Deepak's Musings #121: LPs and GPs descend into Singapore

🇮🇳🇮🇩🇵🇭🇸🇬The DSG Consumer Partners Investor Conference 2023

Between F1 🏎️ 🏁 and Super Returns Asia, we managed to find time to organise our annual investor conference here in Singapore. A huge thank you to all our Limited Partners who flew in from the US, Europe and Asia, to join us for a full day discussing everything consumer. In particular a shout out to our keynote speaker Rajeev Samant, Founder and CEO of Sula Vineyards, who shared his journey from seed to IPO (ps I still own shares from that 2005 seed round) and lessons on how to build an insurgent brand into an endearing brand brick by brick. I also moderated a panel with Shumit Kapoor (President, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Kellogg) and Deepak Chandran (SVP & Regional Director, EMEA & International Ventures at Wipro Consumer Care).

🍫🍫 Big CPG innovation dilemma: launch your own insurgent brand or invest in independent start-ups?

DSG Consumer Partners hosted its Investor Conference on 19 Sep 2023 in Singapore and on one of the panels we discussed whether incumbents should (and if they even can) launch their own insurgent brands or should they invest in independent insurgent brands. Looks like giant Mondelēz has tried launching their own and it isn’t working.

🥤🧃 Case study: Olipop startup to $200m ARR in 5 years

The Olipop story is a fantastic case study of how to build a successful insurgent consumer brand.

🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️ Portfolio Update: Smile Makers & the normalisation of sexual wellness

Sephora has this to say “Hand in hand with beauty is wellness, and sexual wellness is important.” DSG Consumer Partners invested in Ramblin Brands, the company behind sexual wellness brand Smile Makers, in 2017, largely on the thesis that sexual wellness will get normalised and go mainstream. So it’s fantastic to finally see the leading US beauty and personal care retailer Sephora, list Smile Makers last month.

🍬🍬 Balancing growth and ESG: Go Desi employs 260 women currently and 40% of the value consumers pay goes back to the rural economy

When I first met Vinay & Raksha Kothari, co-founders of confectionary brand Go Desi, what impressed me the most was their focus on giving back. To ensure the products remain authentic, the duo set up manufacturing facilities in rural India and made most of the products by hand. This ensured the delivery of the authenticity and nostalgic experience demanded by the consumers. This also allowed the company to give back to the local community.

🇹🇭🇹🇭 Portfolio update: Leverage Edu gearing up to enter Thailand

Leverage Edu, which provides college placement services to students in India, is gearing up to launch in Southeast Asia, starting in Thailand. DSG Consumer Partners first invested in Leverage Edu in 2018.

🫖☕️ Case study: Vahdam, the Indian tea brand that focused on exports is now building a brand presence in India

Vadham set out to bring the best Indian teas to global consumers. I first spoke to Bala Sarda in 2017 and he was clear about what he was building. From the 2017 deck, he said “Vahdam Teas is well poised to become the leader in the premium tea category globally”. I am so happy to see the success in the US and other global markets and wish him all the success as he builds the brand in India. India deserves the best.