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NÜTRL Founders Back Chilly Ones, Cymbiotika Lands at Ulta 📈

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CPG WIRE
March 14, 2026

GM and Happy Saturday, folks. Here’s what we’re covering this morning:

  • Hurray raises $5M for GIRL BEER 🍺

  • Living Things scores investment 🥤

  • K18 unveils new shampoo 🫧

  • Monster quietly launches FLRT ⚡️

  • OFRM takes a hit 🍼

My pals over at Operators are hosting an online event about paid growth on March 18th. It’s an opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds in growth like Connor MacDonald, Cherene Aubert, Kat Cole, Justine Tiu, and so many others. You can register for the event here.

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • German water filter specialist Brita has acquired a minority stake in Hello Klean, a London-based seller of shower filters and haircare products. Hello Klean has 80,000 active subscribers and around 75% of sales come from subscriptions. Brita has an option to increase its stake over time. The Industry

Fundraising

  • Chilly Ones, a Canadian purveyor of low-ABV and non-alcoholic beer, scored an investment from Paul & Melissa Meehan, the founders of NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer. Chilly Ones was founded by longtime NHL player Tyson Barrie last summer and the brand made its stateside debut in Colorado earlier this month. NÜTRL was an early mover in the RTD cocktail space and Anheuser-Busch acquired the business in 2020. PR Newswire

  • Another emerging brand in the light beer space, Hurray’s GIRL BEER, closed a $5M seed funding round led by Lakehouse Ventures. Spice Capital and several angel investors also participated in the round. Launched in Fall 2024 by Ray Biebuyck, Hurray aims to bring more women into the beer aisle with its flavored light beers and humor-led approach to marketing. Hurray retails at Albertsons, Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market. Instagram

  • UK-based better-for-you soda brand Living Things secured an investment from The Source Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Belgian bottled water company Spadel. Living Things was co-founded by Jonathan Relph and Ben Vear toward the end of 2023. The brand is approaching 25,000 points of distribution and retails at Tesco, Waitrose, and Boots. LinkedIn

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What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • K18, the biomimetic haircare brand that Unilever acquired in late 2023, expanded its product range with TripleBright Oxidation Defense Purple Shampoo. The product helps preserve brightness by targeting buildup and and neutralizing it. TripleBright will debut online at Sephora on March 23rd. PR Newswire

  • Fast-growing fragrance brand KAYALI expanded its Eden Fragrance Collection with two new scents: Plush Pear and Sweet Peach. KAYALI was spun out of Huda Beauty as a standalone brand in February 2025, the same year it reportedly hit $200M in sales. WWD

  • Out There is a performance-driven, clean personal care brand from Concept Brands. Concept Brands is the venture studio behind Ebb Ocean Club, a creator-led haircare brand that recenty launched at Sephora, and Daphne, a loungewear brand founded by Bravo’s Paige DeSorbo. Out There is launching nationwide at Walmart. Out There

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • FLRT Energy, the new female-focused energy drink brand created by Monster Beverage, quietly made its retail debut at Hy-Vee in the midwest. It looks like FLRT will be available at Walmart and Gopuff in the near future too. Several brands like Unwell, Benny, Joggy, and FLRT are focusing on female consumers after Alani Nu and Bloom succeeded with the playbook. Stack3d

  • Leisure Hydration unveiled an impactful packaging refresh. The beverage brand retained its playful energy while cleaning up its messaging and dialing up its focus on flavor. BevNET

  • Javvy Coffee just released its first non-coffee product. Dubbed Clear Protein Refreshers, the powder drink mix line delivers 10g of protein, 3g of fiber, and 45mg of caffeine. Thee flavors are available: Strawberry Acai, Peach Passionfruit, and Mango Pineapple. PR Newswire

  • Garage Beer added some seasoned veterans to its leadership team. Patrick Brang, former SVP of Finance at BeatBox, joined Garage Beer as CFO, while Andew McGuire, former Chief Customer Officer for Molson Coors U.S., joined as CRO. PR Newswire

  • Pop Up Grocer is expanding its presence in New York with a new retail store on the Upper East Side. The forthcoming store is expected to carry a broader selection of goods than its current one on Bleecker Street. Pop Up Grocer #2 will also have a cafe that serves beer, wine, and coffee. Patch

  • POCA is a new pocket-sized sweetener designed for coffee, matcha, and other beverages. The plant-based sweetener contains zero calories and a boost of fiber. POCA currently offers three flavors: Vanilla, Pistachio, and Caramel. POCA

Data 🖥️

  • Once Upon a Farm (NYSE: OFRM) took its first beating as a public company. Q4 net sales jumped 30% to $64M yet shares dipped as much as 20% on Thursday. Twitter

Distribution News 🚚