Functional beverage brand REBBL powers up with $20M in funding

CAVU Venture Partners gets in on the mission-driven company creating trendy plant-based beverages.

May 18, 2018

3 Min Read
Functional beverage brand REBBL powers up with $20M in funding
REBBL

REBBL, crafter of organic coconut-milk based super-herb drinks, has announced the closing of $20 million in funding led by CAVU Venture Partners, a VC and growth equity firm started by consumer products veterans known for backing and building iconic consumer brands such as BAI Brands, Health-Ade Kombucha and Bulletproof Coffee. Since its launch in 2011, REBBL has seen triple-digit growth, prompting the interest of industry leaders from key investment companies such as BIGR Ventures and PowerPlant Ventures, in addition to CAVU. Much of this growth can be attributed to the brand being on the forefront of many current trends such as plant-based and functional beverages, impact-sourcing and conscious capitalism, as well as the company’s fanatical focus on creating exceptional tasting products.

“We are so excited to welcome CAVU Venture Partners to the REBBL family,” says Sheryl O’Loughlin, CEO. “It was important to our team that whoever we brought on during this round of funding felt as passionate as we do about our REBBL mission. CAVU exemplifies this, and co-founder Clayton Christopher will join our board. With his experience as a founder of Sweet Leaf Tea and Deep Eddy Vodka, his addition will enhance the deep brain trust already in place. This includes the best of the best in the beverage industry such as Duane Primozich from BIGR Ventures and Mark Rampolla from PowerPlant Ventures, whose forward-thinking, companies also chose to continue to invest in the brand.”

The funding will allow REBBL to grow its team, increase marketing efforts to drive greater household penetration, expand the sales function and enhance R&D. The large round of funding also means that REBBL can continue to further its mission to create a future without human trafficking in partnership with its nonprofit partner, Not For Sale, who co-founded the beverage company. REBBL is deeply purpose-driven and impact-sources its organic ingredients in 29 countries, in addition to making a 2.5 percent donation of net sales of every bottle back to Not For Sale. In a crowded marketplace, it is this mission that sets REBBL apart from the competition and attracts not only key investors, but top talent to its leadership team.

“When Not for Sale set out to create a company to further its mission, we could have never imagined what a success it would be,” says Dave Batstone, president of Not for Sale and REBBL board member. “To date, REBBL has donated over $630,000 to help our mission of creating a future without human trafficking and we know with this additional capital, the deeply experienced team at REBBL will grow this number in the years to come, giving more back to the world we live in.”

Beyond the mission, REBBL is a leader in the new, totally natural functional beverage category where the efficacious functionality comes purely from the power of plants. As a super herb beverage pioneer, REBBL creates exquisite-tasting, nutrient-dense drinks that are plant-based, organic, non-GMO, and free of flavor chemicals, gums, thickeners and carrageenan. Its on-trend yet disruptive product portfolio soulfully crafts the best of the Plant Queendom to create functional organic beverages, utilizing adaptogens and super-herbs such as matcha, turmeric, ashwagandha, maca and schizandra. The results are flat-out delicious flavors that have attracted a highly engaged tribe of consumers that will only continue to expand with the company’s growth. REBBL is the top performing brand in the functional set within the natural space and their beverages can now be found nationwide in 7,000 retailers with continued expansion in 2018.  

"We’ve long admired REBBL not just for its exceptional products, but also for its mission to make a real difference in the world,” says Clayton Christopher, co-founder and managing partner at CAVU Venture Partners. “Their seasoned management team spearheaded by CEO Sheryl O'Loughlin and co-founder Palo Hawken know inside and out who they are as a brand. REBBL has disrupted the functional beverage space while simultaneously highlighting the positive impact an innovative social enterprise can have on our world.”

Source: REBBL

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