Beyoncé Secures A Stake In Watermelon Water Business

Beyoncé and Leonardo DiCaprio are the latest big names to invest in wellness brands, as a growing number of celebrities align themselves with the trillion dollar industry.

Following the launch of IVY PARK last month, an activewear label in partnership with sir Phillip Green, Beyoncé has chosen to dip her toes into the cold-pressed juice market, investing an undisclosed amount in New York-based startup WTRMLN WTR.

Launched three years ago, WTRMLN WTR has grown at a rapid pace. According to Fortune, the business is currently on track to triple its annual revenue by the end of the year, and with the product stocked in over 7,500 retail locations across the U.S, including Whole Foods, Kroger and Costco, the brand’s potential hasn’t gone unnoticed – at least not by Beyoncé.

“I invested in WTRMLN WTR because it’s the future of clean, natural hydration; as partners, we share a simple mission to deliver accessible wellness to the world,” explained the singer in a statement.

“This is more than an investment in a brand, it’s an investment in female leaders, fitness, American farmers, and the health of people and our planet.”

As part of a funding round that closed in February, for WTRMLN WTR, Beyoncé’s investment will help to boost the brand’s visibility as it looks to partner with additional investors, including more celebrities and athletes, before the year is out.

For Beyoncé, the venture ties in well with the recent release of the IVY Park activewear range, as the singer shifts her focus onto products targeting a generation who are more in tune with their health and wellbeing than ever before – consumers who are willing to prioritise their spending on products that enhance their sense of wellbeing.

But with Beyoncé set to capitalise on the fast-growing wellness industry, DiCaprio’s interest in the sector is not for profit.

Joining the advisory board for RUNA, an all natural tea-based energy drink made from Amazonian Guayusa Tea, according to an announcement from the company, DiCaprio has pledged to donate his profits to indigenous community groups in the Amazon rainforest, the home of the guayusa leaf, a key ingredient found in the beverage.

“The future of these communities, and many like them across the world, are at risk as their native lands are exploited for natural resource and agricultural development. Sustainable farming practices are key to helping ensure a brighter future for so many local people,” DiCaprio said in a statement.

“We must all do everything we can to help indigenous and local people who too often suffer the worst environmental degradation, and are most at risk from climate change,” he added.

Having grown its revenue by more than 2,000 percent since 2011, bringing in nearly $5 million in sales in 2014, according to Inc., Runa expects to double that figure this year, with DiCaprio’s involvement helping to speed up the process.

The healthy beverage category has a good track record when it comes to celebrity investment. Rapper 50 Cent, one of the first to plough money into the sector, walked away with $100 million in 2007 thanks to his minority stake in Vitamin Water.

Prompting a handful of celebrities to follow suit, in 2010 Madonna made a $1.5m investment in coconut water brand VitaCoco, while actor Mark Wahlberg chose to invest his money in premium water brand AQUAhydrate, fuelling rapid growth for both businesses.

And as the wellness industry continues to gather pace, the success of brands backed by high-profile celebrities is likely to increase just as rapidly.