Participated · Series B · Oct 2025

Founded in 2018, Recess pioneered the relaxation beverage category with a portfolio that now spans three lines: Recess Mood magnesium-and-adaptogen sparkling waters and powders, Recess Zero Proof Craft Mocktails, and its original hemp-infused drinks. More than 95% of the company’s sales come from its Recess Mood line, underscoring strong consumer demand for non-stimulant functional beverages focused on mental wellness. Recess products are carried in over 15,000 U.S. retail locations, including Target, Kroger, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, and the brand is the top alcohol-alternative seller on Amazon. The company positions itself as a restorative counterweight to the $25 billion energy-drink market, aiming to help consumers relax, socialize, and sleep better. Newly appointed President & Co-CEO Kyle Thomas, a 25-year beverage veteran, is tasked with building commercial systems to scale the brand. The Series B capital will be deployed to grow headcount, expand retail distribution, and increase marketing efforts as Recess seeks to cement its leadership in the emerging relaxation segment.

Participated · Series B · Feb 2022

Olipop is a prebiotic soda brand launched in 2018 that sells fiber-rich soft drinks as alternatives to traditional sodas. The company plans to use the new funding to add to its product lineup, expand marketing, and broaden distribution. Based on dollar sales and unit growth, Olipop is one of the top nonalcoholic beverage brands in the U.S. CNBC reported that Olipop's annual sales surpassed $400 million last year, doubling the previous year. The company reached profitability in early 2024. Founders Ben Goodwin and David Lester initially funded Olipop with $100,000 from the sale of their prior drink Obi; in its first year in Northern California the brand sold in 40 grocery stores and reached $852,000 in gross revenue. Olipop makes a line of prebiotic, plant-fiber sodas formulated to support digestive health using prebiotics and botanical ingredients. The product line is positioned as a ‘functional soda’ and Olipop says it accounts for two-thirds of the niche’s revenue. The company has completed in‑vitro trials with Baylor and Purdue and has a human clinical underway, and plans to expand R&D and new flavors. Distribution has scaled from an initial 45 northern California stores to more than 10,000 grocers nationwide, including Kroger, Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway and Wegmans. Olipop grew top-line revenue threefold in 2021, anticipates a $100M run-rate by the end of 2022, is not yet profitable but is headed toward profitability, and has expanded headcount to around 60 employees. The company plans to use new funding for hiring, marketing and product inventory to support rapid distribution expansion.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2021

Tiny Organics is a NYC-based early childhood nutrition company founded by Betsy Fore and Sofia Laurell that launched nationwide just over a year ago. The company provides 100% organic meals for babies and toddlers with no added sugar or salt and never more than 5 grams of natural sugars per serving. Recipes are created in collaboration with Tufts School of Nutrition to suit baby and toddler developmental milestones. Tiny Organics has signed mission-aligned partnerships including Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Partnership for A Healthier America (PHA) and the Plastic Pollution Coalition. The company closed an $11M Series A and intends to use the funds to expand operations, build brand and customer awareness, and develop new product categories and sales channels. Tiny Organics makes fresh-prepared, savory-forward organic plant-based meals for toddlers that are shipped frozen with dry ice and reheatable in the microwave or on the stovetop. The company packages meals in recyclable cardboard cups and ships in temperature-controlled boxes using compostable and biodegradable insulation. It beta-tested for a year with 100 founding families in New York, tested more than 100 recipes and delivered over 8,000 meals, and currently has a team of more than 10. Tiny Organics plans to scale production by moving from a New York commercial kitchen to a Midwest co-packer with a two-day shipping radius to the continental U.S., and aims to pursue retail distribution (a Tiny Organics freezer in the baby aisle) in 2021 and beyond. The founders are Betsy Fore and Sofia Laurell; an early key hire is COO Carolyn O'Hare and S2G Ventures co-founder Victor Friedberg is a key advisor. The company is targeting lower per-meal pricing (around $3.99 or below) and is hiring a CTO as a next major hire.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2020

