Society Brands’ Post

“Beatrice Dixon’s success didn’t come from landing an early #venturecapital investment. Instead, she started her company with a $21,000 loan from her brother and co-founder, Simon Gray. She spent 3 years working a full-time job to support herself while launching The Honey Pot Company, but after landing in Target and a first round of #fundraising in 2017—Beatrice was able to quit her job to run The Honey Pot Company full-time…. One of the biggest challenges has been proving our worth. We have competitors who have poised themselves as tech brands so because of that, they knew how to speak #data and all the colorful language you need when raising capital. They were able to get to higher valuations, they were able to raise more #money. Culturally, they were able to raise capital within their #community—it’s not anybody’s fault, but investors typically invest in founders and things that they understand. Whether it’s conscious or unconscious, cultural differences come into play. You don’t necessarily see a lot of Black-owned brands growing fast and then selling. There are so many factors when you talk about the disparities of being a Black woman founder raising venture capital.” Excerpts from this MUST READ by Lauren Fisher in The Helm article here: https://lnkd.in/eYrWAHFa “Raising more than $1M in funding is near to impossible for the 23.5 million Black women in the U.S. Since 2017, there have been less than one dozen Black Women-owned firms across the U.S. that have been able to raise more than $25M - and only with the help of powerful allies that determined enough was enough!” Excerpt by Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson’s post on the Fearless Fund in this repost here: https://lnkd.in/eYd7vc4x I did not have the opportunity to invest, but I have been a loyal customer since the Target launch. Congratulations Beatrice Dixon & Simon Gray, and your entire team of colleagues, suppliers, partners and investors. Way to go Richelieu Dennis! #inspiredbyyou Ms. Dixon & Mr. Gray - I look forward to hearing about who you decide to invest in given your story of access to capital. Thanks Jewel Burks Solomon for this post! #influencedbyyou #entrepreneurship #investing #assetmanagement #banking #investmentbanking #finance #business #diversity #inclusion #innovation #technology #healthcare #femcare #careeconomy #cpg #venturecapital #privateequity #cultureofmoney

🐈 Looks like the cat is in the bag for EQT Group's acquisition of VetPartners Limited. Reports out this morning that EQT Group deal makers Frank Heckes and David Forde have agreed to terms with Jefferies, the sellside advisor for VetPartners Limited. VetPartners Limited has 267 clinics across ANZ and Singapore, reports $661M in revenue with an EBITDA of $131M for a net margin of ~20%. This is right in EQT Group's sweet spot. It is reported that the acquisition price is around $1.4B which implies the same multiple as TPG's investment into Greencross Vets. The domestic animal space is massive with a reported market size of $5.5B and 69% of households owning pets. A staggering number. EQT Group are familiar with this space which made them an obvious front runner. It would have been an incredible month or 2 for the team Jefferies with a serious time constraint put on this deal. It follows the pattern of private money tipping into good deals with enduring thematics. It will be interesting to see what the growth potential is for this asset. I suspect that a global roll up may be on the cards to get the value uplift as required. #corporateadvisory #corporatelaw #acquisition #privatequity #privatecapital #catsmeow

#Spectrum Science #acquires #CrowdPharm and #HotIronHealth. The #acquisition solidifies Spectrum’s growing work in promotional #engagement and advertising, and #formally establishes Spectrum’s #strategic advertising and #consulting pillar, leveraging CrowdPharm’s disruptive delivery model to help clients meet today’s #marketing challenges with more impact and efficiency. The acquisition also brings Hot Iron Health’s strategic #advisory and consulting services to bear for clients #navigating a complex market. The advertising and #consulting pillar will be led by Mike Myers, #managing director and partner of CrowdPharm, who will serve as president and lead day-to-day operations. This acquisition #enhances Spectrum’s current#capabilities in several critical ways, including expanding the firm’s existing client base, as well as adding key advertising and #consulting talent to its roster. Spectrum is an integrated #marketing, communications and media firm like no other. CrowdPharm, a Spectrum Science company, is a full-service advertising agency led by industry #veterans and fueled by the largest network of global talent #anywhere. Spectrum Science - a GHMC Company CrowdPharm Hot Iron Health Jonathan Wilson #spectrum #funding #startup

Taking a company from inception to exit is a journey filled with highs, lows, and pivotal decisions. At the heart of it all lies the quest for the perfect buyer—one who not only values your innovation but also shares your vision for the future. 🎯💡 This is something Luke Vigeant experienced when selling virtual mental health company Inkblot Therapy by GreenShield Health to health and benefits not-for-profit Greenshield. In the latest TechExitNOW issue, Luke shared more about how he took Inkblot from Seed round to exit in a single step. Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Timing Matters: Many startups, once they hit their stride, face the dilemma of whether to seek substantial funding or explore early exit opportunities. Strategic timing is paramount. 2️⃣ Alignment is Key: If contemplating an exit before reaching Series B or C rounds, it's crucial to align with a buyer who not only offers financial value but also ensures the company's mission can thrive post-acquisition. 3️⃣ Holistic Approach: Beyond the sticker price, consider factors like contingency percentage and share makeup to ensure a well-rounded agreement that benefits all parties involved. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eM_EdQKN #techexit #tech #mergersandacquisitions #seedround

