Unilever buys Dr. Squatch, DUDE Wipes Raises Growth Round, the "Cheat on Everything" Startup Raises $15 million & more
Consumer VC Roundup #124 – Latest News in Emerging Consumer Brands, Tech & Commerce Enablement From the Week of June 16th
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📰 Consumer News📰
GetYourGuide’s latest Travel Experience Trend Tracker reveals that U.S. consumers are increasingly prioritizing experiences over goods, with experiential spending up 32% from pre-pandemic levels, outpacing growth in both overall consumer goods (21%) and discretionary goods (5%). The report highlights a continued shift toward digital booking and experiential purchases, even as travel industry growth slows post-COVID. Ernst
Barbie maker Mattel has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to create AI-powered toys and games using generative AI. The collaboration will merge OpenAI’s technology with iconic Mattel brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, and American Girl, with the first AI-driven products expected later this year. CBS
Walmart will pay $10 million to settle FTC allegations that it allowed wire-transfer scams in its stores. The settlement closes a 2022 case, though Walmart does not admit wrongdoing. RD
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💰Fundraises💰
DUDE Wipes has secured a strategic growth investment from TSG Consumer Partners to fuel its next phase of expansion. Founders Sean Riley, Jeff Klimkowski, and Ryan Meegan will retain significant ownership and continue to lead the company, with longtime backer Mark Cuban also remaining on board. BW
Taste Tomorrow Ventures, the investment arm of L.A. Libations, has made its first food investment by taking a minority stake in better-for-you candy brand Better Sour. The deal follows the firm's recent investment in Just Ice Tea and is part of a broader strategy to back emerging consumer brands. Nosh
Ayoh, the mayo brand founded by cookbook author Molly Baz, has raised $4.5M in seed funding led by Imaginary Ventures. Just six weeks later, the brand secured a national rollout in all 509 Whole Foods stores, launching in July with a new exclusive flavor. The move marks Ayoh’s shift from a DTC breakout to a national retail player, now reaching over 725 stores across the U.S. PRN
Supplement brand Veracity has raised $6 million in a round led by Maveron Ventures and co-led by Melitas Ventures, bringing its total funding to $14 million. The company is shifting focus from hormonal health to metabolic health with this new capital. WWD
All In Food, formerly known as This Bar Saves Lives, has launched in U.S. retail with its Madagascar Vanilla snack bar and a renewed mission. Backed by a $4M round led by Obvious Ventures, the rebranded company—now part of GOOD Worldwide—focuses on organic snacks and community impact. PRN
💸M&A💸
Unilever has agreed to acquire U.S.-based men’s personal care brand Dr Squatch from Summit Partners, expanding its presence in the premium grooming category. Dr Squatch, known for its natural soaps and body care products, sells primarily through DTC and retail channels in North America and Europe. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is expected to close later this year. YF
Coty is reportedly exploring a sale of both its luxury and consumer divisions, including brands like Gucci and CoverGirl, amid a profit forecast cut and production shifts. Talks with Interparfums are said to be in early stages. RT
Yasir Abdul, known for InvenTel’s infomercials, is the potential buyer of alt-meat brand Meati through Meati Holdings, with support from Wild Earth CEO Ryan Bethencourt. The deal, still pending court approval, comes as Meati navigates the ABC process, with other bidders like LiveComplete also showing interest. AFN
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansions🚀
Equip Foods has announced the upcoming launch of its Prime Bar, a grass-fed beef protein bar designed for health-conscious consumers. Available in July, the bar features 20g of beef protein, collagen, colostrum, and superfoods—without whey, seed oils, or refined sugars—offering a dessert-like taste with clean ingredients. BW
MOSH, the brain health brand founded by Maria Shriver and Patrick Schwarzenegger, has launched a new vegan protein bar collection in honor of Brain Health Awareness Month. The plant-based lineup includes Hazelnut Chocolate Chip, Peanut Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Chip Cookie flavors, expanding its brain-focused nutrition offerings. Nosh
Dude Wipes is launching kid-friendly Lil’ Dude Wipes at Walmart—flushable, bubblegum-scented wipes with fun packaging and extras like stickers and tattoos. MR
Nordstrom is opening a new Nordstrom Local in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on June 26. The 3,000-square-foot space will serve as a neighborhood service hub, offering convenient shopping services without traditional in-store merchandise. WWD
Ulla Johnson has launched at Harrods in London as part of her U.K. expansion. The U.K. is now the brand’s top international market and second overall after the U.S. WWD
