IRIS Ventures

🌹 #IWD 2025: Breaking #Barriers, Backing #Women At IRIS Ventures, we are female-founded, female-led, and unapologetically committed to changing the game for women in business. Today, for International Women’s Day, we celebrate the brilliant women shaping the future – on our team, in our portfolio, and in the next generation of female founders. 💡 The Reality Despite driving some of the most innovative businesses, female-founded companies received just 2% of VC funding in 2024 – a number that has remained flat for 15 years. But there’s reason for optimism: in Europe, female founders are securing a growing share of capital, showing that change is happening – just not fast enough. 💪 The Founders Redefining Their Industries We are proud to back visionary women-led brands making an impact: 👟 Allyson Felix (Saysh) – redefining performance footwear for women 🥛 Janett Lozano (Biomel Gut Health) – leading gut health innovation 🌿 Teresa Pueyo (Superlativa) – bringing science-backed stress solutions to market 🏺Ippolita Rostagno (Artemest) – championing craftsmanship in the digital age ✨ Beyond Investing: Action & Impact Through Together by IRIS, our impact program, we actively support women beyond capital, from mentorship to education. Next week, we’re welcoming the next wave of founders as Glow Up kicks off—our accelerator designed to equip entrepreneurs with the tools, network, and expertise to scale. Today is about celebrating women, but every day is about backing them. Because Investing in women isn’t a gesture, it’s a proven strategy for outsized impact. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2025 #FemaleFounders #WomenInVC #TogetherByIris #GlowUp #IrisVentures Celia Bosch Torres Eugenia Zozaya Marta Indeka Marc Calzada Florian Wojewodzki Montse Suarez

VICIO: Building #Cultural Currency, One #Activation at a Time 🍔🔥 What happens when #brand, #content, and #culture collide? You create moments that people want to talk about. In the past month, VICIO delivered two best-in-class activations that prove just that–while staying true to its anti-establishment DNA. 💥 H** Milf(shake): The #Campaign That Took Over the Internet A masterclass in generating earned media value (EMV), this bold campaign reached 8.8M+ people, with 100 #influencers joining in – nearly half organically. The winning formula? 🔥 Product: A spicy burger that needed the right storyline 🎥 Content: A campaign blending humour, music, and internet culture, in collaboration with Nil Ojeda one of Spain’s most influential content #creators 👀 Cultural Relevance: Tapping into top creators & streamers like @kappahhh4 & @lolalolita, sparking user-generated content (UGC) at scale ⛷️VICIO Hits the #Slopes in Baqueira Another example of building culture through brand moments, VICIO brought its signature indulgence to the mountains with a 15-day pop-up + Après Ski parties. 🍔 New Occasion Creation: Smash burgers on the slopes–blending winter sports with indulgent food culture 🎿 Meeting Consumers Where They Play: Embedding VICIO into the Après Ski lifestyle, making it the go-to post-ski indulgence 🔥 Expanding Brand Associations: Aligning with ski culture, music, and premium experiences beyond traditional fast food settings VICIO isn’t here to follow the rules – it’s here to rewrite them. This is how brands win today: by connecting with #communities and tapping into #culture. #VICIO #BrandBuilding #EarnedMedia #Culture #Marketing #IrisVentures

⏳ Last Call: Applications for #GlowUp Close This Friday Applications for the programme close this Friday, February 28 — this is your last chance to join our accelerator for #female founders in #beauty & #wellness. 🚀 What’s in it for you? ✔️ Five expert-led sessions covering brand storytelling, scaling, fundraising & more ✔️ Access to top mentors & investors in the beauty & wellness space ✔️ Strategic insights & industry connections to take your brand to the next level At IRIS Ventures we’re committed to reshaping the future of beauty & wellness—and we’re looking for bold, visionary founders ready to make an impact. 🔗 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/eJmZTqAZ 📅 Deadline: Friday, February 28 📍 Program runs: March 12 – April 9 This is your moment to #GlowUp. Are you in? 💫 #GlowUp #FemaleFounders #BeautyInnovation #Wellness #IRISVentures #BeautyMatter

