BrightFox Announces Investment from Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures

Electrolyte beverage brand BrightFox announced this week it has received new investment from Hartbeat Ventures, the venture capital firm founded by actor and comedian Kevin Hart. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The New York-based brand, produced by TBE Beverages, launched in 2019 with a line of zero calorie hydration drinks targeted towards “nightlife” consumption. BrightFox initially targeted on-premise accounts including clubs and bars, but amid the pandemic has also begun focusing on at-home use occasions.

BrightFox is available in Sparkling Grapefruit + Ginger and Cucumber + Mint varieties as well as a still Blueberry + Vanilla flavor. Each 10 oz. aluminum bottle contains zero sugar, sweeteners, stimulants, coloring or preservatives and is marketed as having three times as many electrolytes as leading sports drinks.

“We are always looking to align with investors that embody the spirit of BrightFox,” said founder Mohammed Sabry in a press release. “With Kevin, who is known to have a very work-hard-play-hard mentality, and the overarching mission of Hartbeat Ventures – we feel that the ethos behind both encapsulates exactly what we’re trying to build as a brand. BrightFox at its core is about cultivating a lifestyle that is rooted in optimization – both for ourselves and the products we consume – and our team is thrilled to have Hartbeat Ventures onboard as an investor that we feel shares our views.”

In an email to BevNET, the company said it intends to put the investment towards marketing efforts to grow brand awareness, education and drive trial, particularly through social media campaigns and events.

Primarily targeting the Los Angeles, New York and Miami markets, Brightfox is aiming to make headway in the premium grocery, convenience and natural channels while also scaling internationally with launches in Dubai and Germany. In January, BrightFox partnered with beverage incubator L.A. Libations, entering its SoCal Incubation Program (SIP) to expand its presence in California.

The brand is now looking to seize on the reopening of the hospitality channel across the country and restart its initial “nightlife” strategy — even as it’s moved to strike the term from its marketing.

“BrightFox was launched in the on-premise channel back in 2019 and we welcome the on-premise world back into the BrightFox ecosystem with open arms; it’s great to see the hospitality space making a comeback,” the company said.

The deal also marks the second beverage investment for Hartbeat Ventures and the fourth overall for Hart. In March, Hartbeat announced it had invested in C4 parent company Nutrabolt, with Hart planning to serve as a brand ambassador. However, Hart told CNBC at the time that the deal was not “just an ambassador play,” adding that the deal was “really about merging my lifestyle with a product I generally use.”

Last year, Hart personally invested in Michigan-based brand Ellis Island Tea and he previously invested in Liquid I.V. prior to that brand’s sale to Unilever in September 2020. According to Pitchbook, Hartbeat is also invested in massage products company Therabody as well as companies in the automotive and productivity software industries.

Neither BrightFox nor Hart said if he will serve as an ambassador for the brand. However, he praised the brand in the press release, saying “we immediately connected to the product; we believe the health and hydration benefits are the way of the future in beverage.”