CircleUp

CircleUp is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm and investment platform founded in 2012 by Ryan Caldbeck and Rory Eakin, focused on early-stage investments in emerging consumer brands innovating in food, beverage, beauty, personal care, and health and wellness. CircleUp pioneered the application of machine learning and proprietary data analytics to consumer brand investing, developing a tool called Helio that aggregates and analyzes millions of data points about consumer companies to identify high-potential brands earlier than traditional investors. The firm combines this data-driven sourcing approach with consumer industry expertise to back founders building the next generation of challenger brands. CircleUp invests at seed and Series A stages with initial checks from $1 million to $5 million and focuses on natural, organic, functional, and better-for-you categories. Portfolio companies include Bai Brands, acquired by Dr Pepper Snapple for $1.7 billion in 2017; Halo Top, the low-calorie ice cream brand that became the best-selling ice cream brand in the United States at its peak; NuttZo, a multi-nut and seed butter brand; and Rhythm Superfoods. Beyond its original investments, the portfolio includes additional emerging consumer brands.