“The truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry.” — The Big Short (2015).

Yesterday I missed a 70-week publishing streak on AirSugar. I was waiting for this moment.

When we first met Chad Janis, Grüns had just launched. Revenue was minimal. Another supplement brand in a crowded category, up against players with infinite budgets and decades of shelf space. Nothing about it looked like a venture outcome.

We invested anyway.

Not because the spreadsheet told us to. Lisa held the pouch and said: this is the product. This is it. She’d been searching for something like it. So had every soccer mom passing sachets around like they were sharing something precious. Eight gummies in a pouch. No water. No pill shame. No mixing expensive green powder into a glass of lukewarm water at six in the morning and calling it a personality.

The market saw a supplement. Lisa saw a ritual. That gap is where we live.

Chad wasn’t a supplement industry veteran. He was a frustrated consumer who couldn’t figure out why taking care of himself had to feel like a chore. Three years ago, he told his wife Hannah it would be a dream if Grüns could one day partner with Unilever. He said that from a Stanford dorm room. He lived the problem before he thought to solve it. The destination was always there.

We wrote three checks. The third increased our position by 30%. When Headline led the fourth round at a $500 million valuation, we took some off the table. We had to. The first check is courage. The second is conviction. The third is a superpower.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian’s blog.

Sugar Capital News

🧸 Grüns just reset the ceiling for modern CPG. The acquisition by Unilever signals a meaningful shift in how quickly consumer brands can scale when they truly own a daily habit. What once took decades is now happening in just a few years, driven by strong product-market fit and consistent consumer usage. Need more proof Grüns won’t be slowing down? In the same week as the acquisition, Grüns introduced a limited-edition Strawberry Vanilla gummy in collaboration with Olipop - reinforcing continued momentum both in distribution and in culture. Beauty Independent + Unilever + Forbes + NY Post

☕️ Esspo is beginning to establish itself in retail. Now available in Whole Foods, the espresso soda is designed for the moment when morning coffee fades, pairing real espresso with light carbonation for a more refreshing energy experience. The opportunity is less about a single product and more about building a new afternoon ritual. BevNet + LinkedIn

⚡️ Ultra is continuing to build through iteration. The introduction of a Blue Razz flavor reflects a steady approach to product expansion, where incremental updates help maintain engagement and reinforce brand familiarity over time. Instagram

🍳 Caraway is expanding its footprint beyond cookware. The launch of a thoughtfully designed trash and recycling system reflects a broader ambition to elevate every part of the kitchen experience - including the overlooked ones. By bringing the same design-forward approach to everyday essentials, the brand continues to strengthen its role as a holistic kitchen presence. StupidDope + Good Housekeeping + Fast Company

🕯️ Snif is demonstrating what modern fragrance distribution can look like. A recent livestream drove over $400K in sales in just a few hours, propelling the brand to the top fragrance spot on TikTok Shop. The result highlights how creator-led commerce and real-time engagement are becoming core to how beauty brands scale. Glossy

💆‍♀️ Jupiter continues to build through consistency. Recognition for its shampoos reinforces the brand’s focus on solving a specific problem - dandruff and scalp care - with products that integrate easily into daily routines. While trends shift quickly, products that deliver reliable results tend to endure. NBC News

🍀 Lucky Energy is expanding across both format and flavor. New nostalgic slush-inspired offerings, alongside gummies entering retail, reflect a broader strategy to meet consumers in different moments throughout the day. As the category evolves, flexibility in format is becoming an increasingly important lever. FoodBev Media + Trend Hunter + PR Newswire

🫒 Brightland is extending into adjacent lifestyle categories. A collaboration with Hill House signals a natural expansion beyond the kitchen, bringing the brand into new environments while staying aligned with its aesthetic and customer base. LinkedIn

🤖 Jurni is building toward AI-enabled commerce experiences. A new connector with Claude reflects ongoing efforts to support more dynamic and personalized shopping journeys, as discovery continues to shift toward conversational and AI-driven interfaces. LinkedIn

💛 Locket is tapping into changing social behaviors. As younger users look for alternatives to algorithm-driven feeds, the platform’s growth highlights an appetite for more intimate, direct forms of connection. The next wave of social may look meaningfully different from the last. As Seen On

“I don’t throw darts at a board. I bet on sure things.” — Gordon Gekko, Wall Street (1987)

The report that L Catterton is exploring a sale of Thorne at up to $4 billion is the latest proof of something I’ve been watching build for two years. The largest consumer companies in the world are sitting on piles of cash, watching younger consumers walk away from their brands, and staring at innovation pipelines that cannot move fast enough. They have one move left. And they’ve already started.

The proof is in the tape. PepsiCo and Poppi for nearly $2 billion. e.l.f. Beauty and Rhode for $1.3 billion. Unilever and Dr. Squatch at $1.5 billion. Hershey and LesserEvil. Mammoth Brands and Coterie for north of $650 million. Church & Dwight and Hero for $630 million. Six deals in eighteen months. Nearly $9 billion deployed into brands most legacy boardrooms couldn’t have named a year earlier.

This isn’t a spike. It’s the start of a cycle that’s already underway.

None of these buyers think they’re early. That’s exactly why the pace is accelerating.

The narrative repeated at every panel from 2022 onward was that the DTC exit market was broken.

The lesson was real.

The conclusion was wrong.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian’s blog.

Sugar Capital News

⭐️ Starface is proving brand is the moat. New pore strips expand the product line, but the real story is scale - backed by fresh capital and a playbook that turns treatment into self-expression. Most skincare brands sell solutions. Starface sells identity. HypeBae + BeautyMatter

⚡️ Grüns is moving from hype to habit. Costco isn’t a channel - it’s a test. If you win there, you’re not a trend, you’re a routine. The gummy format got attention. Now distribution does the work. LinkedIn

🕯️ Snif understands that product is now media. A collaboration with Mikayla Nogueira isn’t marketing - it’s distribution baked into the product itself. When creator and brand merge, discovery becomes native. New Beauty + Instagram

💆‍♀️ Jupiter turned chaos into strategy. A stolen truck becomes a campaign, paired with a quiet packaging reset. Most brands react to problems. The best ones turn them into momentum. Modern Retail + Instagram + Instagram

☕️ Esspo is going after the most overlooked moment of the day. The afternoon slump has always been there - no one has owned it. Espresso soda is just the entry point. The real play is the ritual. Bustle + CPG Wire + Food Business + BevNet

🍳 Caraway isn’t building cookware. It’s building a worldview. New mixing sets and their first OOH push signal a brand that wants to own how the modern kitchen looks and feels. The best brands don’t just show up in a room - they define it. Parade + Homes&Gardens + Modern Retail

🍀 Lucky Energy is reframing who the category is for. An energy drink for people who think they hate energy drinks is exactly right. The next winners won’t look like incumbents - they’ll feel easier, cleaner, and more human. WIRED

🍫 Feastables is building distribution without asking for it. Campaigns, collaborations, cultural moments - this isn’t marketing layered on top. It is the strategy. Attention is the new shelf. AdAge + GoNintendo

🤝 Orita is focused on what actually makes partnerships work. In a market where budgets are tighter and expectations are higher, “good vibes” don’t move revenue. The best partnerships are structured, intentional, and built to perform. Spotify

🚀 Motion is turning creative into math. A benchmarks calculator might sound simple, but it points to something bigger: the end of guesswork. Creative is becoming measurable - and that changes who wins. LinkedIn

“Put that coffee down! Coffee’s for closers only.” — Blake, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

I’ve known Philippe Von Borries and Justin Stefano for a long time. Not as friends. More as rivals. Refinery29 and POPSUGAR competed for the same ad dollars for years. You learn a lot about someone by watching them chase the same thing from a different angle.

I first heard about this from Kat Hantas, a friend whose daughter and mine were thick as thieves at Hamlin middle school, fresh off selling 21Seeds, her tequila brand. She was building something with Philippe and Justin called Mad Dutchess. The vision was bigger and broader then. Over time they cut it down to the core. Kat moved on. Katharine Leitch, also Kat, came in as COO. The company became Esspo. Most founders add. The good ones subtract.

When we sat down I quickly realized they weren’t just building a product. They were building a point of view.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian’s blog.

