Squared Circles

CPG as a category has had a tough road as of late, especially with shifts in early stage investments away from consumer to other tech-enabled categories. As founders though, we've always been drawn to the immutable human need to consume and celebrated CPG brands that have created outsized social and economic outcomes by addressing growing and persistent need states and pain points for consumers. Three years ago, we launched Squared Circles as a venture studio to re-think the future of consumables and today, we're thrilled to announce L Catterton is leading a $40MM growth investment along with Leonardo di Caprio's impact fund, Regeneration.VC, David Bonderman's Wildcat Capital Management, Joyance Partners and a world class group of strategic angels. Together, they are enabling our vision of turning science into culture to incubate and scale a new generation of consumables. Deeply grateful for their partnership and support, and above all else, thankful to the incredibly talented teams at Squared Circles, Algae Cooking Club, Magic Molecule and Freaks of Nature that have made this all possible to date. Jon Owsley Chris Roberts Liz Gordon Hannah Kim Michael Smith Dan Fishman Drew Tarlow Thibault Vanvincq Alexander Gilkes Lukas Derksen Sivan Gompers Karan Jerath Jim Bailey Kasra Saidi Julia Nimocks Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo Zak Williams Rick Hess Brandon Shainfeld Justin Kerzner Chelsea Kerzner Jeroen Holthaus LL.M. RB Sara Rottenberg Vasu Kulkarni Deepen Parikh Jared Stein Alexandre Cohen Palm Venture Studios Chuck Cotter Brent T. Lessey, CPA, MST Krupa Consulting

Three years ago, Osman Khan, Lukas Derksen and I sat down together to take stock of the seismic shifts taking place in the consumer sector. The sector had fallen out of favor with investors, but we believed that a new golden era of consumer entrepreneurship was being ushered in, given emerging secular trends: shifts in cultural norms, rapidly evolving consumer demographics & behaviors, and enhanced paradigms for brand & product innovation. As entrepreneurs we recognized the many mistakes we had made in the past and how best to avoid similar pitfalls. We also recognized the shift in our global post pandemic mindset from instant gratification to long term optimization and wanted to build brands and products that helped us all live better. And so we launched Squared Circles, a venture studio, to re-think the future of science-backed consumables in health & wellness. Today we're thrilled to announce L Catterton is leading a $40MM Series A investment, following an earlier Seed round led by Leonardo di Caprio, Michael Smith and Dan Fishman's impact fund, Regeneration.VC, @David Bonderman's Wildcat Capital Management, and a world class group of strategic angels and funds including Joyance Partners. Together, they are enabling our vision of turning science into culture to incubate and scale a new generation of consumables. It is a huge honor to have L Catterton behind us and a great coincidence having started my career at LVMH. We are all deeply grateful for their partnership and support, and above all else, thankful to the incredibly talented teams at Squared Circles, Algae Cooking Club, Magic Molecule and Freaks of Nature that have made this all possible to date. We are excited for all that it is to come and continue to look for great innovation partners and founders to build future ventures with. Jon Owsley Chris Roberts Liz Gordon Hannah Kim Drew Tarlow Michael Smith Dan Fishman Osman Khan Lukas Derksen Sivan Gompers Karan Jerath Jim Bailey Kasra Saidi Julia Nimocks Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo Zak Williams Rick Hess Brandon Shainfeld Justin Kerzner Chelsea Kerzner Jeroen Holthaus LL.M. RB Sara R. Vasu Kulkarni Deepen Parikh Jared Stein Alexandre Cohen Chuck Cotter Brent T. Lessey, CPA, MST Rachel Krupa Thibault Vanvincq https://lnkd.in/eu_VFV2v https://lnkd.in/eFs6sACJ

Algae Cooking Club featured on NY Mag's The Strategist makes for a great day. And if you haven't tried cooking with the oil yet, give it a whirl, here's what you can expect. "I fried falafel and arancini for remarkably crisp exteriors. Pan-frying eggs with them renders delicious, crunchy edges. They emulsify beautifully for homemade mayonnaise, vinaigrette, or toum." https://lnkd.in/giEXdcSm

😎 Welcome to the world: Freaks of Nature Co-founded by age-defying biohacker, surfing legend, and passionate ocean conservationist #KellySlater 🏄♂️, this hi-tech #skincare brand is the second brand incubated out of Regeneration.VC Portfolio Company Squared Circles. More than three years in the making, the team pulled off another breakthrough combining #biobased ingredients and cutting-edge microbiome research to innovate skincare products loved by athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, dermatologists, and the diverse ecosystem below the ocean! Marine conservationist and free diver OCEAN RAMSEY 🦈 and world-renowned professional rock climber #NinaWilliams 🧗♂️chose to be founding supporters of Freaks of Nature. “My entire career I’ve been looking for products that are engineered for performance and built for me as a professional athlete, but that are not detrimental to my body or the planet. With Freaks of Nature, we’ve finally cracked that code,” shared 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater. Check out the launch in PEOPLE Magazine | PEOPLE.com, The Business of Fashion, and Beauty Independent (link in the comments), then head over to the website and take it for a test drive! Alexander Gilkes, Lukas Derksen, Osman Khan, Karan Jerath, Julia Nimocks #venturecapital #consumer

With just under six weeks until we gather at Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Napa Valley, California on June 3-5, we are pleased to announce the latest confirmed speakers for The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2024. ▪️ Gisele Bündchen, philanthropist, New York Times bestselling author, wellness ambassador and model ▪️ Heela Y., co-founder and chief executive, Sol de Janeiro ▪️ Danessa Myricks, founder and chief executive, Danessa Myricks Beauty ▪️ Linda Gieskes-Mwamba, founder and chief executive, Suki Suki Naturals ▪️ Dr Nigma Talib, naturopathic doctor, author and chief executive, HealthyDoc ▪️ Yoon Sung Choi, chief marketing officer, global marketing division, Laneige ▪️ Angelica Munson, chief digital officer and executive officer, Shiseido Company, Limited ▪️ Laureen Kouassi-Olsson-Olsen, founder and chief executive, Birimian Ventures ▪️ Alexander Gilkes, co-founder, Squared Circles ▪️ Dr Joyce Gikunda, co-founder and director, Lintons Beauty World ▪️ Renaud Salmon, chief creative officer, AMOUAGE For the full list of confirmed speakers and to request an invitation to attend The Business of Beauty Global Forum, complete the application form below.

Three weeks in the books and Algae Cooking Club made its national TV debut on the Drew Barrymore show. The algae gospel is just beginning. A big shoutout to Ghetto Gastro for showing Drew and Ross that yes, algae cooking oil really does exist (!) has the highest smoke point, low impact and tastes like butter. That What! at the end is priceless.