🪇Collabs🪇
Liquid Death and WhistlePig Whiskey are teaming up to launch GraveStock Wheat Whiskey, a limited-edition spirit aged in a casket and made with Liquid Death’s mountain water—targeting drinkers looking for something bold and unconventional. CNN
Pinterest has launched its first-ever co-branded global product: a limited-edition Sea Salt Toffee coffee blend with Chamberlain Coffee. Inspired by Pinterest’s “Fisherman Aesthetic” trend and created by Emma Chamberlain, the blend is available starting June 17 in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Europe through Chamberlain Coffee’s site and Pinterest profile. NR
Saks Global is expanding its partnership with NuOrder by Lightspeed to include Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, streamlining operations across divisions. The move shifts these banners away from competitor Joor, unifying their use of NuOrder’s B2B platform, which offers virtual showrooms and real-time ordering from 4,000 brands—26% of which are in the luxury space. WWD
🔻Closures, Bankruptcies & Downsizes🔻
J.C. Penney is closing its Haslet, Texas warehouse by November 1, affecting around 300 employees. Layoffs will happen in two phases, with some staff potentially offered roles at other locations. RD
Lululemon is laying off about 150 corporate employees following an operations review. The move aims to streamline the organization as the brand faces slowing North American sales and rising inventory. RD
Hasbro has laid off about 150 employees, or 3% of its workforce, as part of a broader $1 billion cost-saving turnaround plan. The company cited restructuring efforts and potential impacts from tariff policies as contributing factors. RD
💻Consumer Software💻
💰Fundraises💰
Cluely, a startup offering AI tools to help users “cheat” on job interviews, exams, and sales calls, has raised $15 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz. This follows a $5.3 million seed round earlier this year. The company is reportedly valued at around $120 million. TC
Grifin, the app that auto-invests in brands users shop at, has raised $11 million in Series A funding, bringing its total to $22 million. With over 500,000 registered users and 100,000 monthly actives, Grifin aims to make investing more approachable for everyday consumers. TC
Berlin-based digital green energy provider Ostrom has raised €20 million ($23 million) in a Series B round led by Eneco’s VC arm, bringing its total funding to over €40 million. Existing investors SE Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Adjacent, Uebermorgen, and J12 also participated. RN
Former Coinbase engineers have launched Nook, a crypto savings app aimed at helping non-crypto users grow their holdings via services like Aave. The startup raised $2.5 million from Coinbase Ventures, Defy.vc, and UDHC. Valuation details were not disclosed. FC
TAC has raised $11.5 million in total, including a $5 million strategic round led by Hack VC, to bring DeFi and EVM-compatible dApps to the Telegram ecosystem, aiming to expand blockchain functionality within the messaging platform’s massive user base. CP
YieldClub has launched a new mobile app to simplify high-yield crypto savings, allowing users to earn up to 12% APY on stablecoins. The launch follows a $2.5M pre-seed round backed by Pharsalus, Flex Capital, and notable tech investors like Kevin Chou and Charlie Songhurst. PRN
💸M&A💸
Snap has acquired Saturn, a social calendar app for high school and college students. While terms weren’t disclosed, Saturn will continue to operate independently. TC
🛒eCommerce & Retail Tech🛒
Hibbett has launched Hibbett Kids, a new e-commerce site and app focused on children's apparel and footwear. Just in time for back-to-school, it offers products from top brands, daily product drops, flexible payments, and personalized content. RD
💰Fundraises💰
German AI startup Mercanis has raised €17.3 million in Series A funding to expand its Agentic-AI procurement platform and enter the U.S. market. The round was led by Partech and AVP, with continued support from existing investors and notable angels. EUS
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop is expanding its retail presence with the opening of its 7th permanent store in Aspen, Colorado. Timed with the Food & Wine Classic, the store will feature Goop Beauty and G. Label products. The company plans to open 20–30 more brick-and-mortar locations. MR
Tensec, a cross-border payments startup based in Palo Alto, has raised $12 million in a round led by Costanoa Ventures, with participation from Quiet Capital, WillowTree Investments, Cambrian VC, and Ignia Partners. The funding will help expand its real-time payments and transaction banking services for global trading companies. PD
German resale infrastructure startup Brandback has raised $7.4 million to expand its integrated resale solution for online retailers. The platform boosts conversion rates and customer loyalty by displaying resale values at checkout and offering incentives like store credit. SR
Thanks for reading!