Good Crisp Exits, Bansk Group Raises $1.45B For Fund II 📈

GM and Happy Thursday, folks. I’m sorry you didn’t hear from us on Tuesday. I came down with the flu over the weekend and was absolutely glued to the bed. Anyways, we’re back now, so let’s dive in:

• Explorer acquires Savorista ☕️

• TTV invests in TRIP ✈️

• Koia launches protein soda 🥤

• Celsius refreshes Fizz-Free line 🫧

• Athletic partners with American Airlines 🍺

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

• MPearlRock, a strategic partnership between MidOcean Partners and Kroger, is acquiring better-for-you salty snack firm The Good Crisp Company for an undisclosed sum. Matt Parry founded Good Crisp in 2015 and the brand retails at more than 20,000 doors in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the UK. The company raised funding from several institutional investors like Lotus Bakeries, Beliade, Clover Vitality, Goat Rodeo Capital, RCV Frontline, and others. Business Wire

• Juggernaut Capital Partners is selling GoRaw, a seed-based snack brand, to Indian family office USK Capital. Since acquiring GoRaw in late 2017, JCP more than doubled the brand’s revenue and broadened distribution across grocery, natural, club, and e-commerce channels. PR Newswire

• Explorer Cold Brew has acquired Savorista, a specialist in decaf and half-caf coffee. Explorer Cold Brew launched in 2020 and this is the company’s first acquisition. Founder Cason Crane teased another upcoming acquisition as Explorer goes full platform. BevNET

• Tyler & Braden Handley, the co-founders of Inkbox, are exploring a buyback of the temporary tattoo brand as BIC prepares to shutter it. The brothers launched Inkbox in 2015 and sold it to BIC for $65M in 2022. They also recently launched Olauto, a premium car fragrance brand. Beauty Independent

Fundraising

• Bansk Group, a leading consumer investment firm, officially closed Fund II with $1.45B in total commitments. The firm now has $5B under management. Co-founded in 2019 by former JAB Chairman Bart Becht, Bansk Group’s portfolio includes BYOMA, Amika, Eva NYC, No Man’s Land Beef Jerky, PetIQ, and several other consumer businesses. PR Newswire

• Taste Tomorrow Ventures (TTV), the venture arm of L.A. Libations, just announced an investment in TRIP, a UK-based purveyor of calming beverages and supplements. The investment from TTV comes on the heels of TRIP closing a $40M funding round at a $300M valuation in November. LinkedIn

• SEMCAP secured $125M for its debut Food & Nutrition fund. Their prior investments include Good Culture, Aloha, Purely Elizabeth, Kite Hill, and Fresh Prep. GlobeNewswire

• Gutology, a UK-based startup focused on microbiome-friendly oral care products, raised £1.8M in funding from Active Partners and Mercia Ventures. Gutology was founded by Ollie Gallant as a wellness podcast in 2021. The company plans on expanding into adjacent personal care categories with products that support the microbiome. Linkedin

• According to an SEC filing, Wild Society Nutrition raised over $530K in fresh equity funding. Founded in 2023 by former UFC Bantamweight Champ TJ Dillashaw, Wild Society sells a wide variety of products including protein powders and grass-fed beef snacks. SEC

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What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

• Utah-based performance VMS brand Momentous announced a multi-year partnership with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Momentous also released The Arnold Stack, a three-product routine featuring protein, creatine, and vitamin D3. Athletech News

• Fast-growing skincare brand Bubble is launching a multi-use balm for dryness and redness later today. The new SKU will be available via their website and at Ulta Beauty. Instagram

• Elm Biosciences unveiled its newest innovation: A3O Elemental Night Cream. The product softens fine lines and wrinkles via a next-gen retinoid and the brand’s proprietary A3O Complex. Instagram

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

• Fast-growing protein beverage brand Koia released a great-looking protein soda range. Each can delivers 10g of protein, 4g of fiber, and only 2g sugar. Four flavors are currently available: Sour Squeeze, Rocket Freeze, Pink Twist, and Capri Splash. Instagram

• Beleaguered beverage brand PRIME is launching an Ultra-Filtered Protein Shake line with three flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Cookies & Cream. Each can features 32g of protein, 3g of sugar, and 150 calories. This product ought to resonate with Logan Paul and KSI’s target audience, but the same could be said for their energy drink line. Instagram

• Horizon Organic, the largest organic dairy brand in the U.S. according to Circana, just launched a clean creamer range. Each creamer is made with only four ingredients and three flavors are currently available. PR Newswire 

• Lifeway Foods (Nasdaq: LWAY) continues to dial up the innovation and is releasing a line of Probiotic Kefir Butters. The butters are packaged in 8 oz tubs and three varieties are available. Food Business News

• Celsius refreshed its Fizz-Free line to give it a more distinct look compared to its carbonated options. We made a video about why Fizz-Free was poised to blow up and still believe it to be true. Bullish 👇 LinkedIn

• Motif is a new purveyor of naturally flavored syrups for coffee & tea. The company was founded by Michael Zabar and officially launched a few days ago. Motif debuted with four syrups: Pistachio, Cinnamon Babka, Vanilla, and Chocolate. Motif

Data 🖥️

• Numerator released its list of fastest-growing brands in 2025. You’ll recognize most of the brands but a handful of surprises like Amos Sweets and Drizzilicious made the list. Apparently Drizzilicious is doing alarming numbers at Target. Numerator

Distribution News 🚚

• Athletic Brewing is now available on American Airlines flights.

• Arrae launched online & in-store at Ulta Beauty.

• Grüns launched at Hy-Vee, H-E-B, and Wegmans.

• FitJoy launched nationwide at Target.

• AG1 launched at 640+ Vitamin Shoppe locations.