Participated · Series B · Oct 2024

Hello Cake is a sexual wellness brand whose product line includes prescription medication, supplements, lubricants and devices sold through retail and direct channels. Its products are available nationwide at Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Amazon and hellocake.com. The company says it has more than doubled its retail footprint from 2023 to 2024 and plans to scale presence across all major retailers and Amazon. Hello Cake announced the acquisition of Trigg Laboratories, including the Wet brand, to vertically integrate manufacturing, IP ownership and product innovation; Trigg will continue operating under its name with Simone Buntin remaining as COO of the Las Vegas operation. Management expects vertical integration to increase profitability, accelerate product innovation and bring new products to market faster; integration is expected to be completed within 90 days. Hello Cake has raised over $36 million in total funding to date and is expanding its executive team to support retail, digital and telehealth growth. Cake offers a portfolio of sexual wellness products — lubricants, condoms, toys and hygiene items — that are now stocked in major retailers and online marketplaces. The company currently has five products in physical store locations and is available on Amazon, Thrive Marketplace and UrbanOutfitters.com. Cake recently expanded retail placements, adding four products to CVS and increasing Walmart SKUs from four to 11. The brand grew 200% year over year between 2021 and 2022. Cake has hired Dollar Shave Club’s former Chief Innovation Officer Fadi Mourad to lead product innovation and former SmartyPants executive Christina Komen to head retail sales. The company plans to deploy new capital toward continued retail expansion and product innovation, and expects an additional major retailer to carry Cake in 2022 and 2023. Cake sells lubricants, condoms, massagers and enhancers and operates a direct-to-consumer store with nearly 20 products. The brand expanded into Walmart last year and has now launched into Target, putting products in more than 5,000 stores combined. Between February 2021 and February 2022 Cake recorded over 500% revenue growth and sees a 40% repeat purchase rate. Founders Hunter Morris and Mitch Orkis started the company after identifying an unaddressed opportunity in sexual wellness and emphasize education and a non-embarrassing, fun brand tone. Cake has implemented color-coded product experiences and encourages mix-and-match usage. The company plans to double down on retail and build an omnichannel presence while using new funding to cover inventory, marketing, team build-out and new partners. Cake is a sexual wellness brand that sells specialty lubricants, toys, and sexual hygiene products designed for specific types of sexual enjoyment. Its products are made from high-quality ingredients, inspired by real individuals, and tested across the spectrum of sexual preferences before launch. The company offers a satisfaction guarantee and sells direct-to-consumer at hellocake.com with select products available at Walmart. Cake reports that 84% of its customers directly attribute the brand to leading to a better sex life and cites notable retail traction within nine months. Funding now totals $5.7 million after a new Seed round, and the company plans to dedicate the new capital to product development, scaling e-commerce, and expanding distribution into new retail channels. Leadership frames the brand as removing shame and confusion from sexual-wellness shopping by making products simple, clear, and approachable. Cake is a sexual wellness company based in Los Angeles that launched its first product line of premium lubricants and pre- and post-sex cleansing wipes. The inaugural lubricant line includes Motion Lotion (a moisturizing cream for solo penis play), Tush Cush (a light water-based jelly for beginner anal play), Toy Joy (a non-drip water-based jelly for toy play), Backside Slide (an ultra-slide silicone lubricant for anal play), and Get Naked (an organic aloe-based lubricant ideal for vaginal play). The company also offers Feel Fresh cleanliness wipes intended for pre- and post-sex clean up. All products are formulated free from alcohol, parabens, dyes, sulfates, and added fragrances. Cake says its formulations are informed by feedback from couples and individuals with varying sexual preferences to better suit users' bodies. The product line is available at hellocake.com, and the company said it will use seed financing to develop additional offerings and expand the team.

Participated · Equity · May 2024

ByHeart is an NYC-based infant nutrition company that uses breast milk science to develop clinically proven products. Its formulas are positioned to deliver benefits such as easier digestion, less spit up, softer poops, more efficient weight gain and enhanced nutrient absorption. The company operates end-to-end manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Iowa, enabling full control over production and quality. ByHeart is a three-time Clean Label Project Certified brand and is led by CEO Ron Belldegrun. It recently launched in Thrive Market and plans to expand to several additional retailers by the end of 2024. The company raised $95M to support its U.S. commercial launch and the development of its innovation pipeline, bringing total funding to $395M to date. ByHeart is advancing an infant formula recipe that incorporates modern advancements in baby nutrition. The company plans to use its Series B proceeds to launch its first formula and to advance its innovation pipeline of mom and baby products. It recently launched Cluster, a digital platform offering resources and education to support parents from pregnancy through toddlerdom. ByHeart was founded in 2016 by Ron Belldegrun and Mia Funt and is based in New York City. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania. It raised $90M in Series B financing to fund these initiatives. ByHeart develops infant and baby nutrition products, including baby foods and formulas grounded in nutrition science and production transparency. The company targets immune, cognitive, digestive and microbiome health. Co-founded in 2016 by Mia Funt and Ron Belldegrun, ByHeart is based in New York City and operates facilities in Pennsylvania. It is conducting a multi-site infant-growth monitoring clinical study in accordance with FDA requirements to support a first product launch in 2021. The company closed a $70M Series A and is using the funds to continue to expand its development efforts.