Sugar Capital News

☕️ Esspo officially stepped into the world. Founded by Refinery29 co-founders Philippe von Borries and Justin Stefano, the espresso soda is designed for the moments when morning coffee fades - pairing real espresso with light fizz and functional ingredients to energize everyday moments. Coffee is a ritual. Energy drinks are a utility. Esspo lives in between, bringing brand-first thinking to a category ready for fresh energy. Instagram + FeedMe

🍀 Lucky Energy is expanding beyond the can. New gummies in flavors like Peach Mango and Berry Punch bring the brand’s clean energy promise into a lighter, more portable format. Energy should fit the moment - not the other way around. BevNet + LinkedIn

⭐️ Starface continues to turn acne care into culture. The New Very Tiny Stars/Ashley Williams collaboration reinforces a simple idea: when efficacy meets personality, treatment becomes expression. What was once purely functional is now something people wear on purpose. The Strategist + HypeBae + AdAge

🧸 Grüns keeps expanding what “gummy” can mean. The company is launching 10 new products this year alongside a Mango Sorbet flavor drop, a Ü Snacks rebrand, and continued momentum as the #1 greens brand across retail and Amazon. The takeaway is simple. The gummy-fication of wellness is still early. Inc + LinkedIn + LinkedIn

💆‍♀️ Jupiter continues to win by treating scalp care like skincare. Its Purifying Mask and Balancing Shampoo keep showing up as go-to solutions for growth and dandruff, reinforcing a simple idea: solve a real problem well and people build routines around it. Glamour + The Cut

🫒 Brightland is leaning further into thoughtful collaborations. The new Sumo Citrus partnership blends seasonal ingredients with the brand’s design-forward pantry approach. Utility meets delight - and earns another permanent spot on the counter. LinkedIn + The Strategist

🕯️ Snif keeps pushing fragrance into more experimental territory. Secret Menu at Ulta, breakout scents like Hot Cakes, and expansion beyond perfume into adjacent formats all point to the same shift: Snif is building a scent platform, not just a fragrance brand. Experimental doesn’t mean niche anymore. Glossy + HuffPost + GMA

🍫 Feastables keeps scaling into a true consumer platform. What started as a creator-led product is continuing to expand as a serious brand with real distribution and repeat purchase. Audience becomes distribution when the product works. Fast Company

🤝 Orita is deepening its position in the ecosystem. Its Preferred Partner status with Klaviyo highlights the growing importance of lifecycle orchestration as brands double down on retention and owned channels. Infrastructure is becoming the differentiator. Quiet plumbing. Real leverage. LinkedIn

🚀 Motion is investing in education as a growth lever. The launch of its Creative Strategy Bootcamp shows a focus on building community alongside product adoption. Teaching the playbook can be as powerful as selling the tool. LinkedIn

“I’m not fucking leaving.” — Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

I used to reach for a pouch without thinking about it.

Same motion. Same pause. Same sense of control.

What I didn’t like was what came with it. The dependency. The quiet tax on my attention. The feeling that something small had started to run the show.

Ultra gave me an exit that didn’t feel like quitting. It felt like substituting.

I began taking Ultra this past spring as part of a broader health reset that started with GLP‑1s. I had been a daily Zyn user for years. I loved the ritual. I hated what it represented. Ultra let me keep the behavior and lose the baggage.

A few months later, I met Eric Drymer, Ultra’s founder.

That shift marked the start of Fund III. We doubled down. The position marked up 3x in 120 days.

I wrote the full story, why Ultra clicked immediately and why we moved fast, here: Why We Doubled Down on Ultra.

Sugar Capital News

⚡️ Ultra raised $11 million to expand retail and launch new nicotine-free, functional pouch products. The bet is simple. Focus without addiction. Energy without the downside. BusinessWire

🍀 Lucky Energy rang in the New Year with a Times Square billboard that read, “Life is lucky to have you.” Millions saw it. The goal was visibility, but also tone. Bold, human, and unapologetic. Instagram

🧸 Grüns closed 2025 at $300M+ in annualized revenue, less than two years after launch. The brand expanded beyond gummies and helped push the category mainstream. The growth earned Grüns a spot in Inc.’s Top 10 Stories of 2025. Modern Retail + Inc

💆‍♀️ Jupiter continues to win by doing something basic very well. Its Balancing and Hydrating Shampoos treat dandruff without stripping hair, turning scalp care into a habit people actually stick with. Forbes + Glamour

🕯️ Snif showed up in 2026 trend forecasts while launching Notewrks, a music-inspired fragrance line. Together, the moves point to something bigger than a single breakout brand. InsideHook

⭐️ Starface keeps proving that efficacy and personality can coexist. Hydro-Stars remain a go-to pimple patch by working well and not taking themselves too seriously. NBC Select

🫒 Brightland continues to earn its place on kitchen counters. Strong flavor, clean sourcing, and packaging that people don’t hide in a cabinet. POPSUGAR

🎂 Hello Cake is scaling fast. After being named an early 2025 wellness standout, the company is now building a vertically integrated platform across lube, supplements, and devices. Less buzz. More infrastructure. Business of Fashion + BusinessWire

📺 Chptr expanded its partnership with Heritage Family, enabling funeral homes nationwide to broadcast Tribute Spotlights across local TV and publisher channels. Distribution widened. Workflow stayed simple. LinkedIn

“Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry.” — The Big Short (1974)

In 1999, a Kraft vice president named Michael Mudd stood before his fellow food executives and delivered a warning. Their products, he said, might be causing 300,000 premature deaths a year and $100 billion in healthcare costs. The industry needed to reform before regulators and lawyers forced the issue. The room listened politely. Then they went back to selling Oreos.

Twenty-six years later, the lawyers have arrived.

On Monday, San Francisco sued Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Nestlé, Mars, Kellogg, Mondelez, Post Holdings, and ConAgra. Six companies control roughly 70% of the packaged foods Americans buy. City Attorney David Chiu called their products “food that’s not food.” The lawsuit seeks damages for decades of healthcare costs the city absorbed while these companies profited. The tobacco playbook, dusted off and reloaded.

But here’s what most coverage is missing. This isn’t a lawsuit about food. It’s a lawsuit about supply chains.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's blog.

Sugar Capital News

🫒 To celebrate the Peanuts gang’s 75th anniversary, Brightland has launched a limited-edition “Pizza Party” gift set featuring its fan-favorite Pizza Oil, classic extra-virgin olive oil, and robust balsamic vinegar, all packed in a custom Peanuts-themed “pizza box.” Whether you’re hosting a cozy pizza night, gifting a foodie friend, or just craving a slice of childhood vibes, this collab brings big flavor and big feel, a perfect blend of gourmet quality and nostalgic charm. InsideHook + Instagram

🍀 Lucky Energy is on a tear - dropping a bold new collab flavor with Bravo star, Brittany Cartwright called Rawt in Hail (a strawberry-lemonade moment), celebrating its underdog-turned-power-duo partnership with NBA champ Payton Pritchard, and adding even more momentum with the hire of new Chief Commercial Officer, Ray Faust (formerly OLIPOP and Coca-Cola). Lucky’s next chapter is shaping up to be its most electrifying yet. Parade + Forbes + LinkedIn

🕯️ Snif’s Co-Founder & CEO Bryan Edwards shared how joy is the engine behind everything the brand does - calling their mission “to be the funnest brand in fragrance.” He emphasized building a creative, resilient team and using AI to unlock human creativity, all while keeping community and great product at the center. A reminder that at Snif, fun isn’t extra - it’s the strategy. WWD

⭐️ Starface is on a streak, picking up a 2025 Glossy Beauty & Wellness Award for Best Brand Collaboration (thanks to its hit partnership with Heaven by Marc Jacobs), unveiling a Charlie Brown–themed holiday drop, and continuing to top “best pimple patch” lists with its iconic Hydro-Stars. With science-backed hydrocolloid that works and designs that make breakouts feel fun, Starface continues to turn acne care into a confidence accessory. Glossy + Dazed + Glamour + WIRED

🍳 Clean kitchen, clean conscience: With new FDA warnings about lead-leaching cookware flooding the headlines, smart home cooks are turning to safer options, and Caraway made the cut. Experts recently spotlighted Caraway among the top non-toxic cookware brands thanks to its ceramic coating free of PFAS, PTFE, lead, cadmium, and other sketchy chemicals. Food + Wine

🧸 Grüns continues to be the multivitamin people actually look forward to taking, and now they’ve done it again with the first pre-workout gummy you’ll look forward to taking, too. Meet Jüced, Grüns’ new pre-anything gummy. With 95mg of peachy-clean caffeine, it’s perfect for pilates, long runs, pickleball, or surviving your 9am meetings. It boosts energy and focus, supports endurance, metabolism, and recovery - all without the dreaded flushing, itching, or tingles. Consider your whole day officially Jüced. Instagram

🔨 Builder.io just launched Fusion 1.0 - an AI agent that unifies product, design, and code into one workflow. Fusion can turn Slack chats or Jira tickets into real features, convert Figma designs into production-ready code, and streamline everything from mockups to pull requests, signaling a new era of AI-powered product building. PR Newswire

🚀 SMS Sunday has officially arrived as retail’s newest tentpole moment, with SMS-driven sales soaring past Black Friday, and Postscript is the engine behind it. Postscript didn’t just report the trend; it created the cultural moment, rallying merchants with its SMS Sunday campaign and tools that helped brands drive nearly 40% year-over-year gains. For many retailers on the platform, their SMS Sunday sends outperformed traditional Black Friday messaging entirely, underscoring that with Postscript, SMS isn’t just a channel, it’s becoming the holiday strategy to beat. Postscript

“Style never goes out of fashion; fashion goes out of style.” — Mickey Drexler

Last week I was in New York where mother nature reminded us that winter is coming. Meetings with potential investors for Sugar Capital at the Equal Emerging Manager Summit. Everyone commenting on our momentum. On Grüns. Coffee with Alex Stone, founder of Split, our portfolio company building content-to-commerce technology. I visited Jessie and Brian, the married founders of Loeffler Randall. Philippe and Justin, the founders of Refinery29, our archnemesis back in the POPSUGAR days. Now we’re investors in their new company. Funny how competition turns into partnership. Hillstone for dinner (shoutout to Bethesda losing theirs), funny how some things taste even better after thirty years. That kind of week.

