ Innersense Organic Beauty has partnered with Mash Beauty Lab to officially enter the Asian market. This collaboration, called Innersense Asia, will introduce the award-winning clean haircare brand to luxury and specialty retail stores, as well as professional salons and spas across the region. BeautyPackaging
🪷 Calvin Klein collaborates with K-pop group NewJeans for the final chapter of its Fall 2024 campaign, showcasing the brand's latest denim, T-shirts, and outerwear. The global campaign includes visuals across social channels and posters available as gifts in select markets. WWD
💻Consumer Software💻
💰Fundraises💰
🏋 EGYM, the Munich-based connected fitness startup, has raised over $200 million in a Series G round, led by new investors L Catterton and Meritech, bringing its valuation to over $1.2 billion. CEO Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer confirmed the funding will be used to advance key areas of the business. TechCrunch
📱 Raycast, a productivity app for Mac founded by ex-Facebook engineers Thomas Paul Mann and Petr Nikolaev in 2020, has raised $30 million in a Series B round led by Atomico. The funding will support the app's expansion to iOS and Windows. Raycast’s platform is known for its extensions, enabling users to integrate third-party tools and automate tasks. TechCrunch