🦋 Introducing #GlowUp: IRIS Ventures Accelerator Empowering the Next Generation of Female Founders in Beauty & Wellness The beauty and wellness industry is thriving, but access to the right expertise, networks, and capital remains a challenge—especially for female founders. At IRIS Ventures, we’re here to change that. 🚀 Meet Glow Up, our new accelerator program designed to empower emerging female-led brands with the resources, mentorship, and industry connections they need to scale, raise capital, and disrupt the status quo. 💡 Why Now? Only 2% of VC funding goes to female founders. That needs to change. With Glow Up, we’re closing the gap by providing high-potential brands with the tools to succeed. What Glow Up Offers: 🌟 Five Thematic Sessions – Learn from top industry experts on brand storytelling, retail expansion, fundraising, and scaling operations. 👥 Renowned Mentors – One-on-one access to some of the most influential investors, operators, and strategists in beauty and wellness. 📈 Mastering Growth – Practical insights to build a sustainable, high-impact brand in today’s competitive market. 🌍 Powered by Industry Leaders We’re partnering with BeautyMatter, one of the most influential voices in beauty, to bring unparalleled expertise and global insights to the program. 💌Applications Are Open! If you’re a bold female founder in beauty or wellness with a vision to reshape the industry, now is your time to Glow Up.  📅 Apply by February 28th to be part of Glow Up 2025. The program runs from March 12 – April 9. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eJmZTqAZ Together, we’re rewriting the rules of beauty and wellness. Are you in? #GlowUp #FemaleFounders #BeautyInnovation #Wellness #IRISVentures #BeautyMatter #AccelerationProgram Scott Gurfein Alejandro Vicente Lidiia Gaiduk John Cafarelli Kelly Kovack Christine Dagousset

Beyond the Pill: How #Supplements Are Becoming a #Lifestyle 💊 The VMS (Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements) category has already evolved beyond pills, with gummies, shots, patches, and powders becoming the norm. Now, the occasion and the place are also changing.  🚀Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s Lemme x Barry's The latest example? Lemme Tone, a metabolism-boosting shake created in collaboration with Barry’s Bootcamp. This isn’t just about boosting performance, it’s about seamlessly integrating functional nutrition into fast-paced and fitness-driven lifestyles. 🌿 The Erewhon Celebrity Smoothie Effect While they are closer to health-supporting drinks than supplements per se, notorious Erewhon smoothies have set the stage for listestyle-driven supplementation. From Hailey Bieber’s "Strawberry Skin Glaze" smoothie to the latest launch – Kacey Musgraves’ "Deeper Wellness" – the drinks tap into the demand for beauty from within, but they also sparked debate due to high sugar content and $20+ price tags. 🥤 Soho House & Co Joins the Trend Soho Health Club has introduced a menu of benefits-driven smoothies, reinforcing the shift toward nutrition as a functional wellness tool – where what you eat and drink is designed to support beauty, recovery, and performance. 🔬 From #Trend to #Transformation This lifestyle-led approach to supplementation reinforces the growing convergence of beauty, health, and wellness – a trend we spotlighted in our 2024 trend report, A New Lens on Beauty, co-created with WGSN. It’s also put into practice by our portfolio company Olistic, with their drinkable shots that support hair health from the inside out. The future of the $177b global VMS market isn’t about #routine—it’s about #ritual. And in 2025, wellness isn’t just what you take, it’s where and how you take it. #WellnessEvolution #BeautyFromWithin #VMS #FunctionalFood #Supplements #IrisVentures Olistic Biomel Gut Health Superlativa Image credits: Lemme, Barry's

