The Ape purchase signals faith in the future of NFTs and aligns with Neuro’s beautiful, bold approach to life
Neuro Brands, LLC, a leader in the healthier lifestyle beverage space, including the high growth categories of refreshing energy, relaxation, sleep, and daily and digestive health, has just announced the purchase of Ape #8585 for 777.0 ETH. Bored Ape #8585 is a five-trait trippy fur ape with a King’s crown and heart glasses. This purchase represents one of the largest in Ape history.
Black Woman-Owned Inclusive Beauty Company The Lip Bar Inc. Will Continue to Increase Representation in the Beauty Industry and Expand Inclusive Beauty Brands, The Lip Bar, and thread beauty
building an innovative house of brands Lip Bar Inc. announced today that it has raised an oversubscribed $6.7M fundraising round to further grow its house of brands including The Lip Bar, the 10-year-old innovative vegan, cruelty-free, and non-toxic beauty brand, and thread beauty, the newly launched, bold, gender-neutral, Gen Z-focused, BIPOC beauty brand that is proving to be a breath of fresh air in the industry.
The round was led by Pendulum, an inclusive and strategic growth investing and advisory platform designed for founders and leaders of color. The Fearless Fund and Endeavor also came into the round, providing access to a robust international community through Endeavor and other women entrepreneurs.
“TLB’s tremendous success is a direct testament to Melissa Butler’s dedication to building an innovative house of brands. Beyond its bold color cosmetics, TLB resonates with customers because of its commitment to reimagining beauty standards. We are excited to partner with Melissa and the TLB team as they continue to grow an inclusive platform in the category,” said Pendulum’s Co-Founder and CEO Robbie Robinson.
“I have personally witnessed Melissa’s journey from leaving Wall Street, to the inception of TLB and the subsequent execution that has turned TLB into a first-class beauty company revolutionizing the variety of colors and bold lips for women of color. We at the Fearless Fund are honored to partake in this round alongside Pendulum and Endeavor. We look forward to adding value as Melissa continues to scale the business and offer solutions that cater to all buyers in the beauty space,” said Arian Simone, General Partner and Co-Founder of Fearless Fund.
After trialing and testing lipsticks in her kitchen due to her frustrations with the beauty industry’s lack of diversity, excessive chemicals, and high price points, TLB CEO, Melissa Butler began developing her formulations while working on Wall Street. Launched in 2012, The Lip Bar has become a pioneer in clean beauty and inclusion, proudly founded and owned by self-made Women of Color.
Butler has been on a mission to change the way people think about beauty, believing that all beauty brands can represent all beauty lovers while creating clean and exciting products. Since launching the brand, Butler’s take on business and beauty has been praised by industry leaders, to whom she’s given a TED Talk in 2018 on the intersection of Beauty and Culture, INC Magazine named her one of 100 Founders To Watch, and Essence naming her Beauty Boss of the Year in 2020, to name a few. Additionally, The Lip Bar has been awarded multiple industry awards including a 2020 Allure Best of Beauty Award and a 2021 POPSUGAR Beauty Award.
Sold in over 1000 stores across the country including Target and Walmart, with the investment, Butler plans to scale and grow her business while continuing to disrupt the beauty industry and challenge societal norms of the past.
“We plan on growing our team and improving our ability to better service the needs of our consumers across different divisions because we understand how experience and expertise can spur growth quickly. We also plan to continue to drive our innovation forward to create beautiful solutions that allow everyone to experience easy, effortless, essentials that empower confidence,” shared Butler. “Until recently, I had only raised $2M and with that $2M, drove a massive expansion in Target and Walmart, hired top tier talent, and launched a second brand, thread. If I could do that with $2M, I’m excited about what I can do with $6.7M!”
With the US beauty and personal care market surpassing $85 Billion in retail sales in 2021, and the make-up category seeing a 12% increase in sales, the injection of capital will enable The Lip Bar to advance its product development nationwide and expand its retail footprint in the Detroit market by building a state-of-the-art store that truly allows for a beautiful and immersive beauty shopping experience. Furthermore, the funding will position TLB for growth in both existing and new retail channels over the next few years, as the brand continues to develop new and innovative products.
Leading inclusive beauty company The Lip Bar Inc. developed household brands The Lip Bar in 2012 and thread beauty in 2022 to disrupt the beauty industry with products that value representation and accessibility for all.
Launched in 2012, The Lip Bar is a maximum impact, minimal effort vegan, and non-toxic beauty brand. As a pioneer in clean beauty and inclusion in the beauty industry, The Lip Bar continues to develop innovative and solution-oriented products, tapping into its customer needs and at the forefront of representation for all. The Lip Bar is available in Target and Walmart stores nationwide.
The Lip Bar‘s very first sister brand, thread beauty launched on 2.22.22 – a day rooted in alignment and symbolism of what was to come. From day one, a thread has carried the belief that makeup is the connecting thread that weaves itself through all of humanity, no matter one’s ethnicity, pronouns, orientation, or how much money they have in the bank. The brand has successfully cultivated a community of Gen-Z (18-28-year-old), makeup-loving, humans of color who pride themselves on being rebels with a cause! They set out every day to be good to themselves, their peers and the environment while publicly valuing inclusivity, accessibility, and freedom. thread beauty is available in select Target stores nationwide.
For more information, please visit www.thelipbar.com and Instagram @thelipbar.
For more information, please visit www.threadbeauty.co and Instagram @threadbeauty.
Pendulum is a strategic investment and advisory platform. Founded in 2019 by D’Rita and Robbie Robinson, Pendulum reimagines how great companies and brands are built–and who gets to build them. Through its investment arm, Pendulum Opportunities, and strategic advising arm, Pendulum Partners, the firm seeks to accelerate opportunity and value creation for founders and leaders of color. Pendulum Opportunities invests in momentum-building businesses meeting the evolving expectations of a values-driven consumer. For more information, visit pendulumholdings.com.
SOURCE: The Lip Bar Inc.