Bulletproof 360 is a Seattle-based lifestyle company, launched in 2013 and led by CEO Larry Bodner, that develops integrated mind-body nutrition products featuring science-backed, high-quality ingredients. Its portfolio includes clean coffee, MCT oil, collagen protein, snack bars and a range of supplements. Products are sold in major leading retailers nationwide and online at Bulletproof.com and Amazon.com. The company closed a $13M growth funding round to support expansion. Bulletproof intends to use the funds to expand its omnichannel presence and broaden product offerings in both new and existing categories. The business focuses on food, beverages and supplements designed to improve human performance. Bulletproof 360 develops science-based food and beverage products and related content, anchored by its Bulletproof Coffee brand. Its products are sold in Whole Foods and other retailers nationwide, in its own cafés, and online at Bulletproof.com and Amazon.com. The company is led by Founder and CEO Dave Asprey and President Anna Collins (promoted from COO). Bulletproof completed a Series C financing to accelerate its omni-channel growth plans. Jeff Hull, a senior leader from Amazon Prime, joined as Vice President of Strategy and Analytics. The article reports the company has raised a total of $68M to date after the recent round. Bulletproof 360, founded by Dave Asprey in 2013 and based in Seattle, produces Bulletproof Coffee and a range of performance-focused food and beverage products including Brain Octane oil, FATwater, Collagen Bars and Collagen Protein. The company also operates content channels such as Bulletproof Radio and has published New York Times bestselling books. It currently operates two Bulletproof Cafés in Southern California and has plans for a 2017 retail expansion to New York City and additional locations. Bulletproof emphasizes both e-commerce and retail distribution and recently hired Anna Collins from Amazon as COO to drive multi-channel growth. The company previously raised an initial $9 million round in 2015 and has continued product and brick-and-mortar expansion efforts. The brand positions itself around science-based performance nutrition and plans further product launches and operational development. Bulletproof was founded by biohacker Dave Asprey and is built around an "Upgraded Coffee Beans" butter-coffee recipe combined with grass-fed butter and Brain Octane Oil. Its product lineup includes butter coffee, Brain Octane Oil (medium-chain triglyceride oil), and FATwater—a bottled drink containing nanoparticles of XCT Oil intended to provide energy and hydration without heavily impacting blood sugar. The company has built a large online audience—the website sees north of 2 million visitors per month. Asprey has promoted the brand through a book, podcast and radio show and positions the products for entrepreneurs and biohackers seeking sustained cognitive performance. Bulletproof is using new funding to expand its retail footprint by opening coffee shops and cafes, starting with a location in Santa Monica.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2020

Grounded Foods produces plant-based cheeses using a fermentation process that harnesses the proteins and fats in hemp and leverages cauliflower for flavor and texture. Its product line includes a Hemp Seed Cream Cheese, a hemp seed goat-style cheese in cubes, and a squeeze-on "Cheese Free Cheese" sauce; 8-ounce packages retail for about $4–$7. The founders, Veronica Fil and chef Shaun Quade, started the company in 2019 in Australia and relocated to Los Angeles to access a larger U.S. market and entered the Big Idea Ventures accelerator. They pivoted from niche European-style cheeses to mass-market styles such as cheddar to appeal to mainstream U.S. consumers. Products are available online and at some Whole Foods Markets and Bristol Farms in Los Angeles. The company recently raised funding to cover the next six months and to act as a buffer through the holiday season. Grounded Foods creates plant-based cheeses using fermented and upcycled cauliflower and hemp seeds, positioning the products as dairy-, nut-, soy-, gluten- and GMO-free. The portfolio was developed by award-winning Australian chef Shaun Quade and the company is led by co-founder Veronica Fil. Grounded says its cheeses are low cost, scalable, nutrient-dense and can be produced at scale without the ethical or environmental concerns of nut-based cheeses. The founders originally come from Australia and now operate from Los Angeles after a spell in New York. The brand achieved rapid consumer demand during lockdown, with online pre-sales selling out within three minutes of the shop going live. The company recently closed an oversubscribed seed financing, reflecting investor interest in the plant-based cheese category.