Optimizing #Wellbeing: Insights from Our Stress Management Webinar 🧘♀️ Yesterday, as part of our “Together by IRIS” #impact programme, we had the privilege of hosting a webinar focused on stress management—an often-overlooked yet essential aspect of our overall well-being. ☺️ 🌱 Why It Matters: Stress is a major contributor to illness, and understanding how our nervous system functions—as a complex neurological network influencing our hormones—encourages a more holistic approach to health. 🧠 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 The body is an interconnected system, not just a collection of organs and glands. 🔹 Small, mindful adjustments can lead to meaningful improvements in both the short and long term. 🔹 One actionable insight? Delaying your morning coffee can help better align with your natural cortisol rhythms ☕ The turnout and engagement was exceptional, making this session a true success. 🌟 A heartfelt thank you to our portfolio company Superlativa, and especially to Dr Laura Llacuna, for her invaluable expertise. We look forward to continuing this journey toward healthier habits, together. #IrisVentures #Wellbeing #StressManagement #HolisticHealth #ImpactBeyondInvestment

Maurten, the Apple of endurance refueling, continues to push the envelope during the carbohydrate revolution (“#carbolution”) where cyclists, runners and triathletes, among others, strive for maximum wattage. 🚴♀️  Consensus among fueling specialists is that sugar-load of 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour is the sweet spot entry point for elite performance. With pro athletes, such as the INEOS Grenadiers Cycling Team, pushing the bounds of energy carb consumption well above that threshold, a solution eliminating symptomatic gastro intestinal distress is the holy grail. Maurten’s patented #Hydrogel Technology has comfortably achieved just that, making it THE break away refueling proposition with a growing list of Olympic and professional loyalists. ⚡️ We at IRIS Ventures continue to be in awe of the trail blazing team at Maurten for continuously raising the bar through innovation, and stretching the limits of athletic #performance beyond comprehension! 🔋 ️Olof Sköld, Henrik Wingstrand, Robert Jensen, Malte Stern #refueling #innovation #maximumwattage

2025: The Year of #Breakups? 🤷🏻♀️ It’s Not Just Bennifer 2.0 💔 Some relationships are built to last – others, not so much. As we stepped into 2025, one thing is clear: the art of the breakup is thriving across industries. From fashion to business to pop culture, parting ways seems to be the theme of the year. 🔹 #Fashion’s Conscious Uncouplings The designer shuffle continues, with some of the biggest names in fashion stepping away from the brands they helped define: • Stella McCartney bought back her minority stake from LVMH, reclaiming full ownership of her brand. • Pierpaolo Piccioli exited Valentino, marking the end of his 25-year tenure. • Hedi Slimane left Celine, passing the creative reins to Michael Rider. • John Galliano said farewell to Maison Margiela, leaving the industry buzzing about his next move. • Proenza Schouler’s founding duo, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, stepped down, closing a major chapter in the brand’s history. • Kim Jones stepping down at Dior. • Jonathan Anderson is rumored to be leaving Loewe after 12 years. 🔹 End of an Era in #Sports Some retirements hit harder than others. This year, we bid farewell to: • Rafa Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who confirmed his retirement from professional tennis at the end of the 2024 season. • Tom Daley, the diving icon and Olympic gold medalist, announced that he will not compete again. • Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion, left Mercedes after 11 years to join Ferrari for the 2025 season. 🔹 Business Breakups & #Brand Shakeups It’s not just people parting ways – companies are making big moves, too. • Diageo and other spirits conglomerates are offloading non-core assets as alcohol consumption trends shift, leaning further into non-alcoholic alternatives to align with evolving consumer preferences. • Unilever has been restructuring, selling off several of its underperforming beauty and personal care brands as it sharpens its focus on high-growth categories. • The luxury sector is seeing shifts, as some consumers pivot away from traditional luxury houses in favor of brands that better align with their values and expectations of authenticity and sustainability. 🔹 #Gen Z: Breaking Up with #Tech? Gen Z may not be forced to break up with TikTok, but are they breaking up with tech? A growing number of young consumers are rejecting digital overwhelm, embracing social media detoxes and choosing real-world interactions over endless scrolling. Whether this is a temporary cool-off or the start of a long-term shift remains to be seen – but one thing is clear: connection is being redefined. In a year of bold exits, one thing is certain – breaking up isn’t just hard to do, it’s on #trend. 📈 #2025Trends #IndustryShifts #FashionBusiness #GenZ #Breakup #IRISVentures

