In a public appeal, co-founders Wizz Selvey and Olly Johnson said the company has engaged in fundraising discussions for months but ultimately failed to raise sufficient capital, despite receiving backing from both new and existing investors.
Selvey said the brand now has until August 3 to find a buyer, with several acquisition discussions currently ongoing.
“After months of relentless fundraising, and despite follow-on backing from both new and existing investors, we were unable to raise the capital needed for Valerie’s next stage of growth,” she told NutraIngredients. “We therefore made the difficult decision to pivot from fundraising to seeking a buyer for the business. It was a difficult decision, but we strongly believe Valerie deserves the opportunity to continue its journey under an owner with the resources to unlock its full potential.”
Capital needed for consumer acquisition, new product development and retail expansion
Founded in December 2023, Valerie offers liposomal supplements designed to support women through perimenopause. With AM and PM blends for morning and night, the formulas support hormonal regulation, energy and focus, mood regulation, brain fog, immunity and thyroid function.
The brand has seen several successes during its two years of trading, including nearly 80% gross margin, a £70+ average order value and retail partnerships with Liberty and Holland & Barrett, with further commercial terms agreed with two more major national retailers.
Selvey said Valerie has therefore demonstrated strong customer demand, but further capital is needed to grow its direct-to-consumer business. This includes increased investment in customer acquisition, marketing, new product development and inventory.
The extra capital would also support further retail expansion into two additional major retailers where commercial terms had already been agreed, alongside launches into additional channels such as Amazon and TikTok Shop.
“We had already proven demand through strong direct-to-consumer performance and successful retail launches with Holland & Barrett online, Liberty and Face the Future,” she said. “The next stage wasn’t about proving the concept or achieving product-market fit—that had already been established. It was about providing the working capital and infrastructure needed to scale the business.”
While several parties have shown interest in acquiring Valerie, the brand is currently still accepting applications with the aim of securing a transaction by Aug. 3.
“We’re looking for a buyer that shares our belief in the future of women’s health and sees the opportunity to build on the strong foundations we’ve created,” Selvey said. “The opportunity could suit businesses or investors in women’s health, supplements, wellness, beauty, consumer health, pharmaceuticals or retail with the team and capital to take it to the stage of growth.”
A growing market
Founders Selvey and Johnson believe there is ‘enormous opportunity’ in the women’s health sector. This has been demonstrated in recent funding and investment rounds. For example, menstrual health brand Ditto recently secured €5.2 million in a seed funding round led by FoodLabs, while Irish female health brand Gigi Supplements secured €1.5 million earlier this year.
Ancient + Brave, a Sussex-based women’s health brand also recently ranked seventh overall on The Times 100 fastest growing brands in the UK, followed by female-focused Free Soul in tenth place.
Selvey said the issue is therefore not with the brand, product or the market, and hopes the investment community recognizes the strength of the opportunity ahead.
“Women’s health is an incredibly important and underserved category,” she said. “Valerie was created because women deserve better products, better information and brands that genuinely understand what they’re going through.
“This isn’t a business that has run out of potential; it simply needs resources we can no longer provide ourselves. We hope more investors recognize both the commercial opportunity and the positive impact businesses in this space can have on women’s lives.”
