Brand Holdings Announces Growth Equity Investment in Knockaround Sunglasses

PITTSBURGH, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Holdings, LLC, a holding company focused on acquiring Direct to Consumer e-commerce companies and emerging brands and backed by consumer-focused investor T-street Capital and family office investor Kidd & Co., announced today that it has completed a growth equity investment in the high growth consumer sunglasses brand, Knockaround. Based in San Diego, CA and founded in 2005 by Adam Moyer, Knockaround is a disruptor within the branded eyewear market and a leading innovator, designer, and manufacturer of stylish and affordable sunglasses and other accessories.

Knockaround has evolved into a lifestyle brand with a broad assortment of non-prescription eyewear that includes polarized sunglasses, blue-light blocking glasses, ski and snowboard goggles, and a custom design eyewear program. Knockaround's focus on creativity and authenticity along with building a culture around the brand have established a loyal fan base, positioning the company to achieve accelerated growth and realize its vision of becoming the leading sunglasses brand for consumers and athletes everywhere.

Adam Moyer, Founder and CEO of Knockaround, commented, "Knockaround has established and grown a fun and functional sunglasses brand for consumers everywhere by being both creative and affordable." Moyer added, "We are ecstatic about bringing in the experience and expertise that Brand Holdings has in developing emerging consumer product brands.  It's clear that Brand Holdings' CEO, Jeff Hennion, and his team, share a passion for Knockaround and truly support our strategy and vision for the future.  We look forward to a successful partnership as we continue to expand Knockaround's distribution across both retail and e-commerce channels."

Jeffrey R. Hennion, Chairman and CEO of Brand Holdings, who will become CEO of Knockaround as part of this transaction, added, "The Knockaround brand is a perfect fit within the Brand Holdings family of emerging brands, and there is a huge opportunity to leverage the infrastructure at Brand Holdings, including sales, marketing, and operations, to really accelerate the growth and distribution of Knockaround's products.  What Adam has created in Knockaround is second to none in the space, and I look forward to growing this alongside him and his team."

Dale Cheney, General Partner at T-street, commented, "We believe that we'll continue to see strong growth trends within the active lifestyle and outdoor markets, and the Knockaround brand has successfully captured the consumer's passion for both style and affordability." 

Gerry DeBiasi, Partner at Kidd & Co., stated, "We are enthusiastic to partner with such an amazing founder in Adam Moyer, as well as the exceptional team that he has assembled at Knockaround, to broaden the product offering and establish Knockaround as a leading consumer brand."

About Brand Holdings
Brand Holdings, LLC, is a holding company focused on acquiring DTC e-commerce companies and emerging brands in the areas of health and wellness, active lifestyle, sports nutrition, beauty and functional foods, and other categories. Brand Holdings is backed by the consumer-focused growth equity fund, T-street Capital, and Kidd & Co., and led by industry veteran, Jeff Hennion. The holding company currently operates the e-commerce brands, Dr. Emil Nutrition, Simple Botanics, Healthy Skoop, and Knockaround.

About Knockaround
Knockaround is the original, affordable sunglasses company from San Diego, founded by Adam "Ace" Moyer in 2005. Centered around durable shades that are both practical and stylish, Knockaround provides high-quality sunglasses that won't break the bank. Knockaround has grown to offer numerous different frame styles in a wide range of colors as well as ongoing Limited Edition special releases, collaborations, and an interactive "design your own" custom sunglasses shop. Knockaround Sunglasses have been featured in GQ, US Weekly, and The Today Show, and have been worn by countless celebrities including Matthew McConaughey, John Mayer, Natalie Portman, Snoop Dogg, and John Legend. For more information, visit Knockaround.com or follow (@knockaround) on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About T-street Capital
T-street is an independent investment firm whose primary mission is to partner with founders and management teams to support the growth and strategic development of small to mid-size businesses focused on emerging consumer product brands. The team has a diverse background of consumer investing and operating expertise that can be supportive in providing a flexible and tailored equity solution for accelerated expansion. T-street's consumer-focused categories include food & beverage, health & wellness, active lifestyle, fitness & nutrition, leisure & entertainment, and beauty & personal care. T-street was founded in 2013 by the General Partner, Dale Cheney. For more information on T-street, please visit www.t-street.com.

About Kidd & Company
Kidd & Company, LLC (KCO), based in Old Greenwich, CT, is the private equity investment arm of the Kidd Family Office. KCO traces its roots to 1976 when the firm's founding partner, William Kidd, made his first private equity investment. Today, KCO sponsors control equity investments in the lower middle market where the complementary skills and experience of the firm's partners can be applied to create significant value over time. KCO implements its thesis-driven approach to power above-market growth in revenue and earnings, both organically and through accretive acquisitions. The diverse skill set of the firm's partners allows KCO to bring management, operational, sales and marketing, corporate finance, and M&A expertise to bear to substantially increase the total value of its investments. For more information, visit www.kiddcompany.com.

SOURCE Brand Holdings