But the real highlight was Mickey Drexler at the Alex Mill corporate offices in Manhattan. He’s 81 years old and runs the brand with his son Alex. Every industry has its Jordan, its Tiger, its Ohtani. Retail has Mickey. He built Gap from $400 million to $14 billion. Launched Old Navy and hit $1 billion in four years. Turned J.Crew into a cult brand. Sat on Apple’s board helping Steve Jobs invent the retail store as theater. Unlike most GOATs who retire, Mickey is still on the floor at 81, still running plays, still obsessing over product. Not growth metrics. Not customer acquisition costs. Product.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's blog.

Sugar Capital News

🕯️ Backed by Sugar Capital, Snif has raised $27M and is nearing $40M in sales, cementing its place in the booming sub-$100 fragrance market. The brand just unveiled Notewrks, a playful new subbrand debuting Dec 4 with scents like Clean Getaway and Room for Dessert aimed at Gen Z and Alpha. Meanwhile, hits like House of 8 and Crumb Couture keep redefining gourmand fragrance with cocoa, sage, and buttery vanilla - making luxury feel a lot more fun. Beauty Independent + Beauty Inc + Glossy + ELLE + Marie Claire

📢 Investor/operator Drew Fallon gave Sugar Capital a shout-out, ranking us #4 among top consumer funds in San Francisco, right alongside some of the biggest names in the space. X/drewfallon

🍀 Lucky Energy just secured a $25M Series B, fueling a new wave of innovation and retail expansion. With fresh funding and serious momentum, the brand’s next chapter promises even more ways to bottle that Lucky feeling. BevNet

🧸 Grüns keeps racking up wins: after crossing a ~$300M annualized revenue rate, the brand just announced a major Sam’s Club rollout- bringing its full lineup (Grüns, Grüns Kids, and Nütrops) to shelves nationwide and online. The expansion adds big-box scale to its fast-growing retail presence (Target, Walmart, and beyond) and hits just in time for the holidays, alongside the launch of limited-edition Grinch Punch gummies and the new Grüns Cubs kids’ line. Inc + Modern Retail + Trend Hunter + LinkedIn

📸 Locket is capturing Gen Alpha’s attention. The social widget app just hit 9M daily users and 90M+ downloads, powered by its new Rollcall feature, a Sunday “photo dump” that lives right on your Lock Screen and brings real friends (not followers) closer. Nearly half of its U.S. users are 13–17, and with a lean team, ads, and a $4/month Gold tier, Locket’s proving there’s still room for fresh, feel-good social. TechCrunch + Business Insider

🎂 Sexual wellness is officially on demand, and Hello Cake is leading the charge. The brand’s showing up on DoorDash and Gopuff as consumers add discreet essentials to their delivery baskets. WWD

🫒 Brightland continues to dominate kitchen counters and gift lists. The brand was featured in Whole Foods Market’s 2026 trend forecast for embodying “Kitchen Couture,” where pantry staples double as design statements. Their vibrant bottles and elevated olive oils are spotlighted as display-worthy must-haves, cementing Brightland as both a culinary essential and a style icon. Whole Foods + Real Simple + Architectural Digest

💆‍♀️ Healthy scalp, happy hair. Jupiter is redefining dandruff care with formulas that actually work while also looking good on your shelf. Its Balancing Shampoo targets flakes with 1% zinc pyrithione, while the Hydrating Shampoo soothes with tea tree oil, glycerin, and pre/probiotics. Pair it with the Scalp Brush to lift buildup and boost circulation, making scalp care feel like self-care. NBC + Oprah + TODAY

⚡️ Back by popular demand this fall, Magna brings back Apple Juice, the sold-out fan favorite, with that crisp, fresh-pressed flavor (minus the sugar). Meanwhile, new flavor Island Punch brings a nostalgic Hawaiian-inspired mix of pineapple, papaya, guava, and citrus, all powered by Magna’s signature triple magnesium blend. Magna + Magna

🍳 Caraway’s shaking things up, literally, with its new Complete Bar Set: a nine-piece, design-forward kit that turns any countertop into a cocktail station. With sleek stainless tools, a modular birchwood base, and Caraway’s signature palette, it’s giving “home mixology” a serious glow-up for the holiday hosting season. Parade + The Kitchn + StupidDOPE

✉️ In a recent episode of The Orita Podcast, Birdies co-founder and CEO Bianca Gates shares how a “pick your seat” mindset and sales-driven storytelling took the brand from scrappy launch to post-acquisition success, turning customer complaints into growth fuel, balancing DTC with retail, and leveraging product reviews (and AI) to drive loyalty. A must-listen on resilience, timing, and how quality + feedback can become your best marketing. The Orita Podcast

🚀 Nostra’s BFCM playbook says the best promo starts with performance: speed up your site, stress-test servers, and perfect the mobile checkout flow. Streamline wallets, simplify navigation, and prep support before traffic spikes. Bottom line, fast sites convert best. Nostra

“Adapt or die.” — Billy Beane, Moneyball (2011)

On a call with an LP yesterday reviewing Fund I & II performance and two new bets from Fund III, both consumer.

“Will your software/consumer investment ratio change in Fund III?”

Fair question. Fund I was 60/40 software to consumer. Fund II: 55/45.

The trend was already there.

That question kept me up. Not because of our ratio. Because of the market’s.

The California Gold Rush taught Silicon Valley to sell shovels, not pan for gold. For twenty years, that worked. Infrastructure was the smart money play. Then something shifted. The prospectors learned to mine.

Since 2020, the best returns haven’t come from the pipes. They’ve come from the water. Rhode sold to e.l.f. for up to a billion dollars on $212 million in trailing sales. Poppi commanded $1.95 billion from PepsiCo. Net of tax benefits: $1.65 billion.

For fizzy vinegar.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's blog.

Sugar Capital News

👸🏼 Sugar Capital partner Lisa Sugar joined the investor panel at BITE NYC 2025, offering her signature mix of sharp insight and founder-first optimism. She shared how she looks for brands with authentic storytelling, strong leadership, and strategic partnerships that extend beyond the product itself. In a room full of dealmakers, Lisa reminded everyone that heart and vision still drive the best investments. Beauty Independent

💰 We are thrilled to announce that Sugar Capital has been chosen as one of only 24 firms to present on the mainstage at the 10th annual RAISE Global Summit in San Francisco on October 23rd. The RAISE Global summit is the premier community for forward-thinking LPs and emerging VC fund managers. RAISE Global Summit

🫒 In GMA’s “Deals & Steals: Mindy Kaling Edition,” Brightland made a delicious cameo among Mindy’s favorite picks. The cult-favorite olive oil brand joined the lineup of beauty and lifestyle finds - Proving once again that the best glow often starts in the kitchen. Good Morning America

🧸 Grüns just dropped a fresh Green Apple flavor, and fans are calling it their best yet. The chewy, candy-like gummies pack over 60 superfoods and adaptogens to support gut health, energy, and overall wellness, without the chalky greens powder routine. With a crisp, fruity twist and feel-good benefits you can actually feel, Grüns keeps making healthy habits look, and taste, a lot more fun. Grüns also launched Immün, 13-in-1 immunity gummies that taste like sour pineapple candy. Men’s Journal + Fortune + TODAY + Forbes + Wellworthy

🌟 Starface launched two new Star Balm flavors: Dream Berry and Cherry Charm, adding a sweet twist to its cult lineup. The launch feels like part of a bigger glow-up moment for Gen Z beauty brands: Still playful, still sticker-covered, but with a more refined edge. Growing up never looked (or smelled) this cute. Retail Times + Business of Fashion

🕯️Snif’s new Rejects Sample Set lets fans sniff scents that didn’t make the final cut, proving even the “almosts” smell amazing. Their Ulta Beauty at Target debut brings cult favorites like Sweet Ash and Vanilla Vice to the masses, while new drops like Swede Tooth (a candy-inspired blend of watermelon, raspberry, cedarwood, and musk) keep things playful. And in a delicious twist, Snif teamed up with Levain Bakery on a limited-edition candle that smells like warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. Snif isn’t just selling perfume, it’s bottling curiosity with every spritz. TrendHunter + NewBeauty + Target + ELLE + HuffPost + WhoWhatWear+ Cosmopolitan

⚡️ Lucky Energy just unleashed their newest flavor: Mango Pineapple. It’s tropical, tangy, and ready to turn your drink game into an island getaway. Keep your eyes (and your tastebuds) on this one. Lucky Energy

💆‍♀️ Jupiter’s Balancing Shampoo was spotlighted for fighting flakes while keeping hair soft and hydrated, thanks to a zinc-infused formula that actually feels luxe. The brand also earned a 2025 beauty award finalist nod for its Nourishing Conditioner, praised for leaving hair silky without weight. Together, they prove Jupiter is redefining what dandruff care can look and smell like. Emerge Beauty Awards + Vogue

🔨 Builder.io’s visual development platform just landed on Google Cloud Marketplace, putting its AI-powered design-to-code tools within reach of enterprise teams everywhere. This launch cements Builder.io as the go-to bridge between creativity and code. PR Newswire

