Participated · Series A · Dec 2022

iNNBeauty Project is a New York–based skincare brand led by Alisa Metzger and Jen Shane. The company develops and sells skincare products through major beauty retailer Sephora. Its products are available in all 517 Sephora stores and on Sephora's online store. iNNBeauty plans to expand distribution to Sephora Canada's omnichannel operation in the first half of 2023. The company intends to use new funding to accelerate brand growth and support increased exposure within Sephora. It recently closed a $12M Series A financing. iNNBeauty Project is a clean, effective, and accessible skincare brand founded in 2019 by industry veterans Alisa Metzger and Jen Shane. Its core portfolio includes Slushy, Pimple Paste, Down to Tone, and Green Machine, several of which have won mainstream beauty awards. The brand emphasizes custom-built formulations, research-driven active ingredients, and affordable price points aimed at younger consumers. Consumers responded strongly, driving roughly 300% year-over-year growth and attracting retail distribution. iNNBeauty Project is now carried in all 490 Sephora stores, 200 Sephora x Kohl’s stores, and on Sephora.com. The company highlights sustainability initiatives—describing itself as “plastic negative” through a partnership with rePurpose Global—and maintains a focus on social impact through charitable support. Management plans to invest in people, product, process, and marketing to execute the nationwide Sephora launch and scale operations.

Participated · Series D · Mar 2022

Once Upon a Farm produces organic snacks and freshly frozen meals and cold-pressed pouches for children of all ages. Its recipes are crafted from organic ingredients—whole fruits and vegetables picked then cold-pressed for pouches or freshly frozen for meals. Products are organic, non-GMO, non-dairy, contain no added sugar, and are free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. The company was co-founded by John Foraker, Jennifer Garner and Cassandra Curtis. Once Upon a Farm raised $52M in a Series D to support growth. Management intends to use the funds to accelerate retail and online expansion and to broaden its product pipeline. Once Upon a Farm produces organic, cold-pressed baby food—including pouches, smoothies and applesauce for children up to age 12—sold online and in grocery stores. The Berkeley-based company was founded in 2015 and lists Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz as founders, with Jennifer Garner and John Foraker joining as co-founders and executives. Since Foraker and Garner joined, the business has grown roughly 10x and expanded distribution into thousands of stores (the article cites availability in 8,500 grocery stores and notes growth from ~300 stores last fall to more than 8,000). Products sell at roughly $2.99 per pouch. The company operates a direct-to-consumer marketplace while also pursuing retail partnerships. It plans to use the new funding to expand its DTC business, partner with more U.S. grocers and build out a wider assortment of baby products.

Participated · Series C · Jan 2022

Flying Embers is a beverage brand known for hard kombuchas and botanical-spiked hard seltzers, launched in 2017. Its portfolio includes flavors such as watermelon basil, cucumber juniper, black cherry, and high-ABV hard kombuchas, plus recently introduced canned wine spritzers. The company emphasizes organic ingredients, low/no sugar formulations, probiotics and other functional additives aimed at health-conscious consumers. In 2021 it released 28 new product innovations and expanded into botanical and hops-spiked varieties to appeal to beer- and cocktail-inclined drinkers. Flying Embers plans to scale its brand and national footprint, investing in marketing to educate new consumers about the hard kombucha category. It will also dedicate funds to R&D and new product development while leveraging in-house brewing, microbiology and manufacturing capabilities.

Participated · Series B · Oct 2021

Rowan provides ear piercings performed by licensed nurses and sells exclusive hypoallergenic, nickel-free jewelry through its studios, Target partnerships, and DTC platform. The company launched in 2018 and has completed over 150,000 piercings. It currently operates two brick-and-mortar locations in New York City and Connecticut and provides piercing services in more than 250 Target stores nationwide. Rowan plans rapid retail expansion—opening locations in Miami, Denver and Atlanta by the end of Q1 2022—and to expand to over 600 Target locations in early 2022. The company will hire additional licensed nurses and build out its product assortment of hypoallergenic jewelry. Rowan emphasizes safety and a celebratory piercing experience as central to its offering.

Led · Series A · Aug 2017

Banza produces chickpea pastas that deliver nearly double the protein, three times the fiber, and one-third fewer net carbs than traditional wheat-, corn- and rice-based pastas. The company has expanded beyond pasta into chickpea mac & cheese, chickpea rice and recently launched Banza Lasagna. Its products are sold in Whole Foods and Target across 12,000+ retailer doors nationwide. Banza plans to use new funding to grow its team, increase marketing efforts and commercialize its product pipeline. The brand was co-founded in 2014 by brothers Brian and Scott Rudolph. The company recently completed a $20m growth funding round to support those plans. Banza produces pasta and a mac-and-cheese line made from chickpeas, designed to look, cook and taste like traditional pasta while delivering higher protein and fewer net carbs. The company offers five pasta shapes and emphasizes nutrition (about 25g protein and 40% fewer net carbs per serving). Since launching in 2014, Banza has expanded to over 5,000 stores nationwide and has been called the fastest growing pasta company in the U.S. The business plans to use new funding to increase production capacity, accelerate new product development, and support team growth. Banza was founded in 2014 by brothers Brian and Scott Rudolph after Brian began making chickpea pasta at home and the brand gained early support following an appearance on CNBC’s Restaurant Startup.