It's a solid base for a spin off that matured under 3M. Here's our starting metrics

My gut tells me, she wasn't pushed - rather, she jumped. With Canopy Growth ready to start "helping", she has enough money and enough other things she wants to do, and having to listen to CGC tell her what do, would just become unbearable. CGC is likely to start smashing the 3 companies together - try to find cost savings - look for RTM and internal transfer synergies. Of course, given the current regulations in the US, there is no across-state transfer of product, so real scale plays are not in play. And Canopy has proven they have the executional excellence and precision of a sledgehammer in an eye operation. No one wants to be around and see their life's work ripped to rat's shite. Wana and Jetty, are pretty small businesses in the grand scheme of the US cannabis market - both, it would seem, have used licensing as their expansion strategy, which begs the question as to who will control the trademark in those states going forward. And Acreage Holdings is a debt-ridden, money-losing shell that looks to be more of liability to the whole thing. It's going to cost a lot of money to make Canopy USA work and more importantly, real strategic acumen - CGC has neither. Just wait and watch - Canopy will screw this up - it's what they do.

Funding has become harder to come by for consumer brand founders, but the drought is gradually ending thanks to a crop of new funds like Alethia Strategic Business Solutions and Humble Growth, dedicated to CPGs. In this piece by Gabriela Barkho, we speak to Mike Warren, MBA, ACP, Nick Giannuzzi, and Andrew Abraham.

💰Is your beverage brand in fundraising mode? If so, this is the Business of Drinks episode for you! We talk with Giuseppe Infusino, managing partner and chief investment officer at InvestBev, a private equity firm that deploys growth capital to drinks brands. In this masterclass, Giuseppe shares his proprietary, 4-part framework for fundraising success — Plan, Path, Pitch, and Process. By the end of the episode you’ll have answers to these questions: 💬 In the PLAN stage: -How should I frame my product, and the opportunity it represents, to investors? -What do investors want to know about my company’s infrastructure? -What should I be prepared to share about my customers and GTM strategy? 🧭 In the PATH stage: -What are the different types of funding I should be aware of? -How can I find potential funding sources? -How should I approach potential funders? ❇️ At the PITCH stage: -How should I think about my pitch deck? -What is the most essential information I need in that deck? -How can I improve my chances of success? 📊 In the PROCESS stage: -What happens after the pitch? -How can I effectively support the process?  -What else should I be thinking about? If you want an edge on pitching to investors in today’s challenging fundraising climate, listen in: https://lnkd.in/e6nYcMvi #investbev #drinksindustry #pitching #beverageindustry #fundraising

Massachusetts PE News Weekly 📈 📍Fifth Down Capital co-leads Peregrine's Series B financing, raising $30 million, backing Nick Noone and the Peregrine team. Alongside Friends & Family Capital, Goldcrest Capital, Craft Ventures, and Jason Godfrey, they're revolutionizing data utilization for public safety organizations. 📍Riverside Partners completes investment in Net32, the leading online marketplace for dental supplies, citing over 20 years of success and annual growth of 25%. The partnership aims to enhance affordability and ease of purchasing for dental offices. Net32, founded in 1997, boasts over 70K dentists served. 📍 Volition Capital invests $10.5M in Screenverse's Series A round, bolstering its suite of services for DOOH media owners. The investment will fuel innovation, focusing on technology enhancement and team expansion to maximize revenue potential and provide access to programmatic demand. Volition's Managing Partner, Larry Cheng, highlights Screenverse's value in reaching unique audiences programmatically. #privateequitynews #privateequity #massachusettsnews #massachusetts #rawselection

we've raised another $45M, led by Bain Capital Ventures, bringing total $ raised since I started Loyal 4.5 years ago to $125M This new $ fuels us to very hopefully! bring the first FDA-approved lifespan extension drug to market in 2025. We have the data, the team, and the path forward — this capital was the last puzzle piece to ensure that, if our vision is possible, we will achieve it. new investors: Bain Cap and Valor Equity Partners with existing investors doubling/tripling down including: Khosla, First Round Capital, Box Group, Quiet Capital, Collaborative Fund, Todd & Rahul, more Raising a growth round post-ZIRP as a weird company was a great learning experience I plan to write that up sometime soon. the tl;dr - was crucial to connect use of new capital --> milestones unlocked --> objective increase in company, value *even* in a tough market We are now running on: > earning FDA mfg, safety, RXE approval for LOY-002 (senior dog lifespan extension) > LOY-002 market launch in 2025 > building out distribution commercial functions for nationwide supply > cont'd development of LOY-001 (injectable) and LOY-003 (daily pill) for large dog lifespan ext Thanks WSJ for covering!