VMG Raises $1B, Verde Valle Buys A Dozen Cousins 🍚

Author

CPG WIRE
May 15, 2025

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

  • Valerie secures over £500K 💊

  • Alo Yoga plans concept store 💯

  • MrBeast partners with Jack Link’s 🥩

  • Kettle & Fire opens facility 🏭

  • Tower 28 heads to the UK ⛱️

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Middle West Spirits, an Ohio-based independent spirits producer, has acquired Old Elk Distillery for an undisclosed sum. Old Elk was founded in 2013 and is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. The company’s Master Distiller, Greg Metze, produces a variety of whiskey products. Bottle Raiders

  • A Dozen Cousins has been acquired by Verde Valle Foods for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2019 by Ibraheem Basir, A Dozen Cousins is a purveyor of meals and sides inspired by Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American recipes. The brand retails at Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Wegmans, a number of other chains. Verde Valle Foods is the owner of Isadora which is one of the top-selling bean brands in North America. Business Wire

  • DTC swimwear brand Andie has acquired Richer Poorer, a California-based apparel brand that launched in 2010. Francesca acquired Richer Poorer in 2023 but the retailer is keen to move on after two years. The deal marks Andie's first acquisition and a major step toward becoming a multi-brand, multi-category lifestyle business. PR Newswire

Fundraising

  • Women’s wellness brand Valerie secured just over £500K in a pre-seed funding round. The round was led by angel investors and included participation from Giles Brook, a former exec at Vita Coco and Innocent Drinks. Valerie, founded in 2024 by Olly Johnson and Wizz Selvey, creates wellness solutions that help women navigate perimenopause. The company expects to exceed £1M in revenue in 2025. The Industry

  • VMG Partners, a consumer-focused growth equity firm, raised $1B for its sixth fund. Over the past two decades, VMG has invested in more than 60 iconic consumer brands like KIND Snacks, K18, Spindrift, Drunk Elephant, Bare Snacks, Bobbie, Briogeo, Quest Nutrition, and many others. WSJ

What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Shakira is launching a new haircare brand called isima in the near future. There’s a glut of celebrity haircare brands but a handful like TYPEBEA and Anomaly are performing well. Instagram

  • Alo Yoga is opening an experiential retail store in Miami Beach that will also serve as a private health club. Lalire March Architects is converting a former Walgreens store into a space that will include weight rooms, infrared saunas, cold plunges, cryotherapy chambers, and cafes. Instagram

  • Grammy-nominated rapper Ice Spice is partnering with Revlon to launch a new fragrance line. Revlon is looking to revive its fragrance unit after emerging from bankruptcy in 2023. WWD

  • New York’s Sofie Pavitt Face just unveiled their newest product — Fridge to Face Blemish Defense Mist. The new SKU is available online and at Sephora. Hypebae

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • Jack Link’s and MrBeast joined forces to launch a co-branded line of meat snacks. Partnering with MrBeast is a smart play for Jack Link’s. The family-owned business is an incumbent but they’re under siege from fast-growing newcomers like Chomps and Archer. Enlisting MrBeast ought to make the brand more appealing to younger consumers. Here’s a first look at the packaging from the Sweets & Snacks Expo. Business Wire

  • Smash Foods launched a new line of toaster pastries called Toasties. The 100% whole wheat pastry is filled with real, simple ingredients and contains zero refined sugars. The branding looks pretty slick too. Instagram

  • Kettle & Fire, the category leader in bone broth, just opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lancaster, PA. The 167,000-square-foot facility will enable Kettle & Fire to unlock considerable efficiencies with production and logistics. PR Newswire

  • Non-alc aperitif brand Botivo partnered with influential chef Yotam Ottolenghi on a limited edition beverage inspired by vibrant Middle Eastern flavors. The aperitif features notes of black lime, cardamom, rose, and pomegranate molasses. The Spirits Business

  • SunSip, the better-for-you soda brand from Health-Ade, unveiled its newest flavor — Grape. The new flavor is available online and at select Target stores. PR Newswire

  • Danone is entering the $7B protein shake category via its Oikos Greek Yogurt brand.The shakes contain 30g of protein, 5g of prebiotic fiber, and only 1g of sugar. The new line will hit shelves at Costco, CVS, Kroger, Target, and Walmart over the summer. Food Dive

  • Clean infant nutrition brand ByHeart is releasing its formula in on-the-go, mess-free stick packs. Business Wire

A Message From Matriarch 📈

Matriarch Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment advisor and fiduciary headquartered in Miami, Florida.

We specialize in working with founders and executives in the CPG industry, providing comprehensive wealth management strategies following a liquidity event. Our engagements often begin in the early stages of a brand’s growth, offering pre-transaction planning to help reduce the tax impact upon exit, as well as highly competitive cash management and lending services.

Whether it is developing an investment plan to fund a way of life, preparing before receiving a meaningful gain, or building a legacy that supports future generations, Matriarch works side by side with clients to help them secure their vision of success.

We are proud to have Mike Repole — the co-founder of vitaminwater and BODYARMOR — as both a client and an advisor. His involvement has enabled us to build a uniquely CPG-focused wealth management practice rooted in deep industry experience.

You can learn more about Matriarch here or schedule a call with us here.

Data 🖥️

  • Grüns is now the #1 greens brand on Amazon regardless of format (powders, gummies, etc.). Super impressive feat for a brand that only launched in 2023. LinkedIn 

Distribution News 🚚

  • Tower 28 launched at Sephora in the UK.

  • Superfood shake brand Ka’Chava launched at Whole Foods Market.

  • Vermont Smoke & Cure launched at Walmart and Giant.

  • Non-alc beverage brand JAS launched at Bristol Farms.