North Castle Partners Invests in VitaCup, Partnering with First Beverage Ventures to Help the Company Rapidly Scale

GREENWICH, Conn., Oct. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- North Castle Partners is pleased to announce a growth investment in VitaCup, Inc., maker of first to market functionally infused coffee and tea products. North Castle Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on consumer businesses that promote healthy, active and sustainable living. First Beverage Ventures added to their previous investment alongside North Castle.  The terms of the investments were not disclosed.

Launched in 2017 by digital marketing executives Brandon Fishman and Roman Bills, VitaCup gained an immediate consumer following by providing an innovative way of taking daily vitamins through its growing portfolio of premium coffee and tea products fortified with a blend of high-quality essential vitamins, superfoods, antioxidants and other functional ingredients.  The products are available in a Keurig® compatible format and sold primarily through e-commerce channels with rapidly growing distribution across stores in the food, drug and mass channels.  VitaCup recently launched Genius Blend and Beauty Blend, which are infused with MCT oil & turmeric and collagen & biotin, respectively.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Brandon and Roman, First Beverage Ventures and the rest of the VitaCup team," said Alison Minter, North Castle Managing Director. "VitaCup is uniquely positioned to benefit from the favorable trends in coffee and vitamins, two large and growing categories.  The company has had tremendous success to date with its innovative functional coffee and tea products that are clearly resonating with consumers.  We are eager to combine the collective knowledge, strong networks and substantial prior experiences of both North Castle and First Beverage to help the company continue to grow."

"We could not be more excited to partner with both North Castle and First Beverage Ventures," said Brandon Fishman, Co-Founder and CEO of VitaCup.  "First Beverage has worked very closely with us for the last 10 months and has been crucial in launching our retail strategy, developing new branding and expanding our team.  North Castle brings substantial prior experience and a broad network that, in combination with First Beverage, will help our company further accelerate growth." 

"We are thrilled to welcome North Castle as a new partner to VitaCup," said Bob Nakasone, Managing Director of First Beverage Ventures.  "We look forward to working alongside North Castle to help guide the company's strategy and continue on its rapid growth trajectory."

About North Castle Partners
North Castle Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on investments in consumer-driven product and service businesses that promote Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Living. North Castle is a hands-on, value-added investor in high-growth, middle market companies in the (i) beauty & personal care, (ii) consumer health, (iii) fitness, recreation & sports, (iv) home & leisure and (v) nutrition sectors, among others. North Castle's current portfolio includes such well-known brands as Jenny Craig, Barry's Bootcamp, HydroMassage, Strengthen Lengthen and Tone, Sprout Organics, SmartyPants, Brooklyn Boulders, and Turnbridge. Prior portfolio company holdings include Atkins Nutritionals, Contigo, Curves International, Doctor's Best, Octane Fitness, Cascade Helmets, Mineral Fusion, Bora-Bora Organic Foods, gloProfessional, Equinox Fitness, EAS, Enzymatic Therapy, CRC Health Group, Doctor's Dermatologic Formula, Naked Juice Company, Flatout Flatbread, and Avalon Organics / Alba Botanicals. North Castle and its advisors partner with management to bring a wide range of strategic and operational capabilities to build world-class companies by unlocking the exponential power of Full Potential Partnerships. North Castle is headquartered in Greenwich, CT. For more information, visit www.northcastlepartners.com.   

About First Beverage Ventures
First Beverage Ventures invests in innovative and transformational beverage brands, helping beverage companies grow and stand out in a dynamic and competitive industry.  We form true partnerships with our portfolio companies and the entrepreneurs leading them by leveraging both our financial and intellectual capital.  Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York, the First Beverage team is made up of entrepreneurial senior beverage executives with decades of collective industry experience.  For more information please visit www.firstbeveragegroup.com.

About VitaCup
VitaCup develops and markets premium coffee and tea products infused with vitamins and packaged in a 100% recyclable, BPA-free Keurig® compatible format.  The Company currently offers coffee and tea products fortified with a blend of B and D vitamins as well as antioxidants and other functional ingredients.  VitaCup products are available through the company's website, Amazon and select retail locations.  Keurig® is a registered trademark of Keurig, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.  VitaCup is not affiliated with Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. or Keurig, Inc.  For more information please visit www.vitacup.com.

Contact for North Castle Partners:
Todd Fogarty
Kekst CNC
[email protected]
212-521-4854

SOURCE North Castle Partners