The Venture Codex

Led · Equity · Nov 2021

Launched in 2016 and based in Los Angeles, Stratia develops research-driven skin-care formulations, led by founder Alli Reed. Its flagship product, Liquid Gold, was developed from Reed's ingredient research and gained early traction on Reddit. The brand emphasizes barrier-repair ingredients—ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids—augmented with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and panthenol. Stratia is a small team of six and has reinvested early profits back into the business. It reports a customer return rate close to 50% and is averaging 50–75% year-over-year growth. Management says the current focus is customer acquisition and strategic retail expansion to reach more buyers.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2021

maude, launched in April 2018 by Éva Goicochea, sells personal massagers (including the Vibe and the all-body massager drop) and intimacy essentials alongside a content platform. The company plans to use the new capital to grow the team, expand its product line and content platform, and enter international markets and additional key retailers in 2021 and 2022. maude has increased its luxury retail distribution (Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks.com) with upcoming launches at SSENSE and across the U.S. and Canada. The brand reported a 50% quarter‑over‑quarter growth rate, over 25,000 pre-orders for its Vibe, and named Dakota Johnson as a Co‑Creative Director. maude has raised $10M over four rounds to date. As part of the raise, the company’s board will be entirely female and majority Latina. Maude is a direct-to-consumer company that sells condoms, vibrators, lubricant and a travel pack, marketed with minimalist packaging and gender-neutral messaging. The brand positions its products as normal consumer goods and promises “no skeevy advertising.” Maude targets a broader adult market rather than marketing only to younger demographics. The company was founded in 2016 by Éva Goicochea and Dina Epstein; Goicochea previously worked at Everlane. Maude is based in Brooklyn. Financially, the company announced a $550,000 pre-seed funding round led by XFactor Ventures.