the ish ✨ news, funding rounds, and jobs

Issue #22. A casual newsletter on the ever-evolving world of consumer brands and trends.

A round-up of interesting articles, funding announcements, and open roles. 💫

☕️ News

• Merit Beauty owes its viral eyeshadow launch to simplicity (Glossy)

  • Merit Beauty, targeting millennials and Gen X, launched Solo Shadow, a simple eyeshadow for daily use. Its launch featured a viral TikTok video with over 1.5 million views with no ad spend… a great example of a simple, well-executed campaign.

• Kim Kardashian turned Skims into a $4 billion company. She wants to build the next generation of unicorns with SKKY Partners, her new private equity firm (Fortune)

  • SKKY Partners focuses on control and minority investments in sectors like consumer products, hospitality, luxury, digital commerce, and media. Their first investment was in TRUFF, a luxury hot sauce brand known for its truffle-infused flavors.

• How Reece Feldman Became Hollywood Studios’ Gen Z Whisperer, One TikTok at a Time (Hollywood Reporter)

  • Reece Feldman, with over 2 million followers, has become a key TikTok consultant for Hollywood studios. Looking ahead, studios may look to hire content creators who understand how to connect with audiences to drive engagement in their shows and films (see TikTok here).

• Life Time Launches Longevity Clinics (Fitt Insider)

  • Life Time is launching MIORA, a medical wellness concept offering comprehensive health testing and personalized plans, blending fitness with holistic health services like hormone therapy and cryotherapy.

• Buying a House Isn’t Happening, So They’re Spending and Saving Differently (WSJ)

  • With high interest rates and housing costs, Americans are deferring home buying, instead investing in relatives' education, home renovations, or luxury vacations, suggesting a shift in the perception of home ownership as a measure of success.

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💸 Funding

🎥 Creators

• Pocket FM, an Indian audio entertainment startup, raises $80m in new funding (TechCrunch)

• AllCity Network, a digital sports network, raised $9.4m in Series A funding (Marketing Brew)

👯‍♂️ Social & Apps

• Sunnyside, an app that helps people build healthier habits around alcohol, raised $11.5m in Series A funding (MedCity News)

• Heali, a developer of food-as-medicine tools, raised $3m in seed funding (TechCrunch)

• Waspito, a health-focused social network, raised a $2.5m seed extension round (TechCrunch)

💚 Health & Wellness

• Forward, the membership-based primary care company raised $100m in Series E (Fitt Insider)

• Eleos Health, a company using AI to analyze and improve therapy conversations, raised $40M in Series B funding (PR Newswire)

• BHOUT, a gamified boxing concept startup, raised €10m in seed funding (FittInsider)

• Inito, a startup that helps women track fertility hormones at home raised $6m in Series A funding (TechCrunch)

• Forum, a virtual peer support marketplace, raised $5.3M in Seed funding (PR Newswire)

• Omorpho, a maker of weighted training gear, raised $3m in Seed funding (FittInsider)

• Barbell Logic, an online strength coaching company, raised $2.3m in Series A funding (FittInsider)

• BeMe, a digital behavioral health startup focused on teens, raised $1.5m (Axios)

🌟 Lifestyle

• Urbanic, a London fashion brand, raised $150m in Series C funding (Axios)

• Craftwork, a home services platform, raised $6m in seed funding (Forbes)

• Refilled, a maker of refrigerator-size smart drink dispensers, raised a $1.3 million AUD seed round (TechCrunch)

🚁 Travel & Hospitality

• Raus, a Berlin startup that rents cabins in rustic settings near German cities, raised a $9.1 million round (PhocusWire)

🌭 Food & Beverage

• Wonder, a food delivery company, raised $100m from Nestle (CNBC)

• Huel, a plant-based meal replacement brand raised $82.5m (WellToDo)

• Crisp, a Dutch grocery delivery startup, raised €35m in Series C funding (TechEU)

• Cumulus Coffee, a maker of at-home cold brew coffee machines, raised $20.3m in seed funding (Foodbev Media)

• Miyoko's Creamery, a vegan butter and cheese company, is raising $12m in preparation for sale (Bloomberg)

• Solar Foods, a creator of synthetic protein powder, raised an $8.7 million Series B round (Vegconomist)

• Pricepally, an online grocery store for fresh produce and packaged food raised a $1.3m seed round (TechCrunch)

• Plant Press, a clean-caffeine drink maker raised $1.2m in a seed round (BevNet)

• BetterBrand, a maker of high-protein bread alternatives, raised an undisclosed amount from musician Zedd (FittInsider)

🧩 Other

• Imprint, a co-branded credit card startup, raised $75m in Series B funding (Yahoo)

• Edamama, a Philippines-based online retailer for parents, raised $35m in Series A funding (Finsmes)

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🎒 Jobs

• VP, Enterprise Digital Marketing | Crocs | Broomfield, CO

• Global Manager, Digital Retail Marketing | Bose | Framingham, MA

• Public Relations Coordinator | Cymbiotika | San Diego, CA

• Global Head of Consumer Marketing | Canva | San Francisco, CA

• Director of Marketing | Virgin Hotels | Nashville, TN

• Product Marketing Lead, TikTok Shop Seller Merchandise | TikTok | Seattle, WA

• Marketing Lead, Campaigns | On | Portland, OR

• Director, Online Retention-North America |The Estée Lauder Companies Inc | New York, NY

• Global Retail Marketing Associate Manager, Running |New Balance | Boston, MA

• Paid Growth Associate, Social | Prose | Brooklyn, NY

That’s all for now, friends. Hope you enjoyed it 💖

See you next time!

-Dani