Participated · Series B · Aug 2023

Jinx is a modern dog food company that develops better-for-them dog food products and has shifted its core business from direct-to-consumer into retail partnerships. Founded in 2019 and based in Los Angeles, the brand launched in 2020 and is in its second year of retail. Its products are carried in over 5,000 doors nationwide across Walmart, Target, PetSmart, Albertsons, Safeway, ShopRite, and Giant. Jinx is pacing to land over $45M in revenue this year. The company plans to use new capital to expand distribution across Mass Retail, Grocery, and eCommerce and to invest in product innovation, marketing, merchandising, and people. Management added Kyle Banahan as President in Fall 2022, and several celebrities (including Chris Evans, Halsey, Trevor Noah, and others) are public supporters and investors. Jinx offers a portfolio of clean-label dog nutrition products — kibble, treats, toppers, and dental chews — formulated without fillers or preservatives and featuring real ingredients like organic chicken plus 20+ natural superfoods. The brand launched in January 2020 and has partnered with businesses such as Postmates, Spotlight Oral Care, Barry’s, and Saison Hospitality’s Angler restaurants to expand distribution and visibility. Jinx plans to use its new funding to expand its product portfolio and move beyond a direct-to-consumer model. Management intends to launch in major brick-and-mortar retailers across the U.S. in early 2022. The company has cultivated high-profile partnerships and celebrity backers that have supported both its seed and subsequent rounds. Financially, the company completed a $28M Series A in November 2021 to fund these growth initiatives. Jinx is building a line of kibble and treats developed by a staff nutritionist and a larger nutrition council, formulated with organic and diversified proteins and easy-to-process carbohydrates. The founders point to an estimated 56% of U.S. dogs being overweight or obese and position the products to address that issue. The company intends to target millennial pet owners with specific lifestyle attributes—apartment living, dog walkers, and dogs that sleep in beds—and to educate shoppers about ingredients. Jinx plans to start selling its first products in January and will begin direct-to-consumer through its website while pursuing some in‑real‑life retail presence later. The brand will sit in the premium price tier, with pricing positioned between Blue Buffalo and Orijen. The startup has raised capital to support launch and operations, including a recent $5.65 million raise.

Participated · Series B · Aug 2022

BRAVO SIERRA develops clean, high-performance personal care products designed with and for the U.S. military community. Its formulas are paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, phenoxyethanol-free, vegan, cruelty-free and made in the USA. The brand operates a proprietary community called BATTALION of roughly 2,500 Special Operations, active service members and veterans who field-test products, and it donates 5% of sales through a partnership with Department of Defense military exchanges. Since launching in 2019 the company says revenue has doubled year-over-year, it has amassed more than 10,000 five-star reviews, and its deodorant reached #8 on Amazon after six months. Products are sold across military exchanges and nationwide at Walmart, Target, Amazon, HEB, GNC, Ulta and bravosierra.com. The company has surpassed six-figure contributions to the DoD exchanges and positions itself for further retail and product innovation growth. Bravo Sierra is a NYC-based non-traditional defense contractor that engineers performance consumer products for military and civilian patrons. The company launched personal care products exclusively within the Department of Defense’s Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps exchanges globally. It has developed a proprietary software platform that enables field testing by over 1,000 U.S. active duty service members, allowing product development iteration based on real-time feedback. Led by co-CEOs Justin Guilbert and Benjamin Bernet, Bravo Sierra focuses on performance-focused personal care and is expanding product development into new categories. The company plans to use the new capital to launch omni-channel distribution, accelerate product development into new categories, and deploy its social manufacturing technology platform at scale. It closed a $12M Series A to fund these strategic initiatives.

Led · Series B · Dec 2021

Yumi sells completely plant-based, clean-label meals and snacks for infants and toddlers via a subscription model that delivers highly customizable weekly meals directly to families. The company uses algorithms to help parents choose tailored meal plans and says it developed its nutrient-dense flavors with a nutritionist. Since launching in California in 2017 and expanding nationwide in 2019, Yumi has delivered more than 10 million meals and now feeds roughly 3% of U.S. babies. The brand reports anticipating nearly $100 million in sales next year and has benefited from strong growth during and after the pandemic. Product offerings span developmental stages and include single-flavor and more elaborate recipes designed to meet clean-label standards. Yumi offers fresh, delivered baby food alternatives (including purees and pouches) positioned against shelf-stable incumbents. The company emphasizes nutrients parents want and says shelf-stable competitors like Gerber lack key nutrients. Yumi's stated goal is to change standards for childhood nutrition and upend what it means to be a food brand in America. Sales have reportedly risen tenfold in the last year, though absolute figures were not disclosed. The market is large and crowded—Zion Market Research estimates the global baby food market could reach $76 billion by 2021. Yumi has attracted strategic support from several well-known consumer founders and brands as it scales. Yumi is a baby food delivery service co-created by Evelyn Rusli and Angela Sutherland and based in Los Angeles. The company delivers chef-prepared, perfectly pureed baby meals designed without excess sugar and preservatives, with menu items such as bell pepper soup and rose water overnight oats. Parents choose a plan online and receive meals in insulated containers with ice packs to keep them fresh. Prices start at $50 per week for six meals, with discounts for subscription plans. Yumi has launched commercially and raised $4.1 million in seed funding from VC firms and angels. The service currently delivers throughout California and faces potential competition from startups like Little Spoon as well as the uncertainty of previous failed attempts at this model.