Nutrition, health and wellness financings increased 25% in 2021 as M&A activity returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest Healthy Living Consumer Products webinar by advisory firm Whipstitch Capital and SPINS today.

Fitness energy drink maker CELSIUS enjoyed record growth in its Q4 2021 and full year earnings report released this week, with revenue up 140% to $314.3 million. Domestic revenue rose 186% to $273 million for the year while international revenue was up 17% to $41.2 million from the previous year. Gross profit was up 111% to $128.2 million.

Less than a year after launching its first non-kombucha offering with its functional Adaptonic products, Colorado-based beverage brand Rowdy Mermaid is taking another step beyond its roots in kombucha with Adaptonic Clarity, a line of sparkling drinks made with Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

With rumors circulating that it may be closing in on a merger deal, Monster Beverage Corporation reported record growth for the fourth quarter and full year 2021 in an earnings report this week, with 2021 net sales up 20.5% to over $5.5 billion.

As the company celebrates the completion of its three-year merger period, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) reported high single-digit growth for Q4 and the full year 2021 in an earnings report today, posting an 8.7% net sales increase for the quarter and 9.2% growth to $12.6 billion for the year.

New York-based investment firm KKR announced today it has entered an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Refresco Group B.V., one of the largest independent beverage contract manufacturers worldwide. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

PepsiCo has named Derek Lewis, a 34-year veteran with the company, as the president of its new Multicultural Business and Equity Development Organization; Also, ROAR CEO Alex Galindez, who joined the hydration drink brand in 2020 as part of a turnaround effort, announced last week that she has left the company.

Minnesota-based Bizzy Coffee announced today it has closed a $7.1 million funding round led by venture capital firm Sidekick Partners. The financing comes as the company prepares to move into a new 50,000 square foot production facility to help support national retail expansion.

The total U.S. CPG industry grew 2.7% to $962 billion in 2021 as pandemic-related shifts in consumer behavior and routes to market began to cement themselves, according to the latest CPG Growth Leaders report by market research firm IRI.

Plant-based products brand KOS announced today it has closed a $12 million Series A financing round led by food and beverage industry veterans Clayton Christopher and Brian Goldberg. The two investors are now playing active roles in guiding the brand’s strategy.

Cannabis-infused social tonic brand Cann has closed a $27 million Series A funding round, the company announced today, setting the stage for expansion into Canada and bringing a crew of new celebrity investors into the fold.

BARCODE, a functional hydration beverage brand founded by former NBA trainer Mubarak Malik, has closed a $2.2 million funding round with participation from Erewhon Market; also, BioSteel CEO John Celenza offers his insights on the brand's channel strategy.