🪩 Disco has officially partnered with Mindbody to bring personalized, relevant brand recommendations into the wellness booking experience. Instead of endless ads, Mindbody users now see curated, premium options that fit their wellness journey. With backing from Disco’s AI engine driven by billions in transaction data, this move marks Disco’s first leap beyond retail into the wellness space. Disco

✉️ Orita founder Aaron Schwartz sat down with Caraway’s Jordan Nathan and Sticker Ventures’ Oren Charnoff for a candid founder-meets-investor reality check. They dig into what really turns a “cool brand” into a lasting business, covering pricing, channel strategy, AI’s growing role, and the one metric VCs actually care about. The Orita Podcast

🛍️ Remark looked at 25,000+ brand chats from August 2025 and discovered something obvious in hindsight: most chats happen outside 9–5. In fact, only ~42.5% of chats occur during business hours, weeknights and weekends light up just as much. So rather than trying to manage after-hours asks, savvy brands see this as gold: it’s a chance to build deeper connections, answer questions when they matter, and turn late-night browsers into buyers. Remark

💡 Webeyez just earned a spot on the list of Top AI, Marketing, and Business Tools for Streamlining Marketing Team Operations. The AI-powered platform helps brands spot and fix site issues like broken checkout flows, slow load times, and mystery drop-offs before they hurt sales. With smart tools like session replays, heat maps, and real-time alerts, Webeyez turns tricky tech problems into easy wins, keeping shoppers happy and carts full. Boss Magazine

“I am Iron Man” - Tony Stark, Iron Man (2008)

I can predict exactly how the conversation will go.

Someone notices I have dropped 40 pounds, that my face appears sharper, that I require an entirely new wardrobe. They ask what happened.

"I went on a health journey," I tell them. "Stopped drinking, began eating healthy, started exercising consistently."

Their response is enthusiastic. "That's incredible! How'd you finally get the discipline?"

Then I add: "Oh, and I micro-dose Ozempic."

The reaction is immediate. Suddenly^, I have "cheated" or "taken the easy way out." The identical transformation they were celebrating becomes illegitimate.

This response reveals something profound: we have discovered how to modify human motivation at the chemical level, but we are collectively pretending it is cheating because it threatens our most sacred mythology about willpower and character.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's blog.

To hear more, check out Brian’s interview with The Information, “Why Silicon Valley Believes GLP-1s Are All-Purpose Wonder Drugs” and accompanying YouTube video.

Sugar Capital Portfolio News

🧸 Three recent reviews all landed on the same conclusion: Grüns Gummies make getting your daily nutrients actually enjoyable. Reviewers raved about how satisfying they are to chew, with just the right mix of fruity sweetness and nostalgia—like gummy bears, but “grown-up.” Many noticed perks like smoother digestion, less bloating, and a little boost in energy, while praising how easy they are to actually remember to take. The verdict? Grüns turn a mundane health habit into a treat you actually look forward to. NY Post + Bon Appétit + Glamour

🧖‍♀️ Exponent Takes the Crown! SHAPE’s 2025 Beauty Awards just named Exponent’s Clear Comeback Probiotic Enzyme Power Serum the Best Serum, and for good reason. Packed with probiotics and fruit enzymes, it gently exfoliates, balances your skin, and leaves your complexion glowing, basically turning your skincare routine into a mini spa day. SHAPE

🌟 Starface is back with another viral sugar rush, this time in lip balm form. The new Sweets ‘n Treats trio: Lucky Lemonade, Candy Cloud, and Cheeky Churro, brings nostalgic fairground flavors to your pocket, wrapped in Starface’s signature smiley tubs. Beyond the cute factor, these shea- and cocoa-butter packed balms are already proving to be the brand’s next blockbuster, with over a million Star Balms sold since launch. HypeBae + The Strategist + Business of Fashion

🤳 Locket, the photo-sharing app that posts images directly to friends’ home screens, is rolling out Celebrity Lockets. This feature allows music artists to engage with fans by sharing photos about upcoming shows, new album releases, and other news. Celebrities can share a link on their social media platforms or fans can look them up in the app to add them, enabling direct photo sharing to their home screens. TechCrunch

🪩 Gopuff has partnered with Disco to supercharge its retail media with AI-driven personalization. Now, users see tailored post-purchase offers right on their order status page, featuring deals from over 1,000 direct-to-consumer brands. Beyond just promotions, Disco manages ad decisioning to ensure relevance, helping Gopuff blend monetization with a seamless, user-friendly shopping experience while pushing the boundaries of retail media. Retail Tech Innovation Hub + Disco

👀 Kinship’s Brightwave Vitamin C Energizing & Brightening Eye Cream is making waves in the beauty world. This eye cream is praised for its cooling, hydrating formula that helps reduce dark circles and puffiness. Its natural yellow tint brightens the under-eye area, while ingredients like vitamin C and chaga mushroom work to depuff and smooth. Plus, it's fragrance-free, making it suitable for sensitive skin. The Cut + WhoWhatWear

💆‍♀️ Jupiter's Restoring Serum is the go-to solution for dandruff woes. This lightweight, leave-in treatment combines zinc pyrithione, niacinamide, green tea extract, and aloe vera to soothe irritation, reduce dandruff, and balance oil, without any greasy residue. It's the behind-the-scenes hero your scalp deserves. Vogue

🧼 Packed with salicylic acid and charcoal, Black Wolf’s Charcoal Acne Control Body Wash cleans deep, soothes skin, and keeps you fresh from head to toe. Trainer David Pegram swears by it after sweaty sessions: “If you want a serious clean with natural ingredients, a fresh scent, and acne-fighting power, go for Black Wolf.” Men’s Health

🕯️On the hunt for a new fall scent? Snif teamed up with Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest for a limited-edition collection of autumn favorites. Highlights include the Half Baked Pumpkin Smash Candle and Apple Cider Smash Candle, plus new home and body scents like laundry detergent, scent booster, and whipped body cream, all infused with rich, cozy pumpkin-spiced aromas. From creamy vanilla to cheeky cherry twists, Snif’s fragrances make sweater-weather vibes unavoidable. Fashionista + The Pioneer Woman + Glamour

🍳 Caraway’s new Blue Lagoon colorway, created in collaboration with Crate & Barrel, introduces a calming wash of baby blue to the kitchen, paired with sleek gold handles. The ceramic cookware is non-toxic and simple to clean, while the matching meal prep containers effortlessly transition from fridge to table. With airtight storage solutions that keep food fresh without a hint of plastic, Caraway blends functionality with understated style, turning everyday kitchen tasks into a moment of design-forward ease. Better Homes & Gardens + Food & Wine + The Strategist + TODAY

🎂 Founded in 2018 by Hunter Morris and Mitch Orkis, Cake makes sexual wellness shame-free and chemical-free. From lubes and kits to condoms and toys for all bodies, they even have a sex-ed blog and a quiz to help you discover the products you didn’t know you needed. Cosmopolitan

📺 Chptr and Tribute Technology launched Tribute Spotlights, the nation’s largest broadcast memorial platform. It turns obituaries into video tributes that air on local TV and news websites, helping families honor loved ones while boosting funeral home visibility and community connection. PR Newswire + LinkedIn

🍫 Feastables is taking snack time to the next level. The brand, co-founded by MrBeast, just launched a new protein line, including protein bars and snacks designed to pack more nutrition into their famously delicious treats. These protein-packed goodies are perfect for anyone looking to fuel their day without sacrificing flavor. And if you’re craving something indulgent, their Hazelnut Cups - rich milk chocolate filled with creamy hazelnut goodness - are now available at Five Below for a limited time. BevNet + Parade

💎 Nostra AI partnered with Moon Magic, a jewelry brand known for its meaningful designs, to enhance its website performance. By reducing Time to First Byte (TTFB), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), and First Contentful Paint (FCP), the collaboration has saved customers approximately 230 hours per month. These improvements lead to faster shopping experiences, smoother checkouts, and fewer cart abandonments. LinkedIn + Nostra

“Always two there are, no more, no less.” — Yoda, Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999)

After 25 years building companies and 5 years funding them, I've noticed something: the biggest successes rarely come from single founders. They come from dynamic duos - pairs of people who think completely differently but want the same thing.

Think Maverick and Goose. The hotshot pilot had killer instinct, but his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) managed systems, watched for threats, and kept them both alive. Maverick could fly, but Goose made him flyable. When they worked in sync, they were unbeatable. When Goose died, Maverick didn't just lose a partner - he lost his edge.

Every successful founder I've worked alongside, whether as a co-founder or investor, has found their Goose. The best ones will tell you it changed everything.

Maybe you're thinking: "But my business is successful, and it's just me." That's fair. But ask yourself honestly - are you operating at real scale? Most solo founders can build profitable businesses, attract initial customers, even raise money. But without a Goose, you can only take the marketing prowess so far. The ceiling isn't success - it's the size of success.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's blog.

