Where Deals, Celebrities & Big Ideas Collide
Necker Island—where white sand beaches meet whiteboard strategy sessions, and some of the most influential minds in venture and celebrity-backed brands came together. Last month, Sandbox Studios hosted an unforgettable AGM, packed with next-level insights, powerhouse connections, and the kind of deal-making that only happens in a setting like this.
The biggest conversations in celebrity brands? They started here.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
🔹 A Visionary in the Room – Having Sir Richard Branson in the mix brought an energy unlike any other. Maybe it was the island air… or maybe it’s just the kind of magic that happens when trailblazers collide. From his take on how celebrity brands should navigate the future, to anecdotes with him and Ryan Reynolds, Sir Richard Branson laid the foundation for rigourous and robust discussion throughout the island programming.
🔹 The Future of Celebrity-Led Brands – From billion-dollar beauty plays to the next wave of consumer innovation, we broke down what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next in 2025 and beyond.
🔹 Deals in Motion – Some of the biggest brand-building minds (and wallets) in the business were in one place. Let’s just say, these interesting conversations have turned into many term sheets. Currently 5 investments have been made into the attending portfolio companies, but who is counting.
🔹 Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences – From kitesurfing with world-class athletes to late-night strategy sessions in hot tubs under the stars, this wasn’t just another conference—it was a playground for the boldest ideas in venture with some of the most inspiring people in consumer.
THE STATS
Sandbox Studios Fund I Performance
💰 22% Fund RVPI Outperforming Market – Our portfolio continues to outperform, proving that the right mix of celebrity, capital, and strategy is a winning formula.
📊 108.8% CAGR in Capital Deployment in 2024 – Sandbox Studios invested in 5 new celebrity brands, completed 4 follow-on rounds and ran 3 SPVs for LPs.
🚀 154% Revenue YoY – The momentum is real. This year alone, the average top performing brands across the portfolio grew by 154% with our top performing company increasing revenue by 330% since 2023.
🏆 37% Reduction in Spend – Not only are our companies increasing topline, they are also turning profitable with the biggest shift of 37% reduction in operating expenses while maintaining a topline revenue of $10m+.
🏬 3,975 Retail Door Growth – Getting on shelves is the key and the average portfolio company grew their retail footprint substantially with almost 4k new doors from 2023 to 2024.
Founders Defining the Future of Celebrity Brands & Portfolio Company Highlights
💊 Zeke Bronfman, The Absorption Company – Breaking industry records with major milestones achieving 23 viral videos of 1m+ viewers in their launch year resulting in a CAC that is 55% lower than the industry average.
🍦 Sam Rockwell & Jeremy Reich, Dr. Bombay – Secured the #2 spot in the competive ice cream category outselling the #3 spot by 6x.
🩺 Achal Patel & Russell Gong, Cabinet Health – Has reduced 50,000 lbs of plastic in the American healthcare industry in just 3 months.
🍬 Amy Keller, Climate Candy – Saved 150,000 square feet of cropland saved with a 50% retention rate.
🍷 Kendra Kawala, Maker Wine – Won 51 Gold Medals and secured the wine contract with United Airlines.
💋 Remi Martini, Sarelly Sarelly – 30%+ repurchase rate and 80% topline growth since 2023.
📱 Harrison Wang, Unblocked – 10x increase in weekly average users in engagement and retention.
NECKER ISLAND AGM TAKEAWAYS
For Those That Couldn’t Attend
🚀 Celebrity Brands Continue to Outperform the Market
- 5x revenue growth compared to industry average
- 8x retail space
- 30% household penetration
- 53% awareness among GenZ
- 2x eCommerce growth
📈 Our Celebrity Brands Prove These Industry Trends
- CAC across our entire portfolio was 60% lower than the average brand across every industry sector
- Average following size of our celebrity founders is 22.5m
🤝 The Power of the Right Partnership
- More than capital, it’s about collaboration. The best investments are driven from shared vision and shared ambition between the founders and operating partners.
- There is no right structure or celebrity contract – each deal should be created tailored to the objectives of all parties.
- When investors support founders, anything is possible.