🎯 Redefining #Resilience: How Female Athletes Are Shaping the Future 💪 In a thought-provoking op-ed for The Business of Fashion, five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova reflects on how brand partnerships shaped her career—and how the stakes have shifted for female athletes today. Her insights highlight a broader movement: female athletes are no longer just ambassadors; they’re founders, innovators, and cultural trailblazers. At IRIS Ventures, we’re proud investors in Saysh, the footwear brand founded by Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field runner. In 2024, Allyson received a $20M grant from Melinda French Gates to invest in advocacy for Black maternal health—a cause she has championed passionately after her own experiences. Using her platform to push for inclusivity, Allyson shows that athletes are uniquely positioned to transform industries far beyond sports. 💡 Athletes Leading the Way Female athletes are harnessing their resilience and leadership to redefine success in business. Allyson’s journey with Saysh, a brand built by women for women, is a powerful example of turning personal values into transformative business leadership. 🚀 Innovation Rooted in Resilience What sets athletes apart? Their ability to turn challenges into opportunities. From performance-driven wellness solutions to inclusive product innovations, athletes like Allyson are breaking barriers and driving change across industries. 🌟 The Power of Community Saysh represents more than footwear—it’s a movement. Allyson’s leadership has cultivated a community that empowers women, celebrates individuality, and challenges the status quo. This sense of purpose resonates far beyond her sport. As Maria Sharapova aptly noted, the stakes for female athletes today are higher than ever—but so is their potential to shape the future. At IRIS Ventures, we’re proud to partner with visionary leaders, supporting bold ideas and impactful innovation. ✨ Here’s to a future built on #resilience, #purpose, and #transformation. Stay tuned as we continue championing founders who inspire change. #FemaleFounders #AthleteEntrepreneurs #Resilience #PurposeDrivenInnovation #Saysh #IRISVentures https://lnkd.in/eYsf4Zck

✨What to Watch in 2025: Consumer Trends Shaping the Future ✨ 2025 is poised to redefine the #wellness, #beauty, and #lifestyle industries. From the growing prioritization of hormonal health to a renewed focus on resilience and longevity, consumers are reshaping markets with their evolving values and aspirations. At IRIS Ventures we’re proud to partner with the trailblazing brands and visionary founders at the forefront of these transformative changes. 💡Strength in #Wellness The global focus on health continues, with functional fitness and personalized health solutions gaining traction as consumers seek balance and longevity through innovative products and services. The rise of "recovery as luxury"—from infrared saunas to cold plunge therapies—reflects a broader push for high-performance living. Notably, Pilates continued its reign as the most-booked workout globally in 2024, fueled by its strong social media presence and devoted following according to ClassPass. 🧬The Rise of #HormonalHealth The hormonal health supplements market is expected to grow at a 7.5% CAGR from 2024 to 2034. Consumers are increasingly seeking solutions to manage stress and optimize health, driving demand for products like adaptogenic mushroom blends and hormone-friendly supplements. 📊 Resilient #Beauty The global women’s health market, encompassing products like menopause-focused skincare, is projected to grow from $49.7 billion in 2024 to $87.7 billion by 2035, representing a 5.3% CAGR. This reflects a consumer shift towards purpose-driven, authentic, and wellness-integrated beauty solutions. 🚀 The ‘#Ozempification’ of CPG The influence of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic continues to reshape consumer habits, particularly in the food and wellness sectors. The trend towards high-protein, gut-friendly meals and functional foods is evident, creating new categories in consumer goods. At IRIS Ventures we’re not just watching these trends unfold—we’re partnering with visionary founders who are defining them. 2025 is about building a future that’s healthier, more innovative, and deeply aligned with consumer values. ✨Here’s to a year of bold ideas, transformative change, and impactful growth. Stay tuned as we explore these trends and more. ✨ #2025Trends #WellnessInnovation #HormonalHealth #SimplifiedSophistication #ResilientBeauty #IRISVentures Maurten Biomel Gut Health Olistic Superlativa mammaly | B Corp Saysh Essentialist Artemest VICIO