Sugar Capital News

💰 Sugar Capital Raises $75M Third Fund As Brian Sugar Declares “Consumer Is Back.” Fund III will aim to invest $1.5–$2 million into 25 early-stage companies, with half of the fund reserved for follow-on investments. Sugar emphasizes early ownership and doubling down on promising startups within the first 18 months. Beauty Independent

🏡 RealPage has acquired Sugar Capital Portfolio company, Livble, to enhance its LOFT and Buildium platforms, allowing residents to split rent payments into up to four installments per month for greater financial flexibility and convenience. This integration supports over three million units already using LOFT and reinforces RealPage’s goal of simplifying the resident experience by consolidating leasing, payments, and rewards into a single platform. The acquisition reflects a shared vision between RealPage and Livble to scale flexible payment solutions and promote financial wellness for renters across the multifamily housing sector. The Fintech Times

🛍️ Remark raised $16 million in Series A funding to scale its AI-powered “expert personas” for ecommerce. The platform blends real human product experts with AI models trained on their tone and knowledge, offering shoppers personalized guidance directly on brand websites. This approach helps brands replicate the in-store experience online, driving 28% conversion rates and a 10% lift in revenue . With over 60,000 certified experts and strong early results, including quadrupled revenue and full client retention, Remark will use the funding to grow into new verticals, enhance AI capabilities, and expand its expert network. TechCrunch + Pymnts

🧸 Grüns skyrocketed to a $500 million valuation just two years after launching its green gummy superfood supplement. Shipping 4 million gummies a day and turning profitable within 14 months, the brand closed a $35 million Series B to expand its product lineup and scale presence at Sprouts, Target, Walmart and beyond. Backed by social-driven buzz, agile R&D, and retail muscle, Grüns is revolutionizing the supplement game with convenient, nutrient-dense gummies you actually want to take. Inc + Modern Retail

💆‍♀️ Jupiter, the premium scalp-care brand founded in 2020, raised a strategic investment from True Beauty Ventures alongside earlier seed funding. Known for its clinically backed, beauty-forward dandruff and dry-scalp line, Jupiter just launched in 1,100 Target stores with fresh packaging and accessible pricing. With sales up 115% in 2024 and projected $20 million in revenue, the brand is reshaping a stale category by delivering salon-grade solutions that consumers are proud to showcase, and True Beauty Ventures is betting it will continue disrupting with style and substance. Women’s Wear Daily + Beauty Matter

💦 Magna’s electrolyte powder was featured in POPSUGAR’s Heat-Wave Essentials as a go-to for clean, effective hydration during scorching summer days. Packed with sodium and potassium, the no-sugar mix supports energy and focus without added junk. With a light flavor and travel-friendly format, Magna is emerging as a standout in the hydration space, offering a functional, feel-good solution for staying refreshed on the go. POPSUGAR

👩‍💻 Reflex is enabling a gig-economy platform that lets retailers book trained retail staff on-demand with as little as two hours' notice. The startup has quickly scaled to 40 U.S. cities, secured $15 million in funding, and supports national brands, all while simplifying HR, payments, and labor management for stores. The Business Journals

🌟 Starface debuted its first-ever fashion collaboration with Heaven by Marc Jacobs, launching a limited-edition pack of its cult-favorite pimple patches reimagined with bold, tattoo-inspired designs. The $19 set includes 32 hydrocolloid patches featuring edgy icons like spiders, piercings, and Heaven’s signature two-headed bear, all housed in a mirrored compact styled after Starface’s iconic yellow case. Backed by a Gen Z–driven campaign starring Lil Uzi Vert, Grimes, and beabadoobee, the launch blends skincare with self-expression, furthering Starface’s mission to destigmatize acne and turn treatment into a statement. Vogue + Marie Claire + HypeBae

🫒 Brightland launched Everyday Oils in user-friendly squeeze bottles — priced at $19.99 for 750 ml, and heading to Whole Foods in August. The move shifts focus from “special‑occasion” glass bottles to a more accessible everyday option, while maintaining their farm-to-bottle quality from California olives. Food Network + Fortune + Fast Company

📺 Archive implemented an AI-powered marketing stunt that “hijacked” Times Square brand campaigns as live product demos. Their proprietary machine-vision engine monitors major brand ads (like Coca‑Cola, Spotify, Nike) in real time and displays counter-metrics, showing untagged user-generated content, on digital billboards. The activation turned heads in the ad world, generating viral buzz and landing high-value brand meetings on the spot. Archive + YouTube

🍀 Lucky Energy secured a $14 million Series A1 and added Red Bull veteran Dan Ginsberg to its board, reinforcing its clean-label, rebel-hearted mission. Already in over 10,000 stores with plans for 25,000 by year-end, the brand is winning on taste, bold marketing, and a growing product lineup—just as Forbes dubbed it “a rebel brand disrupting the energy-drink market.” Forbes

🧖‍♀️ Exponent Beauty is gaining buzz for its innovative powder-to-serum system, recently profiled in the WSJ as a top-choice DIY skincare solution. Positioned at the intersection of efficacy, freshness, and sustainability, Exponent is making clinical skincare more accessible and effective for at-home use. The Wall Street Journal

🧴 Kinship’s Self Reflect Probiotic Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 32 was named a top pick by Harper’s Bazaar for sensitive skin, thanks to its gentle mineral formula and breakout-friendly ingredients. Designed for daily wear, it blends easily with no white cast, making it a standout for those seeking clean, skin-loving sun protection that looks as good as it feels. Harper’s Bazaar

👃 Snif’s new “Swede Tooth” fragrance captures the wild, nostalgic joy of Swedish candy with bold watermelon and raspberry sweetness, softened by violet, cedarwood, and musk. After 20+ formula tweaks, the $65 gourmand scent launched with playful packaging and rave reviews, fitting into the booming trend of clean, candy-forward perfumes perfect for summer. Trend Hunter

🐺 Black Wolf Nation scaled from a $85,000 startup to a $35 million brand in six years by launching straightforward, problem-solving grooming products for men. With a strong white-label manufacturing partner and social-savvy marketing, their lineup, selling in CVS, Best Buy, Macy’s, Urban Outfitters, salons, and barbers, addresses real issues like acne and razor bumps. Positioned within a booming $115 billion men’s grooming market, Black Wolf is carving out serious market share through simplicity, confidence, and accessibility. U.S. Chamber of Commerce

🔨 Builder.io is navigating renewed attention following the collapse of similarly named Builder.ai, which drew criticism for its misleading AI claims. In contrast, Builder.io is reinforcing its commitment to transparency and genuine innovation, helping leading brands like Everlane and Afterpay build high-performance digital experiences using visual development tools and real AI enhancements. Tribune

🖥 Orita released a guide to Revenue per Recipient (RPR), helping brands see beyond click rates to focus on real revenue impact. Their framework explains how RPR is shaped by both email engagement and on-site conversion, and why a drop in RPR can signal problems on a website, not just on email campaigns. Orita also highlights the power of AI-driven segmentation to improve email click rates and offers free audits to help marketers pinpoint whether issues lie in email strategy or site experience. Orita

“Great men are not born great, they grow great.” - Don Corleone, The Godfather (1972)

The consumer landscape is a graveyard of beautiful failures. Beverages, snacks, supplements, skincare, even tech-enabled home goods. Brands that captured attention but lost the plot. Stunning packaging, clever campaigns, influencer endorsements, followed inevitably by bankruptcy filings. For every brand that endures, dozens vanish because they succumbed to the industry’s most seductive lie: that margin is something you figure out later.

I’ve watched this cycle play out across three decades and countless consumer categories. And the winners, the true revolutionaries, aren’t the loudest voices or the fastest growers. They’re the visionaries who understood something counterintuitive: financial discipline doesn’t constrain ambition, it unleashes it.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's new blog.

Portfolio Companies in the News

🧸 Grüns recently raised fresh funding at a valuation of up to $500 million, reflecting continued investor enthusiasm for health and wellness brands. Coachella weekend was especially impactful for Grüns: they took over hole 5 at Palm Tree Crew Holdings’ Golf Tournament, sampled gummies at Microsoft Copilot’s Bodega during REVOLVE Fest, engaged thousands of consumers at Target, Sprouts, and La Quinta farmers market, and made a statement with the Grüns Rivian on desert streets. The Information + LinkedIn

🍀 Lucky Energy unveiled new branding and expanded nationwide distribution, backed by a $14 million funding round to fuel its growth. The brand’s updated formula offers improved taste and functional benefits, targeting health-conscious consumers. Strategic partnerships with top retailers and a dynamic marketing campaign support Lucky’s rapid expansion and rising profile in the energy drink market. PR Newswire + FoodBev

🪩 Disco’s Neal Goyal shared insights at Shoptalk on building strong retail partnerships and driving growth in the DTC (direct-to-consumer) space. He emphasized the importance of strategic collaboration, innovative marketing, and leveraging data to enhance customer experience and scale brands effectively. LinkedIn

👗 AirRobe launched its US headquarters, bringing its circularity technology to American fashion retailers. The platform enables brands and consumers to easily resell, rent, or recycle fashion items, supporting sustainable shopping and reducing waste. AirRobe’s expansion reflects growing demand for circular solutions in the fashion industry. FashionNetwork

🛠️ Builder enables designers to quickly generate, test, and refine prototypes with minimal manual input, accelerating the entire design process. By automating repetitive tasks, Builder allows teams to focus more on creative problem-solving and user experience. Core77

