Siddhi Capital Closes Fund, Plans For SPAC

Last month Melissa Facchina, founder and CEO of outsourced operations firm Siddhi Ops, and the Finn Family, the backers of Martstar investments, announced the close of their first fund under the newly formed firm Siddhi Capital. Facchina will also partner with the father and son duo of Brian Finn (the former CEO of Credit Suisse USA) and Steven Finn to launch a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) as well.

Reveal Showcases Avocado Seeds With Debut Product

As the co-founder and CEO of Philadelphia-based Hidden Gems Beverage Company, Bahirat is aiming to fuse wellness and sustainability with the brand’s debut product: Reveal, a three-SKU line of beverages made from brewed avocado seeds.

People Moves: L.A. Libations Hires Michael White, Promotes Shah and Orr

L.A. Libations Hires Kroger’s Michael White, Promotes Shah and Orr; Jones Soda Appoints Mark Murray as President; Nutrabolt Names New Chief Digital Officer, CMO Exits; Matt Swenson Takes Director of Coffee Role at Nestlé; Vita Coco Names Halima Aden “Chief Coconut Officer” to Support Global Initiative

SPAC Attack: Hollod to Run Tailwind, Advantage to Merge and Go Public

It’s the summer of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). Also known as blank check companies, SPACs have increasingly become appealing for the ability to quickly create category leaders and getting capital infusions into brands that need them. The past week has seen two such investment vehicles from industry experts.

Weller Expands Beyond CBD With Sparkling Immunity Line

CBD-infused beverage and snack brand Weller is expanding its platform beyond CBD with the launch of Sparkling Immunity, a new line that builds on the company’s goal to become a functional wellness brand while increasing its footprint with retailers that don’t carry CBD products.

Despite Cold Case Challenges, Carbonated Cold Brew Brand Sofee Targets Growth

Though the pandemic has created a tricky retail environment for early-stage beverage brands, with fewer grab-and-go cold case purchases and less consumer trial for innovative products, carbonated cold brew coffee brand Sofee is seeking to remain nimble by rolling out new ecommerce and marketing efforts.

RTD Coffee Category Close-Up, Product Showcase on Sept. 8+9

BevNET and NOSH are deepening their coverage of fast-evolving food and beverage categories with the premiere of two new video series next week available exclusively to subscribers: Category Close-Up and Product Showcase. To kick off the series, BevNET Managing Editor Marty Caballero will be taking a look at an established category that remains one of the most dynamic beverage types across all retail channels: ready-to-drink coffee.

Golden Tiger Aims to Take Turmeric to “Next Level”

In anticipation of its roll out into retail later this year with an aggressive multi-category product launch, California-based startup Golden Tiger is angling to ride the trend for immunity and anti-inflammatory functional drinks to fast success with a line of organic beverages that promote “bioactive curcumin” as its leading health ingredient.

Liquid I.V. Acquired by Unilever

After several years of sustained growth, powdered hydration mix brand Liquid I.V. has been acquired by international CPG giant Unilever for an undisclosed fee, the company announced today.

Nielsen: Monster Growing, Category Growing Faster

An increase in promotional pricing and strong sales for sugar-free Monster Zero Ultra and coffee-based Java Monster helped Monster Beverage Corp. build substantial volume growth over recent weeks, according to an analysis of Nielsen U.S. channel data through August 22, 2020 by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.