New Bucks on the Block: Matt Leeds, Founder and Managing Partner, Forward Consumer Partners
🆕 💸 New Bucks on the Block: Matt Leeds, Founder and Managing Partner, Forward Consumer Partners
There’s been a big slowdown in funding for CPG investors, but apparently Matt Leeds missed the memo. Earlier this year, he debuted his first fund with Forward Consumer Partners, raising an impressive $425 million while more established funds encountered longer, less financially robust closes.
But Leeds’ youthful appearance belies the number of wins he’s already got under his belt: he led L Catterton into brands like Kodiak Cakes, Cholula and Everlane; now that it’s his own firm, he’s moving fast, and a universe of beloved – and cash-strapped – brands await Forward’s supply of dry powder.
Leeds’ investment strategy? Find small, beloved brands that have wildly passionate cult followings, and give them the tools and resources that larger companies have in order to help them grow, something that has happened with main investments Firehook Bakery and Xochitl. Beyond that, the brand invests in opportunities for emerging ideas, like Leeds’ own passion for restaurant Via Carota that led him to develop an RTD cocktail line with the founders.