🎂 Cake launched The Daily Chew, an innovative edible gum that combines daily wellness ingredients with discreet, ED convenient use. The gum is designed to support overall well-being and men’s sexual health while fitting seamlessly into busy lifestyles, offering an easy alternative to traditional supplements. Morningstar

🧖‍♀️ Exponent’s Vitamin C products are acknowledged for their innovative approach to sensitive skin care. The brand offers a unique system where pure vitamin C powder is mixed fresh with a serum base before each use, ensuring maximum potency and stability without harsh preservatives. This method helps deliver brightening and antioxidant benefits while reducing the risk of irritation commonly associated with vitamin C. Allure

🤖 Webeyez highlights that oversized images on websites can negatively impact conversion rates by slowing down page load times and frustrating users. The article recommends optimizing and compressing images to improve website speed, enhance user experience, and ultimately increase conversions. LinkedIn

📍Hyper introduced advanced indoor navigation technology to enhance customer and employee experiences. Their solution provides precise, real-time navigation within complex indoor spaces like malls, airports, and hospitals, making it easier for users to find destinations and services. This innovation aims to improve operational efficiency and satisfaction by reducing frustration and saving time. CXM World

👃 Snif launched a pancake-inspired fragrance, capturing the scent of maple syrup, butter, and freshly made pancakes. The unique perfume has generated buzz on social media for its fun, edible vibe. TrendHunter

🌟 Starface’s signature star-shaped pimple patches combine hydrocolloid and salicylic acid for effective, fun acne care. Their bold designs and pop culture collaborations make acne treatment stylish and empowering, appealing to a younger audience. Their popularity continues to grow thanks to their Instagram-friendly look and dermatologist recommendations. Glamour + NY Mag

🍳 Caraway continues to earn top marks across lifestyle and food publications for its stylish, non-toxic cookware and kitchen essentials. The brand’s cookware set is praised for its sleek design, even heat distribution, and easy-to-clean ceramic coating, making it a standout for both beginners and experienced home cooks. Esquire + Food & Wine

🍫 Feastables announced that 100% of the cocoa in its chocolate products is now Fairtrade certified. This commitment ensures ethical sourcing, better working conditions, and fair compensation for cocoa farmers. The move supports sustainability and aligns with growing consumer demand for responsibly made snacks. PR Newswire

“It ain't about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward” - Rocky, Rocky Balboa (2006)

The smartest founders understand that remarkable exits begin with remarkable businesses. Recent acquisitions like PepsiCo's purchase of Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand, L'Oréal's acquisition of Aesop, the luxury skincare company, and Helen of Troy's acquisition of Olive & June, the direct-to-consumer nail care company, highlight this reality. These brands didn't just tell compelling stories – they built businesses with the fundamentals to attract major acquirers. While storytelling matters, the companies that command the most attractive valuations in consumer brand M&A demonstrate their worth through irrefutable evidence: pristine financial records, sustainable profitability, and loyal customers who come back again and again.

Think of acquisition preparation as building a championship team. The best athletes don't just show up on game day – they train meticulously, addressing weaknesses long before they step onto the field. Similarly, founders who invest in…

Read more on Brian’s blog, AirSugar.

Portfolio Companies in the News

💆‍♀️ Jupiter launched at Target with a refreshed look and more accessible pricing. Jupiter aims to balance premium quality with affordability as it expands its reach. They prepared for their Target launch by overhauling their supply chain to meet big-box retail standards. Jupiter’s Balancing Shampoo was honored in Men’s Health’s 2025 Grooming Awards for its effective dandruff control and scalp-soothing formula. Beauty Independent + Modern Retail + Men’s Health

🧸 Grüns has officially launched in 675 Target stores and is already seeing strong demand just five weeks in. The team delayed the announcement to focus on restocking, thanks to rapid sell-through and close collaboration with Target partners. With expansion to 1,000 more stores coming next month, Grüns is scaling fast while staying rooted in gratitude and momentum. LinkedIn Post

🌟 Starface’s new president, Kara Brothers, aims to grow the brand through retail expansion and creative marketing. She emphasizes authenticity and community to keep Starface’s playful identity strong while scaling. Fashionista

🫒 Brightland is praised by chefs for its bold flavor, high quality, and beautiful packaging. Its California-made oils stand out for their freshness and transparency in sourcing. The editors praise its robust flavor, ideal for drizzling over salads, roasted vegetables, or fresh bread. NY Mag + Food&Wine

🍫 Feastables is on track to hit $200 million in revenue this year, driven by strong sales and strategic retail expansion. It is now generating more revenue than MrBeast’s YouTube channel, highlighting the power of creator-led consumer brands. Feastables is becoming OU Kosher certified, expanding its accessibility to a wider audience. Fortune + FastCompany + PR Newswire

📍Hyper is revolutionizing indoor mapping by breaking away from the traditional, slow-moving enterprise model. With self-serve onboarding and a no-code app, it slashes setup time from months to days, making indoor location tech precise, affordable, and user-friendly. Link to X

🌎 EcoCart is a key player helping brands embed sustainability into their e-commerce experience. By offering carbon-neutral checkout options, EcoCart enables businesses to offset emissions and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. yahoo! Finance

🧖‍♀️ Exponent founder Liz Whitman highlights how quitting alcohol can significantly enhance skincare results. With sobriety, users often see better absorption and performance of active ingredients, making routines like Exponent’s more effective. Women’s Health

🍀 Lucky Energy has launched its bold new “Don’t Lose Your Sh*t” campaign, introducing the concept of “Shangry” — a mix of shaky and angry feelings caused by low energy. Lucky Energy helps avoid this state. Wired also highlights the beverage as a standout energy drink for its clean ingredients, zero sugar, and refreshing taste. It’s praised for delivering a solid energy boost without the crash. PR Newswire + Wired

🤖 Webeyez explores how Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping e-commerce with their expectations for speed, personalization, and seamless digital experiences. These younger consumers demand intuitive design, mobile-first interfaces, and real-time support. Redefining eCommerce as We Know It

For the times they are a-changin’. - Bob Dylan

Walk into any major retailer and the transformation is impossible to miss. Where shelves once burst with garish bottles of neon-colored sports drinks and processed snacks, now stands a different array entirely. The shift is as significant as the moment when Lululemon's black leggings began displacing designer jeans – a retail earthquake that few saw coming.

The numbers tell part of the story, but the real evidence is in the mundane details of everyday retail. Store managers are quietly reshuffling their planograms, with processed foods and traditional alcoholic beverages ceding territory to functional beverages and science-backed supplements. This isn't just a merchandising decision – it's capitalism's response to a generational change in consumption patterns.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's new blog.

Portfolio Companies in the News

🌟 Starface’s move into cleansers and moisturizers is a logical expansion for a brand that has built a devoted following by making acne care a badge of identity rather than a problem to be hidden. With an audience primed for more, the company is positioning itself as a broader skincare player rather than a single-product novelty. Forbes

🧸 Grüns’ rollout of Nütrops in Target signals a shift from niche wellness to mass-market accessibility. The supplement category has long been defined by brand loyalty and habitual consumption—securing retail placement at scale is an essential step toward long-term defensibility. Nütrops + Target

🍳 Caraway, founded in 2019, has turned a straightforward proposition—non-toxic home goods—into a defensible business. Founder Jordan Nathan, profiled in Forbes, details the brand’s approach to product expansion and customer retention in a market where most players struggle to differentiate. Forbes

👾 Violet spent four years in stealth—a rare discipline in an industry obsessed with speed—before going to market with a refined API built for e-commerce integration. The company’s slow, deliberate approach has allowed it to emerge with a clear product-market fit and a differentiated value proposition. Front Lines

🖥 Orita’s launch of Direct Mail reflects a broader shift toward precision-targeted marketing tools that bypass the noise of traditional digital channels. In an environment where consumer acquisition costs are escalating, direct engagement remains a reliable moat. LinkedIN

💅 Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday Nails is not a celebrity vanity project—it’s a case study in leveraging audience loyalty for rapid product adoption. Press-on nails, long dismissed as cheap and disposable, are being rebranded as a legitimate alternative to salon visits. CEO Today

🧖‍♀️ Exponent continues to attract investors who understand the mechanics of beauty marketing. Rocky Barnes, Erin, and Sara Foster join the cap table as the brand bets on fresh, high-potency skincare—a model that requires customers to rethink decades of learned behavior. Glossy

🍀 Lucky Beverage Co.’s “Son of a Peach” launch is a tactical play to widen its consumer base. The energy drink market is unforgiving—brands that don’t maintain novelty risk stagnation. LinkedIN

🤖 Webeyez’ inclusion in Before It’s News’ list of must-have productivity tools reinforces an unavoidable truth: software that improves efficiency is one of the last remaining sources of competitive advantage. Before It's News

🔨 Builder.io’s collaboration with Lovable turns Figma files into full-stack applications, eliminating yet another step between design and execution. In software, anything that reduces friction wins. Builder.io

💦 Magna is testing the waters with its Mint Lemonade launch on Instagram. Beverage brands live or die by trial—if the early response is strong, expect distribution to follow. Instagram

⚰️ Chptr’s partnership with Tribute Technology introduces a modern, scalable approach to memorialization. Traditional industries resistant to change eventually break when new models prove both viable and inevitable. Tribute Technology

⛵️ Motion announces Expert Agents. AI-powered marketing workflows developed by top creative strategists, aiming to enhance marketers' capabilities by leveraging AI to serve thousands of customers simultaneously. Twitter

"We are back, baby. We are so fucking back." — Phil Wenneck, The Hangover

After years of uncertainty and disruption, the consumer economy is steadily improving. Stabilizing inflation, renewed consumer sentiment, and technological advancements have created a foundation for growth. This is not merely a return to pre-pandemic norms—it reflects a new chapter defined by four critical pillars: AI-driven innovation, omnichannel distribution, a growing demand for health-conscious products, and a sharper focus on capital efficiency and sustainable unit economics.

