Participated · Series B · Sep 2022

Sanity Group, founded in Berlin in 2018, develops medicinal cannabis, wellbeing and cosmetic cannabinoid products and operates brands/subsidiaries such as AVAAY Medical, Vayamed, Endosane Pharmaceuticals and VAAY. The company maintains a large German distribution network of over 2,000 pharmacies and works with approximately 5,000 physicians, holding roughly a 10% share of the German medical cannabis market; its AVAAY medical brand is estimated to be number two. Sanity is participating in a Swiss recreational cannabis pilot in Basel with one store operational and plans to expand its retail footprint in Switzerland. The company intends to invest in proprietary distribution channels to capture new medical consumers and is planning initiatives expected to provide access to over 100,000 patients and support recreational pilot expansion. Sanity’s product mix spans pharmaceuticals, medical cannabis, and wellbeing/cosmetic offerings, and it operates a storage facility near Frankfurt for extracts and flower. Sanity Group develops medicinal cannabis, finished pharmaceuticals, medical products, digital applications, wellbeing products and natural cosmetics that utilize cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system. The group comprises Vayamed and AVAAY Medical (medicinal cannabis), Endosane Pharmaceuticals (finished pharmaceuticals), Belfry Medical (medical products and digital applications), VAAY (wellbeing) and This Place (natural cosmetics). It operates a production and processing facility for cannabis extracts near Frankfurt am Main and employs around 120 people across medical, consumer health and science functions. Founded in Berlin in 2018, the company aims to improve quality of life through cannabinoid-based products and therapies. Sanity Group plans to use new funding to accelerate growth, enable European expansion and strengthen research and development. The company has raised over $100 million in total funding to date. Sanity Group is a Berlin-based cannabis and digital health startup that builds a cannabis-based platform for mental health and chronic pain management. Its offering includes a medical device and digital therapy diary that tracks administered active ingredients (THC, CBD and other cannabinoids) to quantify dosing. The company closed a $44.2M Series A, bringing total funding to $73M; the round is reported as the largest cannabis funding round in Europe to date. Proceeds will be used to expand the Group’s medical division in Europe and to build an EU‑GMP‑compliant research and production facility near Frankfurt. Management says it is expanding geographically into the Czech Republic and Poland, targeting the U.K., and expects France to open next year. Prior investors include HV Capital, TQ Ventures, Atlantic Food Labs, Cherry Ventures, Bitburger Ventures and SevenVentures, and celebrity angels include will.i.am, Scooter Braun and Alyssa Milano. Sanity Group is a Berlin-based medical cannabis and wellness company operating two business units: Sanatio Pharma, focused on developing new medical cannabis therapies and pharmaceuticals, and VAAY, a consumer wellness brand. The company is fully licensed and currently operational. Founded in 2018 by Finn Hänsel and Fabian Friede, Sanity Group combines medical and consumer wellness offerings. It completed a €20m funding round to support strategic initiatives. The funds will be used to drive projects that expand access to medical and medically-related cannabis products and advance its product programs.

Participated · Series A · May 2022

MagaLoop operates an app-based ordering platform that connects independent retailers such as convenience stores, bakeries, gas station stores and late-night grocery stores directly with suppliers. The app allows customers to order everything from chewing gums to drinks with one tap and offers smart features like a barcode scanner for reordering and a comprehensive order history. Founded in 2018 in Berlin by Uwe Hölzer and Michael Högemann, the company focuses on expanding its network of independent wholesalers and retailers. MagaLoop raised €9m in a Series A and intends to use the funds to further expand its merchant network and drive additional platform expansions. It currently has more than 4,000 active merchants, an order volume of over €100 million annually, and employs around 70 people.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2021

Wild Earth produces plant-based and fungi-enhanced pet foods, including a koji-based superfood dry kibble and a Core Collection dry kibble line sold at US retailers such as Walmart and Amazon. The company has expanded distribution via a deal with Zeigler’s Distributor to reach the Mid-Atlantic US. Wild Earth has also developed a cell-based meat broth topper for dogs and is developing beef, chicken, and seafood cell-based meats for planned product launches. The company reported over 700% growth from 2020 to 2021 and says a more than $23 million investment accelerated product innovation and expanded its reach. Co-founder and CEO Ryan Bethencourt led publicity around the company after a 2019 Shark Tank deal with Mark Cuban. As of the latest update, there is no further public progress reported on the cell-based broth launch. Wild Earth is a Berkeley, Calif.-based startup advancing pet food with biotech by developing no-meat food for dogs made from a renewably sourced fungi that provides a complete protein with all ten essential amino acids. The company raised $11m in a Series A to accelerate development of its no-meat dog food, bringing total funding to $16m. The funding round was led by VegInvest with participation from several strategic and venture investors. Wild Earth expects its dry kibble formula to be available in the second half of 2019. Its treats are currently sold online at WildEarth.com, Amazon.com, PupJoy.com, in select brick-and-mortar stores, and wholesale to pet food retailers. The company is led by CEO Ryan Bethencourt, chief science officer Ron Shigeta, Ph.D., and Dr. Ernie Ward. Wild Earth develops fungi-based protein food products for cats and dogs and plans to commercialize a koji-based dog treat scheduled to reach the market at the end of August. The company aims to disrupt traditional petfood makers by promoting ethically sourced alternatives and is connected to the 'Vegan Mafia' network of former financiers and biotech investors. CEO Ryan Bethencourt is part of that investor network and has highlighted the large, growing global pet food market, citing a $94 billion market value last year and anticipated growth as countries like China adopt Western pet ownership trends. Wild Earth has described longer-term plans to create cultured meat cells from lab-grown meat using mouse cells. Financially, the company announced a $450,000 funding round and has now raised nearly $5 million in total.

Participated · Series B · Jan 2020

Just Spices is a German direct-to-consumer spice brand with two main product lines: Spice Mixes and IN MINUTES. IN MINUTES, launched in 2018, is a recipe-driven offering of 27 "fix" meal preparations that pairs a recipe with a spice mix and a few fresh ingredients. The company uses sales and customer feedback data to develop new blends and has built a vibrant digital community of home cooks. More than 60% of its sales are generated online and it claims to be one of the most followed spices brands in Europe. Just Spices invests in content, operating an in-house studio and producing podcasts to drive customer acquisition and product development. Co-founder and CEO Florian Falk says the company aims to become the world’s largest lifestyle spice brand.