Led · Equity · Nov 2025

Sweet Chemistry develops science-driven bioactive skincare centered on Matrikynes, a patent-pending concentrate of over 315 bioactive matrikine peptides extracted from upcycled bovine bone. The company positions these peptides to improve barrier function, skin density, hydration, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines and wrinkles. Sweet Chemistry was founded in collaboration with Xylyx Bio, which acts as its R&D liaison and parent company, providing biomedical technology expertise. The brand highlights sustainability through zero-waste upcycling of bovine bone and allocates 1% of sales to organizations such as YoungArts and iResearch. Following organic traction in the market, the company raised $1.5 million to increase production capacity, resolve out-of-stock challenges, and expand distribution so products reach more consumers. Founders Alec Batis and Joel Maza are named co-CEOs and are quoted in the funding announcement. The article did not provide revenue, user, or valuation figures.

Participated · Seed · Jul 2023

California Naturals, founded in 2023 by Shelby Wild, is a natural-beauty brand. The company is pursuing retail expansion into national chains including Target, Ulta, and CVS and plans new category launches. Leadership is shifting as COO Hayden Hiatt—who previously held multiple leadership roles at Glossier—moves into the CEO role while founder Shelby Wild remains involved. Financially, the brand reported finishing the year 220% above its 2023 sales forecast and is projecting 800% year-over-year revenue growth. The company has raised more than $40 million across three funding rounds to date, including the recently closed Series B led by Align Ventures with participation from Elizabeth Street Ventures.

Led · Equity · Apr 2022

Madison Reed sells premium hair-color products and services via a digitally enabled omni-channel model that includes a direct-to-consumer subscription, branded Madison Reed Hair Color Bars, and retail distribution at Ulta Beauty. Its products feature a proprietary Smart-8 Free formula and proprietary color‑matching technology, supported by on-call colorists for at‑home customers. The company operates more than eighty hair color bars nationally and continues to expand its retail channels. Madison Reed offers both at-home kits and in‑salon professional application, positioning itself as a prestige hair color brand. The company recently secured growth capital to fund customer acquisition and channel expansion. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article. Madison Reed sells hair-color products direct-to-consumer online, via Amazon, and through retail partners while also operating licensed professional color bars. The company has opened more than 60 color bars and established a wholesale presence with Ulta and a related Target deal. Leadership says the bars deliver professional color more quickly and cost-effectively than traditional salons, and the brand is pursuing a larger retail footprint. Management plans to add 20 more color bars, hire 850 colorists, and target markets including New York, South Florida, California, Chicago, Washington, DC and Texas, with a forecast of 100 stores by 2023. The company is also eyeing expansion into men’s hair color and additional product launches. Gross product margins have grown to over 80% and revenue doubled over the past two years; Jose Zuniga was hired as CFO in March to lead omnichannel expansion. Madison Reed sells salon-quality hair color formulated with a Smart 8‑Free formula and distributes its products direct-to-consumer, via Ulta Beauty, and through Madison Reed Hair Color Bars. The company combines proprietary color-matching technology with on-call colorists for at-home use and offers in-person color services at its Hair Color Bars. In 2020 Madison Reed grew 130 percent and nearly doubled its customer base; during the COVID-19 peak customers bought its hair color kits every five seconds. To meet demand it launched two new products—Madison Reed MR. for men and Color Therapy, a color-depositing mask—and opened 16 new Hair Color Bars. The company offers 1:1 video consultations with expert colorists and runs live educational "Hair Color House Parties" via Zoom. Madison Reed operates over 30 four-wall locations in about a dozen major metro areas and planned to reach 60 Hair Color Bars by the end of 2021. Madison Reed is a prestige hair color company that offers a proprietary hair-color formula, color-matching technology and on-call professional colorists, with product delivered to customers. The company also operates Madison Reed Color Bars. It is led by CEO and Founder Amy Errett, with Brian Bouma as COO and Carrie Kalinowski as CFO. Madison Reed raised funds to expand its suite of proprietary colors and introduce new products. The company plans to use television advertising as a new customer-acquisition channel. It intends to grow its physical footprint from six to 40 locations nationwide by the end of 2020; Color Bars were open in six locations in New York City and San Francisco at the time of the raise. Madison Reed makes direct-to-consumer "prestige" hair products, including 45 shades of permanent hair color, eight shades of gloss, liquid and powder root-touch-up products, and shampoos and conditioners for color-treated hair. The company sells hair color kits exclusively through its site (single boxes or subscriptions) and offers 12 colors at Ulta. About 70% of its business is recurring; the company is four years old, has an 85-person team, and CEO/founder is Amy Errett. Madison Reed reports that its business has continued to double year over year, but does not disclose revenue or profitability publicly. The company is rolling out brick-and-mortar "color bars" after successful pop-ups, opening a San Francisco location and planning 25 more beginning in September. Each color bar is targeted at ~1,500 square feet with eight chairs, staffed by licensed colorists trained by the company; sessions are priced at $60 for 60 minutes and the company has built tech for scheduling, merchandising and color quizzes.