Read more on AirSugar, Brian's new blog.

Portfolio Companies in the News

🍀 Lucky Beverage Co: Partnership with 6th Man of the Year Naz Reid from the Minnesota Timberwolves & Foremost 50 awards Lucky on the Power List of Breakout Challenger Brands - Link to Post & The Lead

🤖 Webeyez: Digital Tools to Revolutionize Your E-commerce Customer Experience - TechBullion

🎂 Cake: Best Sex Toys at Walmart & Sexy Holiday Gifts to Heat Up Your Winter Nights - Well+Good & rollingout

💦 Magna: 2025 for Magna Athletes - Link to Post

🖥 Orita: A Deep Dive into Artificial Intelligence for Ecommerce Email Optimization - eCommerce Fastlane

📓 Novel: 2024 Wrapped - Link to Post

🤩 Starface: How Kara Brothers Is Leading Starface to Break More Barriers in Skincare & New Fruity Starface Lip Balms - Who What Wear & New York Magazine

🛍 ShoppingGvies: CPGIO Expands Market Reach with ShoppingGives Acquisition and Strategic Leadership Appointment - PR Newswire

💻 Nostra: How to Increase ARPU for Ecommerce Brands: A Practical Guide - Nostra.ai

🧖‍♀️ Exponent: Exponent Beauty’s Power System Takes the Guesswork Out of Skincare Dosing - The Daily Beast

🚤 Motion: 2025 Creative Trends - Motionapp

🍳 Caraway: This Non-Toxic Pot May Be Small, but It Makes a Huge Difference in My Kitchen & Shop the Petite Cooker and Exclusive birthday bundles - Food & Wine & USA Today

👗 AirRobe: The Innovations Driving the Resale Renaissance - Vogue Business

💆‍♀️ Jupiter: Beauty Trends Poised to Take Over 2025, Best Hair Masks for Hair Growth, & Jupiter Hair Trio Review - Fashionista, Glamour, & GQ

📍Hyper: Technology Meets Physical Brand Touchpoints at the Juncture Between Wayfinding and Navigation - Transform Magazine

🫒 Brightland: Valentine's Day Gift Sets for the Ones You Love - ABC News

🏡 Livble - Pay Rent in Installments with Cash Flow Data - Plaid

👃 Snif: This Surprising Perfume Is for the Spicy Fragrance Lover & Launch of "Me" a Shape-Shifting Fragrance - Eater, HypeBae, Trendhunter

“With great power comes great responsibility” - Marvel's Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)

The transition from angel investor to venture capitalist isn't just about managing more money—it's about fundamentally transforming how you think about value creation in early-stage companies. While angel investing rewards quick decisions and emotional intelligence, venture capital demands systematic thinking and strategic patience. This evolution has taught me that success in VC requires not just a change in tactics, but a complete reimagining of the investor's role.

Moving into VC required me to rethink everything: from how I manage ownership, to the way I allocate resources, to how I approach relationships with founders. While challenging, this transition has fundamentally reshaped my approach to investing.

See Brian’s full post here.

Portfolio Companies in the News

💅 Olive & June: To Be Acquired by Helen of Troy - Business of Fashion
This is the last angel investment that Lisa and Brian made prior to starting Sugar Capital. Congratulations to Sarah Gibson Tuttle (SGT), Sarah Leech Aucutt (SLA), and the rest of the O&J team!

📓Novel: How Your Customers Use a Wallet Pass - LinkedIn

🕺Disco: BFCM Wrapped - LinkedIn

🤩 Starface: Kara Brothers, Starface | Glossy 50 2024 - Glossy

🧸 Grüns: 46 Best Gifts for Parents Who Have Everything 2024 - Esquire

✨ Kinship: Best Face Sunscreens of 2024, Tested and Reviewed- Travel + Leisure

🧖‍♀️ Exponent: Wellness Retail Expansions of 2024, Beauty Products Our Editors Loved in November & Beauty - Harper’s Baazar & WWD

🍳 Caraway: These Pans Are Worth The Investment - Taste of Home

💆‍♀️ Jupiter: Robbie Salter during the Next Gen Beauty Panel at the 2024 NEXT Summit - BeautyMatter & Best Dandruff Shampoos of 2024, According to Dermatologists - NBC

🫒 Brightland: LA Time’s Inspirational Women - Aishwarya Iyer

👃 Snif: Festive & Cozy Candles To Burn For Christmas 2024 & The Best Long-Lasting Fragrances of 2024- Bustle & InStyle

At Sugar Capital, we’re not just observing the future; we’re actively shaping it by investing in brands that Gen Alpha will carry forward. This generation, born from 2010 to 2024, is on track to become the largest in history, nearing 2 billion strong by 2025. But numbers alone don’t define them; it’s their influence on tech, commerce, and culture that signals a new era. For those of us in the consumer space, the values and expectations of Gen Alpha are setting the stage for what commerce will look like tomorrow. See Brian’s full post here.

Portfolio Companies in the News

🚀 Motion: The journey from near collapse to hypergrowth - Betakit

🎂 Hello Cake raises $18M Series B & acquires Trigg Laboratories, Inc. - Axios Pro & Business Wire

🏠 TurboTenant partners with Livble, 53% of U.S. tenants face housing affordability crisis - Global Newswire

🧸 Not finishing your greens powder drinks? Grüns is betting you’ll take gummies - New York Post, Grüns refreshes packaging - CPG Wire

👗 AirRobe: The Australian names founder Hannon Comazzetto as Top 100 Innovator - LinkedIn

🤩 Starface: Team behind Starface pimple patches takes on fentanyl test strips - The New York Times, Hailey and Justin Bieber's favorite zit stickers - Elle

📧 Orita: Introducing: Engagement Levels - Orita

🍳 Caraway Knife & Utensil Set Named in Best Inventions of 2024 - Time

💆‍♀️ Jupiter Balancing Shampoo Named Best Overall Shampoo for Dry Scalps, According to Dermatologists - Glamour

🫒 Brightland: Gifting Season for Food Lovers - Architectural Digest

See more recent press highlights from our portfolio below.

Portfolio Companies in the News

🚀 Motion: Motion closes $30-million USD Series B in bid to become “command center” for creative strategists - Betakit

🖥 Nostra AI raises $8.9M to Help Brands Boost E-Commerce Performance, Bringing Total Capital Raised to $20M- Axios & Business Wire

🍀 Lucky Energy: Lucky Energy Closes Oversubscribed Series A, Continues To Defy Odds - BevNET. A Word On Lucky from Nick Kyrgios - Link To Video. Lucky Drops First Merch Collection - PR Newswire

🤩 From Pimple Patches To Lip Balm ~ How Starface Is Expanding Its Approach To Beauty Under Kara Brothers’ Bold Leadership - Forbes

🤩 Glow Recipe, Starface and Olaplex are 2024 Glossy Pop Award winners - Glossy

👾 Violet: The Checkout Difference ~ Shopping vs. Commerce - Violet

💆‍♀️ Jupiter: Best Shampoo For Sensitive & Flaky Scalps - Vouge

🍳 Caraway’s Cult-Favorite Cookware Got A Heavy Metal Makeover -The New York Post

In the meantime, check out what’s trending on SugarRush and the latest press highlights from our portfolio.

Introducing SugarRush - your new AI Editor-in-Chief

SugarRush simplifies your inbox by filtering, editing, and summarizing the newsletters you love into a personalized feed of essential insights. Here are the top stories from the last few weeks:

🔍 With Google in its sights, OpenAI unveils SearchGPT techcrunch - OpenAI may have designs to get into the search game — challenging not only upstarts like Perplexity, but Google and Bing, too.

💊 New Venture Taps Into Gen Z's Health Obsession fastcompany - Everlane founder, Michael Preysman, launches a new supplement company, targeting Gen Z's increasing focus on health and wellness, demonstrating the growing importance of health as a status symbol among younger consumers.

👠 High-End Retail Merger: Saks Acquires Neiman Marcus nytimes - In a major retail industry move, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue acquires Neiman Marcus for $2.65 billion, potentially reshaping the luxury retail landscape.

💡 J.Crew Collaborates with The Bear instagram - J.Crew launches a fashion collection in collaboration with the series 'The Bear', blending culinary arts with retail.

🏅 Fashion at the Olympics wwd - Discover the latest fashion collaborations and initiatives surrounding the Paris Olympics, focusing on the LVMH involvement and designer partnerships.

