We help consumer and retail companies survive and grow

We are a team of investors, operators, and entrepreneurs with extensive experience in retail, ecommerce, marketing, and turnarounds. We specialise in turning around consumer and retail companies, enabling them to survive and flourish.

What we look for

We look for companies that have strong brands, an established customer base and clear market positioning; but, due to pursuing a “growth at any cost” strategy, also have unhealthy unit economics, too many SKUs, bloated headcounts and high cash burn.

We target retail and consumer companies that are

  • Mature, but underperforming
  • Stressed / Distressed
  • Divestments / carve-outs from larger companies

We consider multi-brand retailers, DTC brands, and brands with offline stores and wholesale distribution.

Due to the nature of turnarounds, we either align with controlling shareholder or take majority control positions in our portfolio companies.

How we do it

Our hands-on approach means we often take executive / operational roles in our companies, particularly in the stabilisation and operational improvement phases. Aside from standard turnaround processes (control cash, work with creditors, etc), for retail or consumer company we focus on the following areas.

Analyze profitability by SKU and by customer

Calculate level of sales at which the unit economics of the company return to breakeven

Higher ROAS through stronger data utilization to increase media efficiency/reduce wastage

Rationalize SKUs to increase margins and decrease overhead

Reduce headcount to reflect new, lower, level of sales

Return to growth once cash burn control has been achieved

Healthy unit economics

Lean management and disciplined HR

Increase runway, increase options

Focus on existing customers, increase loyalty through retention

 

Growth at any cost

Hiring for growth and bloated headcounts

Increase cash burn, lower options

Focus on new customers, thereby increasing CAC

Our areas of expertise cover the entire value chain

Our shared expertise across all areas of the digital retail value chain give us the opportunity to optimize an entire business, work with existing teams, and take brands to the next level.

Corporate, Legal, and Financial

Deal Structuring

Capital Raising

Debt Restructuring

Financial Controls

Brand, Product, and Merchandising

Brand Positioning

Market Research

Product Development

Product Sourcing

Demand Planning

Customer Experience and Tech

Customer Service

CRM and Loyalty

Community

eCommerce Platforms

Onsite trading

Marketing Tech

Ad Tech

Marketing and Distribution

Digital Marketing

Paid Media

Creative Services

Influencers and PR

Wholesale and Distributors

Retail Stores

Amazon/other marketplaces

International expansion

Omni/multi channel

Supply Chain and Logistics

Supply Chain Mgmt

Operations

Fulfilment / 3PL

Our tech-enabled approach to growth

We execute an agile approach to grow brands in the most effective way possible. 

Growing brands are in a constant struggle fighting daily fires and this generally means they are “leaving money on the table.”

With our SOPHON data intelligence platform, we have built proprietary technology that connects to the top ecommerce and marketing platforms allowing us to make smarter, better, and faster decisions.

Combining this tech with our digital retail expertise, we unlock new opportunities in growth marketing, media mix modelling, agile merchandising, financial planning and working capital cycle improvement, and supply chain management.

Who we are

Jake Astor

Jake is a consumer private equity specialist who has led/co-led numerous investments (Growth, LBO/MBOs, Turnarounds) in the consumer space in Europe and Asia. Previously with Cassia Investments, he specializes in turnarounds, due diligence, deal structuring, building management teams and financial management. He has extensive operational, leadership and board level experience. Additionally, Jake was a partner at Lance EC, an ecommerce enablement company specializing in bringing western brands into China. More recently, Jake set up Zenudo, a marketing SaaS company that helps consumer companies grow through better use of their data, and Zen Due Diligence, a services company that helps PE/VC investors execute faster and better digital due diligence. Jake has an MBA(Finance) from The Wharton School and a BA(Hons) from the University of Oxford.

Alec Goins

Alec is a marketing and retail leader with extensive experience building and growing digital businesses and teams for global brands, most notably for Pandora Jewellery. Working across multiple global markets, he has launched and grown D2C stores and marketplaces with high performing teams. With a focus on improving media effectiveness and brand relevancy, he has led multiple successful market entry and turnaround projects that have resulted in growth and strengthened commercial execution. Most recently, Alec was also involved in setting up Zenudo, a marketing SaaS company that helps consumer companies grow through better use of their data, and Zen Due Diligence, a services company that helps PE/VC investors execute faster and better digital due diligence.

Linford Haggie

Linford is an experienced investor and business operator. He is founder of London-based global digital creative agency Everything-Connected employing with clients including CHANEL, Standard Chartered, Universal Music, AXA, Vivienne Westwood, Formula One, INEOS and The London School of Economics. Linford is a partner at GCW Partners and sits on the board of ESG platform Ecodesk, LGBTQ+ record label Foundation FM, and advises The National Gallery board on digital and technology matters.

Isabella Mann

Isabella Mann is a commercially minded brand executive with multichannel experience in Retail, Wholesale and eCommerce. She has a strong track record in driving profitability for businesses in Europe and Asia most notably for Pandora Jewellery. She is a collaborative investor deploying her experience gained from working with businesses from seed round to IPO and beyond. Isabella is also on the Advisory Board of 'The Brilliant Breakfast', a subsidiary of The Prince's Trust.

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