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Axum Capital Partners has had a hot summer. 

The private equity firm has been opening its wallet in recent months and throwing its weight behind a number of health and wellness CPG brands. We spoke with the team this week to unpack the big-picture strategy...

Rewind: The investment outfit closed a $300 million fund last September to deploy capital toward health and wellness companies.

• First up was Kevin Hart’s supplement brand VitaHustle, in which Axum made a strategic investment in June.

• Axum followed by announcing its intention to acquire the distressed hydration brand Barcode earlier this month.

• Capping it all off, the firm has partnered with beverage industry accelerator and incubator L.A. Libations, adding co-founder and CEO Danny Stepper to its board.

What They Said: “We want proprietary deals. We will very seldom go after things that are completely broken or beyond repair… We want a concentrated portfolio that we curate. We like controlled investments where we are in a decision-making position.”  – Muhsin Muhammad, Axum Capital managing partner

What Does This Mean? For starters, Axum is not done making investments in health and wellness. 

• Last year, the firm took a stake in the plant-based QSR concept Le Botaniste, but it is now looking more deeply into “consumable” brands in the CPG space, Muhammad said. 

• The company is also interested in ingredient providers, assuming they fit into the firm’s broader portfolio and investment thesis.

The Bigger Picture: The approach positions Axum as a hands-on acquirer and strategic partner. The firm is not interested in making passive investments and seeks deals where it can add value by advising on or leading the business’s growth trajectory.

Learn more about Axum’s strategy on BevNET

Protein comes in all shapes and sizes in this week's new product gallery, all the way from 3.3 oz. shots (VKTRY) to David's new 30 gram shake. There's also new drops from Lapo's, Hiyo, Zevia, Saint James, and more. Check out the full gallery.

💪 David Protein has entered the beverage category as founder Peter Rahal continues to push his high-protein formula across the product horizon. Read all about it

🍊 Wiz Khalifa is the latest entertainer to leverage his cannabis culture credibility to enter THC beverages with the launch of Khalifa Kush & Orange Juice. Get the full story on BevNET

🫖 Saint James is stepping into a new brew with a line of yerba mate beverages – the first portfolio extension since the ready-to-drink tea business was launched in 2021. Read the full feature.

Morales Beverage Group (MBG), the distribution arm of Mexcor International, has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire Republic National Distributing Company’s (RNDC) Indiana assets and operations, the companies announced today. The deal would add a sixth state to MBG’s distribution footprint. Read the story.

Several members of The Finnish Long Drink’s sales force have announced the elimination of their roles in the wake of the ready-to-drink cocktail’s (RTD) acquisition by Mark Anthony Brands earlier this year. Read the story.

PepsiCo’s Pure Leaf Iced Tea brand is teaming with tennis star Amanda Anisimova for a new campaign themed around the ways that “taking a meaningful break can be a game changer.” Read the story and more.

Applications are now open for the next New Beverage Showdown, BevNET’s pitch competition for early-stage beverage brands.

Presented by Coca-Cola North America New Revenue Streams, the competition will take place during BevNET Live LA 2026, happening December 6–8 in Marina del Rey, California.

Get all of the details and apply today.

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Private label is having a major moment — and brands need to decide how they’ll respond. The hosts unpack why more retailers are embracing private label, how brands can leverage it to strengthen cash flow without undermining their own business, and why saying no to an opportunity could simply hand it to a competitor.

Listen to the episode now

Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

That's all for today's Daily Briefing: Lite Edition. We'll be back in your inbox on Monday.

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