🌐 Impact of Weight Loss Drugs on Food Industry fooddive - Investigate how weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are reshaping consumer food preferences and the broader implications for the snack and restaurant sectors.

▶︎ Check it out here: https://sugarrush.ai

Portfolio Companies in the News

🤩 Starface: The Washington Post, Vogue Business, and the NY Post each discuss how Starface has changed the conversation around acne and turned pimple patches into fashion accessories.

🏘 Livble: How Startups Are Making Better Credit Available For All Americans - Forbes

🧸 Grüns launches Grüns Kids

🍰 Cake Launches Prescription Medication To Help Women Increase Libido and Desire - Business Wire

🍫 Feastables: YouTube star MrBeast dishes out $1 million worth of cars outside Sydney Opera House - Forbes Australia

🫒 How Brightland Strategically Grew Its Whole Foods Presence - Modern Retail

🖥 Nostra AI Appoints Growth Marketing Veteran as VP - Newsfile

🚀 Motion Presents: Make Ads That Convert - Motion

👃 Snif: TikTok Star, Monet McMichael, Opens Up About Her New Fragrance - Glamour

📍Hyper’s Redesigned AR Navigation Experience - Hyper

🍀 Lucky Energy's Growth Strategy Focuses on Virality & Convenience Stores - Modern Retail

⚰️ Chptr & Boston Globe Media Launch Digital and Video Celebrations - PR Newswire

🥇 Jupiter: Indie Brand Spotlight Award Winner - Beauty Connect Series Post

Introducing SugarRush - your new AI Editor-in-Chief

SugarRush simplifies your inbox by filtering, editing, and summarizing the newsletters you love into a personalized feed of essential insights. Here are the top stories from the last few weeks:

🔍 Musk's X: Free Speech Defender or Business Tool? nytimes - Insight into how Elon Musk might be leveraging X (formerly Twitter) to benefit his broader business empire, including Tesla and SpaceX.

🛍️ TikTok's Favorite: Inkey List Lip Plumping Balm wwd - The Inkey List releases TikTok-famous lip plumping balm in three new tints for spring, promising flattering shades for all beauty enthusiasts.

🔄 A Glimpse Into a Future Macy's retail dive - Macy's shares financial outlook and strategies for the select stores that will remain post-major downsizing over the next three years.

💭 The Quest for the Next Cult Sneaker hypebeast - Analysis on what could succeed the adidas Samba as the new cult sneaker, with insights into potential candidates based on current market trends and consumer preferences.

👗 The Return of Victoria's Secret's Fashion Innovation the cut - Victoria's Secret plans to rejuvenate its runway show, merging content, commerce, and media in a fresh format, despite past controversies and current financial challenges.

🛁 Relax with POPSUGAR x Walmart walmart - Unwind in luxury with POPSUGAR’s new bath and body line at Walmart, featuring eucalyptus shower steamers and magnesium bath flakes.

▶︎ Check it out here: https://sugarrush.ai

Portfolio Companies in the News

🛍 Remark puts thousands of human product experts into AI form - TechCrunch

🍀 Lucky Beverage Co Founder & Plane Crash Survivor Remembers What Happened on Delta 191 - People

🌎 Remark, Nostra, and EcoCart named to The Leading 100 List

🥇 Violet Won Gold @thestevieawards in the 22nd annual American Business Awards for API Management Solutions - LinkedIn

📧 Orita crosses 100 customers

🤩 The Gen-Z Whisperer: How Julie Schott, Founder of Starface, Made Acne a Laughing Matter - BoF

🤩 How the Founder of Starface pimple patches is building an empire of Gen Z brands - Fast Company

⚰️ Chptr Wants to Upend the Traditional Obit Market - Funeral Service Insider

🍳 Caraway Prep Set Review: Perfect for Small Kitchens - Food & Wine

🚀 Motion: Join Motion for Make Ads That Convert 2024 - Motion

🧸 Grüns launches sugar-free gummies - Instagram

👃 TikTok Star Monet McMichael Enters Her ‘Rose Era’ With Snif Fragrance Collaboration- WWD

🫒 Brightland: Best Olive Oils of 2024 - NYMag

🐺 Blackwolf Brothers Start Side Hustle, Build Business With $50M Revenue - Entrepreneur

Please join us in welcoming Lucky Beverage Company to the Sugar Capital portfolio.

Lucky F*ck is a clean energy drink containing just five ingredients and five calories. The company was founded by Richard Laver, who survived a plane crash at age 12, later founded Kate Farms, and has now founded Lucky. Sugar Capital participated in Lucky’s $8M round led by Brand Foundry Ventures with participation from Imaginary Ventures.

Congratulations to our portfolio company, Builder.io on its $20M raise led by M12 (Microsoft’s VC arm).

Introducing SugarRush - your new AI Editor-in-Chief

SugarRush simplifies your inbox by filtering, editing, and summarizing the newsletters you love into a personalized feed of essential insights. Here are the top stories from the last few weeks:

🎬 Sex Sells Again in Hollywood nytimes - A deep dive into Hollywood's renewed focus on adult themes in movies such as 'Challengers' and 'Saltburn', exploring the role of intimacy coordinators and shifting audience demographics.

🌟 Met Gala's Best Dressed 2024 hollywoodreporter - The Met Gala's fashion did not disappoint, with celebrities bringing their A-game, reflecting the 'The Garden of Time' theme in breathtaking ensembles.

📚 Rise of Intellectual Influencers businessinsider - Explores the shift towards 'edutainment' on social platforms and the emerging trend of intellectual influencers.

🛍️ Doubling Down on TikTok Despite Ban Rumors bof - Fashion and beauty brands remain steadfast in leveraging TikTok Shop, undeterred by whispers of potential bans, aiming to tap into the platform's vast shopping audience.

🛏️ Quiet juggernaut Ashley Furniture makes $1B acquisition axios - Ashley Home Furnishings acquired mattress maker Resident Home for nearly $1 billion, positioning Resident for a potential future IPO after expanding its product line. Avid Capital Advisors was the exclusive financial advisor.

▶︎ Check it out here: https://sugarrush.ai

Portfolio Companies in the News

💅 Nicki Minaj launches press-on nail brand Pink Friday Nails and shows them off at the Met Gala - BoF, Billboard, Hollywood Reporter, HypeBae, WWD

💰 Builder.io nets $20M from Microsoft's venture fund. What it means for the future of headless CMS - CMS Critic

🚀 Motion ships Launch Analysis enabling entire marketing teams to see what creative has been posted, what’s working, and what they should do next.

🍀 Lucky F*ck, the energy drink, cleans up its act with name change and comic campaign - AdAge

🤩 Starface launches neutral pimple patches and debuts them at Kiko Kostadinov’s runway show - Glossy, hypebae

👃 Beautifying the Home: 9 New Household and Cleaning Launches From Diptyque, Snif and More - WWD

✨ Exponent Beauty’s Power System launch is covered by multiple outlets - NY Mag, Robb Report, New Beauty, WWD

🫒 The founder of olive oil brand Brightland’s first career in communications taught her an essential lesson for every CEO - Fortune

See below for the latest edition to our portfolio as well as recent news articles featuring our companies.

To see our entire portfolio, please visit sugarcap.com

SUGAR CAPITAL NEWS

Please join us in welcoming Orita to the Sugar Capital portfolio. Orita is a machine learning automation platform tailored for the e-commerce sector. It helps brands optimize their technology tools and save money. Sugar Capital led Orita's Seed round.

PORTFOLIO COMPANIES IN THE NEWS

EXCLUSIVE: NOSTRA RAISES $6.3M TO ACCELERATE E-COMMERCE | Axios

INTERNET-FAMOUS FRAGRANCE BRAND SNIF IS LAUNCHING A LINE OF PRODUCTS TO REFRESH LAUNDRY DAY| Better Homes & Gardens

SNIF LAUNCHES A LINE OF LAUNDRY FRAGRANCES AND BOOSTERS | TrendHunter

NAVIGATING NATIVE CHECKOUT IN SOCIAL COMMERCE | Violet

STARFACE: BRANDING AND PERFORMANCE ARE BECOMING MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED | ADWEEK

STARFACE: 2023 GLOSSY BEAUTY AWARDS WINNER | Glossy

EXPONENT: BEAUTYTAP AWARDS TOP 20 EDITOR’S PICKS FOR 2023 | Beautytap

EXPONENT BEAUTY’S POWER SYSTEM TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF SKINCARE DOSING | Daily Beast

LOCKET: AN APP YOU CAN USE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR FRIENDS | SlashGear

CARAWAY’S NEW STAINLESS STEEL COOKWARE CAN HANDLE THE HEAT | REFINERY29

CARAWAY'S NEW KITCHEN GADGETS CAN WHIZ THROUGH SEVERAL COOKING TASKS—AND WITH STYLE | USA Today Rev

BUILDER ANNOUNCES QWIK 2.0: LIGHTER, FASTER, BETTER| Builder.io

CHARLOTTE HORNETS TO HOST FEASTABLES NIGHT | NBA

MRBEAST REFORMULATES FEASTABLES | tubefilter