Startup brands Skylar, Silk & Snow acquired; Glowbar raises $10M

FUNDING

L’Oréal invests in temporary tattoo company

Beauty giant L’Oréal invested in Prinker Korea, which specializes in micro-printing of temporary tattoos.

The minority investment was made through corporate venture arm BOLD Business Opportunities for L’Oreal Development.

Founded in 2015, Prinker developed a digital temporary tattoo device. The companies worked together for several years to develop Brow Magic, an applicator debuted at last week’s CES that applies eyebrows by combining AR and printing technology.

Glowbar raises $10 million

Skincare brand Glowbar raised $10 million from Peterson Partners, a Salt Lake City VC firm which has also invested in Allbirds, Bonobos and Madison Reed.

Founded in 2019 by esthetician Rachel Liverman, Glowbar operates six studios offering 30-minute facials in the New York area. It is planning to double that total in 2023 while expanding into new geographic markets on the East Coast.

With the deal, Drybar cofounder Alli Webb and Bluemercury cofounder Marla Beck will join the company’s advisory board.

Explorer raises $2.5M for cold brew

Cold brew brand Explorer raised $2.5 million in a seed round, Forbes reported.

The round was co-led by NewBound Ventures and Table Management, the family office of prominent hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Additional investors include Covet PR founder Sara Brooks,Truffl Agency Founder Raphael Farasat, Drizly cofounder Justin Robinson, Victress Capital General Partner Lori Cashman and CPG advisor Timo Weiland.

Founded by Carson Crane, Explorer makes cold brew in four caffeine levels, with fair-trade coffee that is roasted and bottled in Texas. Its business is 70% ecommerce, and is adding new products and branding, Forbes reported.

Fanatics divests stake in NFT company

Sports-focused ecommerce platform Fanatics is divesting its 60% stake in Candy Digital, a company offering collectibles for fans via nonfungible tokens (NFTs), according to CNBC. Fanatics is selling the majority stake to crypto merchant platform Galaxy Digital.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Starco acquires clean beauty brand

Consumer products maker Starco is set to acquire clean beauty brand Skylar, the companies announced.

Founded in 2017 by Cat Chen, Skylar makes fragrances that are vegan, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin.

Going forward, Skylar will be an independent entity of Starco, led by Chen. The companies are planning new products, while leveraging partnerships with retailers Sephora and Nordstrom.

Previously, Starco acquired Kobe Bryant-fouded Art of Sport, and vodka-infused whipped cream brand Whipshots.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DTC furniture brand acquired

Canadian sleep retailer Sleep Country acquired DTC brand Silk & Snow.

Following a 2017 Kickstarter campaign, Silk & Snow launched via ecommerce with a memory foam mattress that was locally made, and delivered via box. The company has grown to develop a line of sleep and lifestyle products that includes mattresses, furniture, bed essentials and its new bath lineup. It also expanded into the U.S.

Going forward, Silk & Snow will operate as an independent entity within Sleep Country. Terms were not disclosed.

“Their purpose-driven approach to product design, manufacturing, and digital marketing aligns beautifully with our strategic road map and expansion of sustainable products, and into new markets,” said Stewart Schaefer, president and CEO of Sleep Country Canada, in a statement

L2 acquires Ouray

Sportswear makers Ouray and Locale Outdoor were acquired by apparel and headwear maker L2 Brands from distributor S&S.

Ouray was founded in 1965 as Ski Country Imports. In 2021, it acquired Locale. That same year, Ouray was acquired by S&S as part of a deal to bring on TSC Apparel. Now, it will join L2, which is the owner of apparel, headwear and home décor brands League and Legacy.

The companies said the deal will bring opportunities to grow across categories including destination, collegiate, golf and consumer branded apparel.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Naver completes Poshmark acquisition

South Korean internet giant Naver completed its $1.2 billion acquisition of resale platform Poshmark, the companies said this week. With the close of the deal, Poshmark was delisted from the Nasdaq.

Initially announced in October, the deal was billed as a means to combine the AI-powered ecommerce technology and reach in Asia of Naver with Poshmark’s standing as a fashion ecommerce powerhouse and large community.