Investment Criteria We have a structured framework for evaluating early and growth-stage consumer brands that aligns with maximizing returns.
Founder & Brand DNA
Founder-led, mission-driven businesses rooted in U.S. consumer culture, built with authenticity and long-term vision.
Core themes of health, wellness, family, and resilience, aligned with macro shifts toward better living and sustainable consumption.
Clear product–market fit and cultural resonance, with brands that connect emotionally with consumers and have relevance beyond trends.
Financial Profile
Early-Stage: $1-10M revenue, 100%+ YoY growth, strong gross margins, pre-profit, clear path to scale.
Growth-Stage: $50M+ revenue, 50%+ growth, strong gross margins, EBITDA-positive with improving cash flow.
Attractive unit economics, multi-channel distribution, and scalable, defensible supply chains designed to support long-term growth.
Time Horizon & Return Potential
Early-Stage: 10x+ MOIC potential with 5-10 year hold periods, capturing the full value creation arc.
Growth-Stage: 3–5x MOIC potential with 1-4 year hold periods, focusing on acceleration to strategic exit.
Opportunity for tax-advantaged structures (e.g., QSBS) to enhance after-tax returns for qualified investors.
Target Customer & Market Positioning
Brands designed to engage Millennial and Gen Z consumers, the fastest-growing spending cohorts.
Digital-first, community-led positioning that meets customers where they are - online, on social platforms, and in person.
Leverage cultural influence and connectivity to build awareness, drive conversion, and foster loyalty. Proven traction in regional markets with a clear path to national scale.
Investment Structure
Minority preferred equity or convertible securities to align incentives with founders while protecting downside.
Targeted 5–20% ownership stakes at entry; $3-10M initial checks with reserves for follow-on to maintain pro-rata.
Lead investor in Seed–Series A rounds; highly selective participation in later-stage growth opportunities. Dedicated co-investment rights for LPs to provide incremental exposure to top-performing companies.
Exit Pathway
Strategic acquirers as the primary exit channel - CPGs, retailers, and conglomerates that rely on M&A for growth.
Later-stage buyout firms and select IPOs for scaled leaders, capturing premium valuations in public markets.
The Beliade Growth System Systematic, data-driven, and repeatable. Our growth system combines market intelligence, operational playbooks, and strategic networks to accelerate scale and deliver premium exits.
Talent & Cultural Influence
Curated introductions to celebrities, creators, and cultural leaders to authentically amplify brand reach and credibility.
Structured co-investment opportunities with talent to align incentives, deepen commitment, and unlock earned media exposure.
Support for refining brand narrative and positioning, ensuring mission, values, and storytelling resonate with consumers and press.
Capital Strategy & Financing Support
Hands-on guidance with fundraising strategy, structure, and storytelling from early seed rounds to growth capital.
Warm introductions to high-quality VCs, PE growth funds, family offices, lenders, and strategic capital providers.
Assistance with capitalization table modeling and scenario planning to preserve founder equity and align incentives for future rounds.
Guidance on optimal timing and staging of capital raises to balance dilution with growth acceleration.
Brand Building & Go-to-Market Execution
A decade-tested marketing playbook built from successfully scaling dozens of iconic consumer brands.
Best practices across creative development, paid media planning, community building, influencer programs, and omnichannel activation.
Access to top-tier marketing agencies, brand strategists, and growth operators to execute campaigns with precision.
Tactical guidance on hiring brand-building leadership and assembling a world-class growth team.
Market Intelligence & Insights
KPI database tracking thousands of brands across revenue, velocity, margins, CAC/LTV, and exit outcomes.
Category benchmarking and white-space analysis to identify underpenetrated opportunities and inform pricing, positioning, and channel strategy.
Deep insights into consumer behavior, purchase drivers, and trend adoption curves to anticipate demand shifts.
Continuous data refresh powered by our network, portfolio results, and co-investor learnings to keep underwriting current.
Distribution & Channel Expansion
Detailed roadmaps for scaling across DTC, Amazon, national retail, and foodservice channels, tailored to the brand’s maturity stage.
Trusted introductions to buyers, brokers, logistics partners, and distributors to accelerate retail adoption and minimize execution risk.
Support in designing channel economics and pricing architecture to protect margin as volume scales.
Playbooks for measuring sell-through velocity, optimizing marketing spend, and maintaining healthy retail relationships.
Exit & Growth Strategy
Constant calibration of M&A attractiveness - mapping 3–5 likely acquirers early and aligning key milestones with buyer criteria.
Connectivity to bankers, corporate development leaders, and PE buyers, ensuring optionality for dual-track processes.
Strategic support for domestic and selective international expansion to maximize enterprise value ahead of exit.
Introductions to global distribution and retail partners, enabling brands to test new geographies before fully committing.