VMG Partners

Supporting breakout consumer brands is in our DNA, and one of the biggest challenges we often hear from them is declining advertising effectiveness and difficulty reaching Gen Z consumers. That's why we're excited about VMG Technology's investment in Claim, which is pioneering a new model that allows brands to connect directly with young, culture-setting new customers. Penned by the insightful duo of Sam Shapiro and Meera Singh, our latest blog post offers an inside look at why we believe Claim represents the future of advertising and why we've chosen to embark on this promising journey with them.

We are thrilled to announce our latest investment in Claim, the game-changing customer acquisition platform reshaping how brands connect with young consumers. Why Claim? 🎯 Aims to solve the rising costs and diminishing returns of traditional advertising 💡 Innovative pay-per-acquisition rewards app 🏆 Already attracting category-leading brands across multiple industries For Brands: ✅ Cost-effective customer acquisition ✅ Performance-driven model ✅ Access to engaged, young consumer base For Users: 🌟 Engaging brand discovery experience 🌎 Promotes real-world interactions 💰 Rewarding way to explore new products and services We believe Claim is a revolution in customer acquisition and brand engagement. We're excited to support their mission to transform how brands and consumers connect in the digital age. Huge thanks to Lauren Johnson for helping us share the news!

VMG Field Day 2024 was, in a word, competitive. 💪 Huge thanks to Kelly Mauch for dreaming up an unforgettable afternoon of fun in the sun! P.S. no one was injured in the making of this post 🙃

Congratulations to Zitcha's Jack Byrne and Troy Townsend on their Series A close! VMG Technology is proud to lead this round, supporting Zitcha's expansion of cutting-edge retail media technology to the US market. VMG Technology Co-Head Carle Stenmark praises Zitcha's rapid growth: "In just two years, Zitcha has become an industry leader in retail media, partnering with top global retailers and brands. Their talented team, scalable expansion, and deep expertise make them an ideal partner for VMG. We're excited to support their US acceleration."

🏆 Portfolio Spotlight: Double Honors! 🏆 We're proud to celebrate two of our portfolio companies that are breaking new ground in their respective industries: 🚗 Rinsed: Cruising onto LinkedIn's Top Startups List in the US (https://lnkd.in/eN2ynzGM) 🍼 Bobbie: Recognized as a Social Justice leader and finalist in Digiday's Greater Goods Awards (https://lnkd.in/efWzVR6Y) Congratulations!

It's our team's favorite time of year again - Service Day! This week, our team rolled up our sleeves and partnered with the incredible SF-Marin Food Bank for an afternoon of giving back. In just 1.5 hours, we packaged a whopping 450 boxes 📦 totaling 13,000 pounds of food 🤯 all destined for families in need across our community. But it's more than just numbers. Service Day is our chance to unplug from the daily grind and bond as a team outside the office while making a difference in our city. A huge shoutout to SF-Marin Food Bank - not just for hosting us, but for their tireless work year-round. They ensure families in our city have reliable access to healthy food, a mission we're honored to support. And a big thank you to our very own Lucy Huang, CPA for planning a special afternoon. Days like these remind us why we love calling this city home. Here's to making a difference, one box at a time! #CommunityService #GivingBack #FoodSecurity #TeamVMG

Navigating the path to retail can feel daunting for early-stage beauty founders. That's why Parity Collective's Alisa (Williams) Carmichael lent her expertise and trademark positivity to beauty entrepreneurs at Tower 28 Beauty, Inc.'s Clean Beauty Summer School 2024 to talk all things retail. As part of Tower 28's highly anticipated Clean Beauty Summer School, Alisa delivered a crash course on the realities of scaling into retail. She broke down the process into five essential steps for emerging brands looking to secure coveted shelf space: ❓ Ask the Right Questions: Ensure a retail partnership works as well for your brand as it does for the retailer. 📉 Know the Costs: Understand the impact of retail margin on your bottom line. 📱 Think Holistically: Avoid getting tunnel vision on a single marketing channel. ⛓️💥 Future-Proof Supply Chain: Proactively address manufacturing challenges. 💵 Master Financials: Intimately know your inventory, cash flow, and product costs. Are you a founder who is interested in accessing Alisa's full presentation? Drop us a comment below! #CBSS2024

We are proud to celebrate Robin Tsai and The Parity Collective's Alisa (Williams) Carmichael and Aurora James as they make WWD's Beauty Industry's Most Powerful Financiers list! For those less familiar with VMG's Parity Collective initiative, Alisa put it best: “The Parity Collective is strategy-focused on investing in early-stage founders of color,” said Carmichael. “We launched this initiative because we believe in the incredible potential of these often-overlooked businesses. Our goal is to create a supportive investment environment where visionary founders can thrive, and where meaningful partnerships can be forged to drive success.”

🍻 We're thrilled to announce the successful launch of our Executive Briefing Center (EBC) this week, featuring industry giant AB InBev! 🍻 A few highlights: - VMG Technology's Indranil Guha, Meera Singh, and Sam Shapiro led deep-dive discussions on crucial operational challenges. - Conversations focused on cutting-edge solutions in supply chain and commerce infrastructure that VMG Tech is poised to address through strategic investments. - Vibrant discussion about opportunities that exist at the intersection of technology and industry. In a delightful twist, VMG guests were treated to a surprise appearance by one of the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales, adding a touch of brand heritage to discussions. This event marks just the beginning of our EBC initiative. Stay tuned for more sessions as we continue to bridge innovation gaps and shape the future of industry operations.

💬 Portfolio News 💬 Congratulations to Attentive - an innovative AI-powered SMS & email platform used by more than 8,000 brands - for snagging a coveted spot on Forbes Cloud 100! Check out the full list: https://lnkd.in/gFkyvv5Z