Retail Radar: Brands you may not realize have celebrity investors

When was the last time you picked up a product emblazoned with a celebrity name on its packaging? Let’s face it – celebrity collaborations with big brands have reached oversaturation in the market.

While some celebrities, particularly in the beauty space, manage to grow a loyal following (Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty and Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs, to name a few), many retire quietly to the retail graveyard.

In response, rather than signing multimillion dollar deals to publicly endorse a particular brand, some celebrities are choosing to quietly invest in the companies they believe in.

So, what are brands that you may not realize have given away some of their equity to a famous face, and what did they gain or risk from doing so?

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Apparel:

1. Malbon Golf: Jason Day

Former world #1 Australian golfer Jason Day was announced as an investor in the golfwear brand in 2024, after ending his relationship with Nike. Day wore a Malbon sweater vest at the Masters stitched with “No. 313. Malbon Golf Championship” which Augusta National officials eventually asked him to remove.

Officials asked him to alter his clothing choices after the scripting on his planned clothing was not approved. In what became a defining moment for the brand, founder Stephen Malbon told CNN Sports: “I think maybe 10% of the golf world knew who we were, and after that, 90% of the golf world knew who we were.”

2. Reflo: Harry Kane

When it comes to establishing trust for sportswear, there’s probably no better endorsement than the captain of one of the best national football teams in the world. Harry Kane is not only a brand ambassador for sustainable performance wear brand Reflo, but also owns a considerable stake in the business.

In 2024, he was the lead investor in their seeding funding round of around £1 million ($1.32 million). Since then, they’ve used Kane’s connections to build partnerships with local football clubs, such as Forest Green Rovers, who strive to be the most sustainable football club in the world, along with Luton Town FC.

3. Perfect Moment: Priyanka Chopra-Jonas

Although actress Priyanka Chopra-Jonas has been a long-time fan of luxury skiwear brand Perfect Moment, not everyone may realize she’s been an investor since 2022, along with husband Nick Jonas. The brand recently leveraged her role as a Johnnie Walker ambassador to launch an exclusive merch collaboration.

Priyanka’s fame has also enabled Perfect Moment to land exclusive interviews with publications like Grazia, Forbes, InStyle, Esquire and W Magazine to promote collaborations like these. As Forbes describes, her seal of approval will also enable Perfect Moment to enter new markets, such as Asia and the Middle East.

Food & Beverage:

4. Casa Azul: Travis Kelce and Brooks Koepka

Casa Azul’s tequila soda brand actually has a long list of celebrity investors, including NFL stars Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce, Mexican actress Eiza González and golf champions Michelle Wie West and Brooks Koepka. Every time one is announced, the investment gains publicity among trade publications.

Since his investment in 2023, Kelce’s involvement has inspired a variety of publicity and reviews, in which he is named in the headline from Elite Daily, Cosmopolitan and The Kansas City Star. Articles like these undoubtedly grow brand awareness and consumer curiosity, which would be hard to achieve without a similar ‘hook’.

5. Athletic Brewing: Naomi Osaka and Lance Armstrong

Not only did beverage giant Keurig Dr Pepper invest $50 million in non-alcoholic beer brand Athletic Brewing (which is now valued at a staggering $800 million), it also has a long list of celebrity investors backing it.

Fast Company reports that its celebrity investors include tennis champion Naomi Osaka, ex-cyclist Lance Armstrong, NFL players J.J. Watt and Justin Tuck, and model Karlie Kloss. Each time another celebrity investor has been announced, it has also earned the brand publicity from trade publications.

6. SmartSweets: Nina Dobrev and Shawn Mendes

Already the owner of low-calorie wine brand Fresh Vine, actress Nina Dobrev joined singer Shawn Mendes as one of SmartSweets’ celebrity investors. Her investment in ‘better-for-you candy brand’ landed publicity in the likes of Fortune, discussing what attracted her to invest in the female-founded, Canadian brand.

Nina was reportedly a customer of SmartSweets for years before her investment. The $360 million confectionery brand can now leverage her close association to launch new flavors to her 26.5 million followers on Instagram, earning these products serious hype before they reach stores.

7. Lemon Perfect: Beyoncé

Like SmartSweets, healthy beverage brand Lemon Perfect had a product that initially captured a celebrity’s attention as a fan, prior to their investment. An investor since 2022, Beyoncé was reportedly the top investor in their $31 million investment that year.

According to their CEO Yanni Hufnagel, it all came about when a bottle of Lemon Perfect’s Dragon Fruit Mango flavor was left in the door of her limo. Beyoncé posted a photo of it to her 313 million followers at the time. The exposure was undeniably a key moment in the brand’s journey to a $100 million valuation.

Beauty:

8. Billie: Serena Williams

As a serial investor in companies like education streaming service Masterclass and vegan meal delivery service Daily Harvest, tennis champion Serena Williams has a keen eye for smart investments. In 2018, she became an investor in body care and shaving brand Billie, which seeks to remove the ‘pink tax’ from women’s products.

According to The New York Times, Serena’s VC fund, Serena Ventures raised $11 million and has invested in more than 60 brands, with a focus on those founded by women and minorities. Along with investing for fifteen years, she also owns her own beauty brand Wyn Beauty and a stake in the Miami Dolphins football team.

What are the benefits celebrity investors bring to a brand?

Increased trust: In general, the fact that a celebrity is willing not only to endorse your product, but also to invest in your brand, signals to consumers that they believe in the business, which can instantly boost trust and brand credibility.

Partnership opportunities: There is also the benefit that if one celebrity has already invested, retailers are more likely to do so, too. This can provide a foot in the door to shelf space that otherwise may have seemed out of reach.

Easier publicity: For journalists who may be contacted by PR firms about dozens of brands each week, the deeper endorsement of an investment (rather than a temporary collaboration) creates a ‘hook’ for more organic reviews and coverage.

What are the risks celebrity investors bring to a brand?

Reputational risk: It’s important that operators only work with celebrities that match their brand’s values. If a celebrity is suddenly involved in a controversy, their brand may also suffer reputational damage as a consequence.

Overreliance and short-term hype: Ultimately, operators can’t rely long-term on the buzz initially generated by celebrity investors. Ultimately, fundamentals like your product and your customer experience will determine your long-term success.

Equity dilution: If you ever have plans to sell or grow exponentially, there’s no getting away from the fact that accepting celebrity investors will limit your stake in your business, and potentially reduce control of the decisions you can make about it.

Many operators don’t want to dilute equity with celebrity investors. We’ve supported 5,000+ customers with $5 billion worth of fast, flexible financing, while allowing them to maintain full control of their business. Access funds in hours, on your terms.