Pronghorn Backs Doce Mezcal, Leisure Lands at WFM 💧

Author

CPG WIRE
March 08, 2025

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

  • Rhodium buys Rootine 💊

  • Citizens of Soil raises funding 🫒

  • Unwell Hydration x NWSL ⚽️

  • TOAST-IT rebrands 💯

  • Cheddies launches at Target 🎯

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Once Upon a Farm is reportedly considering an IPO. As of 2023, the company had more than $100M in annual revenue. Investors include CAVU Venture Partners, S2G Ventures, Cambridge SPG, and Beechwood Capital. Bloomberg

  • Canadian non-alc beer producer Sober Carpenter was acquired by Les Brasseurs du Nord, a Quebec-based microbrewery. Sober Carpenter was founded in 2018 and is distributed at over 10,000 points of sale across Canada. Another non-alc brewer, WellBeing Brewing Company, was acquired a week ago. Cision

  • Nashville-based supplement brand Rootine has been acquired by Rhodium, a health, wellness, and beauty platform. Rootine was founded six years ago by Rachel Sanders. LinkedIn

Fundraising

  • Citizens of Soil, a UK-based olive oil brand, raised £1.8M in seed funding from FIGR Ventures and a family office. Citizens of Soil differentiates by partnering with regenerative farms and small-batch producers. Tech EU

  • New York-based spirits brand Doce Mezcal secured an undisclosed amount of funding from Pronghorn, an investor in underrepresented founders in the spirits industry. Doce Mezcal was founded in 2022 by Gabriela Lawrence and Mia Tonelli. The company also announced a distribution partnership with Blueprint Spirits in the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic. The Spirits Business

  • A1C Drinks, a purveyor of diabetic-friendly beverages that support healthier blood sugar levels, raised an undisclosed amount of funding from IntegraNet Health. EIN Presswire

What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Hairstylist Heba Maksad launched a new haircare brand called Vollie. The company launched with three core SKUs along with a comb and shower shelf. The packaging is pretty novel. Beauty Independent

  • Lemme is launching a fiber & probiotic gummy supplement called Lemme No. 2. Each serving contains 4g of fiber along with a 55mg dose of probiotic complex. Stack3d

  • Dr. Barbara Sturm, the skincare brand that Puig acquired in early 2024, launched a new skin booster called Ceramide Drops. Instagram

  • LoveShackFancy is launching its fifth fragrance which is called Love on the Beach and will debut on the Sephora app on March 20th. Happi

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • Unwell Hydration, the beverage brand founded by popular podcaster Alex Cooper, signed a season-long sponsorship deal with the National Women’s Soccer League. WSJ

  • LA-based tahini brand Sunny Fine Foods launched a seed oil free salad dressing range at Expo West. The new line will hit retail shelves over the summer. Heard very good things about it. Instagram

  • Scott’s Protein Balls unveiled a new brand identity and reformulated their product range with a focus on cleaner ingredients. NOSH

  • Guayakí Yerba Mate launched a number of new flavors and formats. New flavors include Sparkling Cherry Jubilation, Bravo Mango, Strawberry Hibiscus, and Summer Peach. The brand also launched slim cans in four-packs. PR Newswire

  • TOAST-IT, a Miami-based purveyor of better-for-you arepas, officially rebranded as Kiosco. The updated packaging is a big improvement. Instagram

  • Lo Siento Tequila launched a cinnamon-infused tequila called Caliente. BevNET

  • C4 Energy signed NIL deals with 128 college basketball players. Their March Madness NIL roster includes Auburn’s Johni Broome, Alabama’s Mark Sears, Texas’ Madison Booker, and a number of others. Sports Business Journal

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Data 🖥️

  • Despite an overall category slowdown, AB InBev was able to deliver growth thanks to Michelob Ultra and Busch Light. Also 10% of AB InBev’s revenue now derives from non-alcoholic and zero sugar beverages. Food Dive

Distribution News 🚚

  • Leisure Hydration launched nationwide at Whole Foods Market.

  • Cheddies launched at 1,700 Target stores.

  • Sparkling beverage brand Juni launched at Costco.

  • Jubilee’s launched at Wheatsville in Austin, TX.