Sonoma Brands Capital

Sonoma Brands Capital is a private equity firm dedicated to the growth sectors of the consumer economy. The firm actively partners with innovative founders to cultivate enduring brands across both physical retail and digital landscapes. Their investment strategy focuses on making minority and control investments in growth-stage consumer businesses, typically those generating at least $5 million in sales. As omnichannel investors, Sonoma Brands Capital aims to significantly expand retail distribution and accelerate digital engagement for its portfolio companies.

The firm was founded in late 2015 by Jon Sebastiani, a seasoned entrepreneur renowned for building KRAVE Pure Foods, which was successfully acquired by The Hershey Company. Sebastiani launched Sonoma Brands Capital as his subsequent venture, aiming to merge entrepreneurial insight with investment acumen. The firm's foundational approach involved supporting growth-stage consumer businesses, initially through a combination of incubating new concepts and executing outside minority deals.

Sonoma Brands Capital's diverse portfolio includes notable consumer brands such as MERIT, Bachan's, Voy, Beekeeper's Naturals, Touchland, Yerba Madre, Hu, Oats Overnight, Mixlab, Vacation, Discovered Brands, Avaline, True Botanicals, HUM Nutrition, and ciele cosmetics. The firm also holds investments in brands like Milk Bar, Triple Peak (KRAVE & Chef's Cut), Made by Nacho, and Versed. Sonoma Brands Capital provides hands-on support to its partner companies in critical areas including product innovation, retail distribution strategy, team building, creative development, and e-commerce optimization.

The team at Sonoma Brands Capital is composed of specialists with extensive experience as entrepreneurs and investors across consumer packaged goods, traditional retail, digital media, and eCommerce. Jon Sebastiani, as Founder and Managing Partner, brings a wealth of experience from his leadership roles at KRAVE Pure Foods and Viansa Winery. Kevin Murphy, a Managing Director who joined in 2019, has a background in leading beauty and personal care investments at Encore Consumer Capital. Shahir Amin, another Managing Director since 2017, previously managed alternative asset classes at the UNC Investment Fund. The firm prides itself on a relationship-driven investment philosophy, leveraging its collective entrepreneurial heritage to offer substantial support to its partner companies.