Sazerac acquires a minority stake in SIPMARGS and becomes its exclusive US distributor, this is its second creator-brand equity deal in two months. Announced May 13 and following Sazerac's acquisition of a minority stake in Kendall Jenner's 818 Tequila the prior month, the deal targets the brand who brought Alix Earle on as its largest individual investor during a $3M relaunch in March 2025. The two deals in quick succession signal the clear interests of big players like Sazerac, which are actively betting on culturally relevant, creator-driven brands as their next growth lever.

Healthy Extracts acquires Imaraïs Beauty in a cash and equity deal. Sommer Ray, who co-founded the brand in 2021 with Aaron Hefter, takes the Chief Innovation Officer role under Healthy Extracts. The acquisition is followed by expansion into 4,400+ CVS doors.

Khould Foods closes a fresh $15M round, pushing total funding past $27M. The raise follows strong traction from its Starbucks Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn launch, near-doubled Amazon sales, and a continuously growing Target rollout. Backers include funds tied to top celebrities (Serena Ventures), creators (Jake Paul's Anti Fund), and the broader creator economy ecosystem (K5 Global, WME, Shrug Capital).

The Casamigos team raises a $15M Series Seed for Crazy Mountain Light Lager, with CAVU Consumer Partners leading and Coatue and Discovery Land Company participating. Clooney, Gerber and Meldman launched the brand on March 9 with ex-New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer in the operating seat, a deliberate replay of the Casamigos playbook (founder fame plus top notch operator CEO) inside non-alcoholic beer, with distribution already locked across 25 states.

MOSH raises $13M Series A led by Main Street Advisors (Paul Wachter, prior: Beats by Dre, Lobos 1707), to finance a national target launch and the introduction of a 20g protein bar. Maria Shriver and Patrick Schwarzenegger's brand makes protein bars formulated with brain-supporting ingredients, including Cognizin Citicoline and creatine, targeting consumers looking to support cognitive function through everyday nutrition.

Banagua closes $5.5M led by Hingham Growth Partners with a creator angel cohort that includes Elliot Tebele (FuckJerry, ~14M IG), Caleb Pressley (Barstool), James Hunt, Dr. Anthony Gustin, and Ben Kaplan. Banagua is a naturally hydrating banana water delivering electrolytes without added sugar, entering a functional beverage aisle where coconut water has been the only scaled natural incumbent. The banana water brand is already in 3,500 doors, and the expanded cap table provides the reach and credibility that cash alone wouldn't unlock.

Charli XCX takes equity in Nothing and becomes its first Global Brand Ambassador. The $1.3B London electronics brand adds Charli to a creator cap table that already includes The Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia, and Casey Neistat, bringing in another top-notch figure that will expand the brand’s reach and consolidate its position in the music space.

4AM closes a $4M seed led by CAVU Consumer Partners and lands in 1,745 Target stores. Co-founded by entrepreneurs turned creators Jade Beguelin and Dr. Sabrina Sade, the brand premiumises the facial wipe with individually wrapped, credit-card-sized sheets that work as a cleanser, toner, and treatment in one step. The angel cohort spans Joe Cloyes (Youth to the People), Cassandra Grey (Violet Grey), Brian Bordainick (Starface), and dermatology creators Dr. Muneeb Shah (~18M followers) and Dr. Joyce Park (~1M).

Gordon Ramsay co-founds Krude, a premium olive oil brand, with Ben and Elle Caring (Lady A wine, Soho House, Chateau La Coste). Launched May 21 at Soho Mews House in London, the seven-SKU lineup runs from £13 to £22 per 250ml, with a UV-protective can and a proprietary "Krude Kontrol" spout that applies premium-spirits-grade packaging to a celebrity-chef-fronted CPG launch.

Sommer Ray co-founds Tempted, a canned Dirty Shirley targeting the most-ordered bar cocktail with no RTD equivalent. Launched on May 14 at 7% ABV, 4g sugar and $12.99 per 4-pack, the brand enters a lane where Sazerac holds the legacy Dirty Shirley trademark and Poppi and Olipop both moved in with January 2026 Shirley Temple sodas.

Eveir lands in Douglas! Paola Turani's haircare brand, which we helped her launch in September 2024, has now entered 100 Douglas Italia stores, roughly 20% of the chain's ~500-door national footprint, and the brand's first major brick-and-mortar listing! Excited about this development and looking forward to what’s next!