The Venture Codex

Participated · Series B · Feb 2022

Brunt Workwear designs and sells modern work boots, clothing, and accessories targeted at construction, installation, maintenance, and repair professionals. The company began with boots and expanded its assortment six months after launch in 2021 to include jackets, pants, and accessories. Led by CEO Eric Girouard, the brand emphasizes product development and DTC e-commerce while planning broader retail distribution. Brunt raised $20M in a Series B to support inventory increases, team growth, additional product development, and expansion of retail channels beyond its digital storefront. The company positions itself to serve more than 17 million U.S. workers in relevant trades. Prior to Brunt, Girouard spent over a decade in e-commerce and direct-to-consumer roles at startups including Rue La La, M.Gemi, and Trade Coffee. Brunt Workwear is a modern work boot and apparel brand led by founder and CEO Eric Girouard that serves workers across the construction, installation, maintenance, and repair industries. The company launched with work boots and has expanded into clothing and accessories. Brunt plans to use proceeds from its Series A to increase production, grow its leadership team, and expand into new categories and classifications. It raised $8.4M in a Series A round led by TF Cornerstone with participation from Andrew Rosen and Ben Fischman. In the past year Brunt grew 63% month-over-month, recorded a 44% repeat purchase rate from its original customer cohort, and expects 150% growth in 2022.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2022

BARCODE is a Los Angeles-based company that produces functional beverages. The article identifies the company as a functional beverage maker but provides no product-level details. BARCODE has closed $2.2 million in its latest fundraising round. The funding round includes commitments from institutional investors, a specialty retailer and high-profile individual backers. Named investors in the round are Trousdale Ventures, Midnight Venture Partners, Cathexis Ventures, Silas Capital, Gaingels, Erewhon Market, Kelly Rowland and Maurice Harkless. The article does not disclose revenue, user metrics, the financing instrument, or planned use of proceeds.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2022

Barcode produces a plant-based, all-natural performance hydration drink with added vitamins (D, B6, B12), magnesium, and ashwagandha and no added sugar. The product was developed by Mubarak "Bar" Malik alongside co-founder Kyle Kuzma. It is currently sold at retailers including Amazon, Erewhon Market, ShopRite, Bristol Farms, Gelsons, and Central Market and has expanded into HEB, Krogers, Safeway/Albertsons, Buc-Cee’s and 7-Eleven, mainly in the Texas market. The company has recently undergone a $30 million valuation. Barcode has secured additional funding from several athlete-investors and public figures. Victor Wembanyama has taken an equity stake and will participate in R&D, serve as the face of the brand in digital, out-of-home and in-store advertising, and join the company’s philanthropic initiatives. Barcode produces ready-to-drink, performance-oriented beverages sweetened with monk fruit and built around ingredients like coconut water, vitamin B6/B12, magnesium, vitamin D and ashwagandha. The brand currently ships three flavors — lemon lime, watermelon, and pinot noir — each with about 2g natural sugar and 30 calories. Packaging is minimalistic and the UPC barcode doubles as an AR activation on Barcode’s Instagram to surface ingredient and nutritional content. Founder and CEO Mubarak Malik, who previously trained NBA players, says the company is experiencing double-digit annual growth. Barcode recently secured retail listings at Erewhon Market and 10 Central Market locations across Texas and plans to strengthen its footprint in the U.S. natural channel. The company intends to use new funding for product innovation, marketing, and retail expansion to scale the brand. Barcode is a sports and functional beverage that combines coconut water and regular water with vitamin D, magnesium, and adaptogens (plant and mushroom extracts) aimed at in-game, pre-game, or everyday use. The drink contains about 2 grams of sugar, 6 grams of carbohydrates, no protein, and roughly 30 calories, positioning it as a low-sugar alternative to traditional sports drinks. Flavors include a watermelon variety with cordyceps extract and a lemon-lime flavor with rhodiola rosea. The company leans into wellness-oriented ingredients rather than carbohydrates or protein, arguing recovery benefits come from adaptogens and vitamin D. Barcode is sold online and is slated to appear at six Erewhon locations in Los Angeles on June 1. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, has six full-time employees, and has been piloted with professional athletes during games. Scientific consensus on adaptogens is described in the article as preliminary, and the founders acknowledge research is still early-stage. The brand is co-founded and promoted by Mubarak Malik and NBA player Kyle Kuzma, who tested the drink during the NBA finals.