Uncle Arnie's Extends Round, Celsius Shares Dip 📉

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

• Pernod sells another brand 🥃

• Dear Biology secures funding 💊

• Plant People bets on kids gummies 🌱

• Seven Sundays expands offering 🥞

• Beekeeper Coffee heads to Target 🎯

There will be no newsletters next week but we’ll be back in your inbox the week of 8/17.

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

• Pernod Ricard’s Canadian arm is divesting Lamb’s Rum for $28M. The transaction includes intellectual property and inventory. The buyer is Maison des Futailles and the divestment will enable Pernod to focus on its fast-growing RTD division in Canada. The Spirits Business

Fundraising

• Dear Biology officially closed its pre-seed round at a mid 7-figure valuation. The company is launching a melatonin-free sleep solution later this month and will expand into other wellness categories in the future. Dear Biology was co-founded by Sahil Sharma and Pukar Uprety. Instagram

• THC beverage brand Uncle Arnie’s secured an additional $2M from existing investors. In August 2025, the company raised $7.5M in Series A funding from Mindset Capital, Delta Emerald Ventures, and Harry Rubin, a founding partner of The Boston Beer Company. Founded by Ave Miller and Theo Terris in 2020, Uncle Arnie’s is distributed in the traditional retail and dispensary channels. BevNET

• IRIS Ventures announced a minority investment in French skincare brand Krème. Created by Juliette Lailler and Marie Belile, Krème is primarily distributed through the pharmacy channel with additional distribution at Galeries Lafayette and La Samaritaine. The company uses probiotics and other active ingredients to treat ultra-sensitive skin. Revenue has doubled every year since launching in 2020. WWD

• G.O.A.T. Foods secured a strategic investment from LesserEvil Snacks co-founder Charles Coristine. The Solomon family also participated in the company’s first round of outside funding. G.O.A.T. Foods is best known for selling its products via domains like Licorice dot com, Pretzels dot com, etc. Nosh

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What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

• Plant People, one of the fastest-growing supplement brands in the country, just expanded its kids gummies range with Wonder Sleep Kids. The melatonin-free product is formulated with 75mg of L-Theanine, 50mg of Glycine, and concentrated 10:1 extracts of Chamomile and Lemon Balm. LinkedIn

• Dermata Therapeutics is graduating from prescription ingredient development and will launch its debut direct-to-consumer skincare brand on August 25th. Dubbed Tome, the new skincare brand will offer once-weekly treatments that address acne, discoloration, and fine lines. The branding and packaging are both excellent (this is a pleasant surprise considering that most science-focused companies are dreadful at branding). WWD

• Instant Hydration teamed up with Luigi’s Real Italian Ice on a limited-edition flavor: Lemon Ice. The co-branded sachet and case both look great. Instant Hydration recently released a licensed ICEE flavor as well. Instant Hydration

• Celtic Sea Salt is moving into wellness with its new product line. Though best known for its culinary sea salts, the company just introduced its Hydrate by Celtic Sea Salt line with four flavors. Each serving contains 1000mg of sodium, 100mg of magnesium, 500m of taurine, and zero sugar. Trend Hunter

• Hero Cosmetics is launching a new line of cleansers and SNL’s Veronika Slowikowska is the face of its promotional campaign. Hero is bringing three cleanser SKUs to market: Pore Cleanser, Mighty Cleanser, and Gentle Cleanser. Instagram

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

• Better-for-you cereal brand Seven Sundays expanded into a new category with its Oatcakes line. The just-add-water pancake mix delivers 10g of protein and 20% of daily fiber per serving. The new line is also gluten-free, vegan, and free from artificial flavors and refined sugar. FoodBev

• Hot Girl Pickles is tapping into convenience and portability with its newest product line. Grab & Go Hot Girl Pickles are packaged in stand-up pouches and two flavors are available: Original Dill and Honey Harissa. With brands like Freestyle Snacks and Oh Snap! picking up momentum, this move makes a lot of sense. Hot Girl Pickles

• TRUBAR upped the ante with its new Pro line. Each bar contains 18g of protein and 12-13g of fiber. Three flavors are currently available via TRUBAR’s website and Amazon. Instagram

• Cereal giant WK Kellogg Co will eliminate artificial colors and the preservative BHT from its entire cereal portfolio by the end of 2026. The company is one year ahead of schedule. PR Newswire

• Belgian Boys tapped Louisa Lawless as Chief Commercial Officer to spearhead the company’s next phase of growth. Lawless joins Belgian Boys after scaling Nutrabolt, Core Nutrition, and Red Bull in various marketing and commercialization roles. PR Newswire

• Copenhagen-based Wasted just debuted on Misfits Market and will soon launch at Whole Foods Market in the United States. The company fights food waste by turning surplus artisanal bread into shelf-stable pasta. Wasted currently offers three SKUs: Rotini, Penne, and Shells. PR Newswire

Data 🖥️

• Celsius Holdings took a beating after Q2 revenue missed analyst expectations by a good margin. Celsius Holdings still delivered 10% revenue growth in the period thanks to Alani Nu and Rockstar Energy, but Celsius brand revenue dipped 11.7%. Celsius shares were down more than 17% yesterday. Business Wire

Distribution News 🚚

• Beekeeper Coffee launched online & in-store at Target.

• Shakeology is now available nationwide at The Vitamin Shoppe.

• Joon launched at select Fresh Market stores.

• BUM Energy will launch in the UK.