• Jinx

  Led · Series B · Aug 2023

  Jinx is a modern dog food company that develops better-for-them dog food products and has shifted its core business from direct-to-consumer into retail partnerships. Founded in 2019 and based in Los Angeles, the brand launched in 2020 and is in its second year of retail. Its products are carried in over 5,000 doors nationwide across Walmart, Target, PetSmart, Albertsons, Safeway, ShopRite, and Giant. Jinx is pacing to land over $45M in revenue this year. The company plans to use new capital to expand distribution across Mass Retail, Grocery, and eCommerce and to invest in product innovation, marketing, merchandising, and people. Management added Kyle Banahan as President in Fall 2022, and several celebrities (including Chris Evans, Halsey, Trevor Noah, and others) are public supporters and investors. Jinx offers a portfolio of clean-label dog nutrition products — kibble, treats, toppers, and dental chews — formulated without fillers or preservatives and featuring real ingredients like organic chicken plus 20+ natural superfoods. The brand launched in January 2020 and has partnered with businesses such as Postmates, Spotlight Oral Care, Barry’s, and Saison Hospitality’s Angler restaurants to expand distribution and visibility. Jinx plans to use its new funding to expand its product portfolio and move beyond a direct-to-consumer model. Management intends to launch in major brick-and-mortar retailers across the U.S. in early 2022. The company has cultivated high-profile partnerships and celebrity backers that have supported both its seed and subsequent rounds. Financially, the company completed a $28M Series A in November 2021 to fund these growth initiatives. Jinx is building a line of kibble and treats developed by a staff nutritionist and a larger nutrition council, formulated with organic and diversified proteins and easy-to-process carbohydrates. The founders point to an estimated 56% of U.S. dogs being overweight or obese and position the products to address that issue. The company intends to target millennial pet owners with specific lifestyle attributes—apartment living, dog walkers, and dogs that sleep in beds—and to educate shoppers about ingredients. Jinx plans to start selling its first products in January and will begin direct-to-consumer through its website while pursuing some in‑real‑life retail presence later. The brand will sit in the premium price tier, with pricing positioned between Blue Buffalo and Orijen. The startup has raised capital to support launch and operations, including a recent $5.65 million raise.

• Bravo Sierra

  Led · Series B · Aug 2022

  BRAVO SIERRA develops clean, high-performance personal care products designed with and for the U.S. military community. Its formulas are paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, phenoxyethanol-free, vegan, cruelty-free and made in the USA. The brand operates a proprietary community called BATTALION of roughly 2,500 Special Operations, active service members and veterans who field-test products, and it donates 5% of sales through a partnership with Department of Defense military exchanges. Since launching in 2019 the company says revenue has doubled year-over-year, it has amassed more than 10,000 five-star reviews, and its deodorant reached #8 on Amazon after six months. Products are sold across military exchanges and nationwide at Walmart, Target, Amazon, HEB, GNC, Ulta and bravosierra.com. The company has surpassed six-figure contributions to the DoD exchanges and positions itself for further retail and product innovation growth. Bravo Sierra is a NYC-based non-traditional defense contractor that engineers performance consumer products for military and civilian patrons. The company launched personal care products exclusively within the Department of Defense’s Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps exchanges globally. It has developed a proprietary software platform that enables field testing by over 1,000 U.S. active duty service members, allowing product development iteration based on real-time feedback. Led by co-CEOs Justin Guilbert and Benjamin Bernet, Bravo Sierra focuses on performance-focused personal care and is expanding product development into new categories. The company plans to use the new capital to launch omni-channel distribution, accelerate product development into new categories, and deploy its social manufacturing technology platform at scale. It closed a $12M Series A to fund these strategic initiatives.

• Bruvi

  Participated · Series A · Sep 2021

  Bruvi produces a multi-beverage, multi-brand single‑serve capsule coffee system that brews filter coffee, espresso, matcha lattes and Americanos and will offer sustainably sourced craft coffees and selections from Los Angeles roasters. The device is an IoT smart brewer with optional mobile app and Wi‑Fi connectivity. The company is B Corp pending and was founded by Sung Oh and Mel Elias. Bruvi raised $7M in a pre‑Series A round, bringing total capital raised to $10.8M. The company intends to use the new funds for manufacturing, software development, brewer inventory and digital advertising. It was preparing for pre-orders in November 2021 and a national launch in Q1 2022. Bruvi builds a connected single‑serve coffee system that brews filter coffee, espresso, Americanos, iced coffee, infused coffee and tea, plus cold brew using proprietary B‑Pods. Its system is an IoT smart device with Wi‑Fi and a mobile app that enables remote brewing, auto‑ordering of pods and a user dashboard of consumption patterns. B‑Pods are marketed as ethically and sustainably sourced and will include licensed brand partners. Founded in 2018 by Mel Elias and based in Los Angeles, the company previously raised $950k in pre‑seed funding in 2019. Bruvi secured $2.2M in seed funding to be used for manufacturing capital investment as it works toward a planned national launch in Q3 2021. The company is positioning its offering around convenience, connected features and recurring pod sales.

No current team members are available.