Participated · Series D · Mar 2022

Hydrow sells a connected home rowing machine and subscription-based fitness experience, positioning itself in the connected-fitness market. The company is Boston-based and emphasizes a “hybrid” approach to fitness, according to founder and CEO Bruce Smith. Hydrow grew revenue 3x between 2020 and 2021 and now reports north of 200,000 users. The company plans to invest in its product offering and drive innovation to retain and grow its member base. Management intends to use new funding to ramp up production and expand Hydrow’s international footprint. Hydrow expects its product to benefit from renewed interest in at-home equipment that requires relatively little storage space compared with treadmills. Hydrow produces a fitness player that delivers patent-protected Live Outdoor Reality™ (LOR) with instruction from athletes streaming live on the water. Its programming features live rowing from cities such as Miami, London, and San Francisco. The company intends to use newly raised funds for content expansion and increased marketing outreach. Hydrow raised a $25M financing extension that brings its total capital raised to $52M. The company was founded by Bruce Smith, who serves as CEO, and is based in Cambridge, Mass. Investors mentioned in the articles include L Catterton and existing backer Rx3 Ventures. Hydrow builds a Live Outdoor Reality™ (LOR) connected rowing machine that simulates the sights, sounds and sensations of rowing outdoors to deliver a superior in-home workout. The system includes hundreds of live and on-demand rowing workouts, supplemented with yoga and functional strength training. Hydrow sells the rower on its website for $2,199 and charges a monthly content subscription of $38. Led by CEO and founder Bruce Smith, the company leverages design and technology to provide both physical and emotional benefits of being on the water. Hydrow plans to use new funding to accelerate growth as it begins nationwide shipping, starting with nearly 1,000 early backers who purchased through Indiegogo. The company is based in Cambridge, Mass. Hydrow builds a connected fitness rower that delivers a live on‑river outdoor rowing experience at home. The platform includes hundreds of live and on‑demand rowing workouts, supplemented with yoga and functional strength training. Workouts are led by world‑class trainers, many of whom compete at the Rowing World Championships, creating an immersive fitness experience. Hydrow was founded in 2017 by U.S. National Team Rowing Coach Bruce Smith and is based in Boston, MA. The company plans to use new capital to bring its connected rower to consumers across the country. Financially, Hydrow received a more than $20m growth equity investment. CREW by True Rowing has developed a connected indoor rowing machine (CREW) that streams live, on-water instruction and content to a 22-inch screen using a proprietary, patent-pending broadcast-and-delivery system. The machine is described as sleek, nearly noiseless, and designed to evoke the water while delivering real-time feedback, music, and daily stories from instructors. CREW daily broadcasts live content from the Charles River in Boston and leverages a team of National Team rowing instructors and coaches for programming. The company emphasizes rowing’s whole-body benefits and claims its workouts deliver a more complete experience in less time. True Rowing says it will begin accepting orders for the CREW machines in the coming weeks and aims to expand rowing access to millions of users. The company is based in Cambridge, Mass., and highlights market reach estimates of 175,000–250,000 rowers in the U.S. and roughly 4.3 million people who use indoor rowing machines daily.

Participated · Series G · Jul 2018

The RealReal is a San Francisco–based provider of authenticated luxury consignment solutions led by CEO and Founder Julie Wainwright. The company operates an authenticated consignment service with 90+ in-house authenticators who inspect thousands of items daily to ensure authenticity. Consigning is supported by free in-home pickup, drop-off service and direct shipping, while retail locations allow customers to shop, meet with experts, and attend workshops. The RealReal also offers free jewelry, watch and handbag valuations at eight luxury consignment offices. The company intends to expand its brick-and-mortar presence into new markets and to support its supply of luxury goods with new e-commerce fulfillment centers. The RealReal operates an authenticated, high-end resale marketplace for women, men, and the home. The six-year-old, San Francisco–based company verifies and sells luxury items including fine jewelry and watches, and still predominantly sells women’s high-end apparel. It employs more than 800 people and is on track to sell $500 million in merchandise through the platform this year. Management has pushed out the timeline to profitability to prioritize brand awareness and expand its physical footprint. Over the last 18 months the company opened six valuation offices (San Francisco, New York, L.A., Chicago, and Washington, D.C.), and it is weighing a brick-and-mortar store strategy starting with a New York location. A prior pop-up in Soho generated more than $2 million in revenue and drew many new customers, informing the offline expansion plan. The RealReal operates an authenticated luxury consignment marketplace for clothing, accessories, watches, jewelry, and home goods, using trained authenticators (gemologists, horologists, art appraisers) to verify items. Sellers send items for the company to photograph and sell on their behalf; sellers typically earn 60–70% of the sale price. The site reports 4.5 million members and more than 2 million items sold to date. The company said it was poised to double its $100 million annual revenue in 2015 and is expecting to double revenue again. Services include in-home pickup in over 20 U.S. cities and valuation offices (initially New York and L.A., expanded to Chicago) for in-person appraisals. The RealReal is expanding both in the U.S. and internationally and placing funds toward strategic investments to outpace competitors. The RealReal operates a full‑service luxury consignment marketplace that vets and authenticates garments, bags, jewelry, art and other items before listing them for sale. It offers a white‑glove service in 18 U.S. cities where luxury managers consult with sellers and pick up items. The company pays consigners 60%–70% of the sale price and retains the remainder. The RealReal reported about $100 million in annual revenue and said it was poised to double that in 2015, though it was not yet profitable. Operating metrics in the article include 3.5 million members, 315 employees, shipments to 61 countries, and 1 million items sold to date. Fastest‑growing categories cited were menswear (225% growth 2013–2014, projected 125% growth in 2015) and fine jewelry and watches (about 250% growth). TheRealReal operates an online consignment marketplace focused exclusively on authenticated luxury and designer goods, including women’s and men’s fashion, fine jewelry and watches, and home decor such as fine art. The service authenticates items and lets consignors receive up to 70% of the sale price while customers buy brands like Chanel and Burberry at discounted prices. Each sale lasts 72 hours, and members can pay $5 per month to access sales 24 hours early. The company reports 2.4 million members, processes more than 40,000 luxury items per month, and has shipped over 450,000 items to date. The site expects to do about $125 million in revenue this year. Management, led by CEO and founder Julie Wainwright, is expanding into additional luxury verticals including fine art and plans more verticals in 2014.