In The Money: eCommerce, DTC and CPG
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Listening to some the most interesting $5m-$50m founders, operators, investors, acquirers, and lenders in the DTC and CPG space.
Reading about interesting M&A deals in the consumer products category.
Seeing a proprietary deal a week from brands who want reach a broader audience of buyers.
Archive
What Actually Gets Funded in Consumer Right Now
Non-alcoholic beer, “clean” water, hormone-aware supplements and the real bar investors are setting.The funding window in consumer isn’t closed, but it’s narrow, opinionated, and unforgiving.Capital is flowing to brands that do one thing exceptionally well, can explain why they exist in one sentence, and show early signs of pricing power, margin literacy, and cultural relevance, not just growth curves.This week’s stories all point to the same reality:Premium non-alcoholic beer raised at a $100M+ valuationA water brand raised on lab reports, not vibesA supplement startup raised by reframing pills as protocolsAnd a fund manager explained why “niche” can now mean $200M+ businessesThis issue is about what actually gets funded in consumer right now, and what doesn’t.
What Paris Reveals About Durable Consumer Brands
From fragrance to fashion to furniture, Paris reveals how durable consumer brands are actually built.I’m in Paris this week, and it’s impossible not to notice something.The most impressive consumer brands here aren’t chasing growth optics. They’re underwriting durability, margin, pricing power, and global portability, often through moves that look irrational if you only model store-level ROI.A minority stake in a Paris perfume house.A fashion brand handing out tea and cookies instead of discounts.A $100M retail “store” that makes no sense on a spreadsheet.These aren’t indulgences. They’re strategy.This week’s issue is about what Paris reveals about how real consumer brands compound, and why the most durable growth often looks slow, expensive, or inefficient right up until it isn’t.
