Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have invested in Kitu Life, the makers of enhanced coffee brand Super Coffee, which will see the celebrity couple become minority owners in the company.
Based in New York City, Super Coffee was founded in 2016 by student-athlete brothers, Jordan, Jake, and Jim DeCicco with a focus on developing a bottled beverage that was free-from sugar and artificial ingredients. In an attempt to spread “positive energy”, the brand’s line of beverages feature coffee, protein, natural sweeteners and an infusion of MCT oil.
The brand’s range of cold and hot coffee options include Super Coffee, Super Creamer, Super Espresso, Super Cold Brew, and Super Coffee Pods. These are now sold in over 25,000 stores across the US and on Amazon, and are nationally distributed by Anheuser Busch.
With their joint investment and partnership, the couple aims to expand the Super Coffee brand globally. “When Alex and I first heard the Super Coffee story and tasted the product, we wanted to be a part of it. We knew we could use our networks to build this brand globally,” said Lopez.
The investment follows on from a Series B round that the brand closed in July led by Skyview Capital and according to the press release, Kitu Life is currently valued at over $240 million.
“Over the last four years, our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that Super Coffee is available in grocery stores and gas stations across the country. We’re now ready to drive national awareness of the brand and there’s no better duo [than Jen and Alex] to help us do just that,” said Jim DeCicco, CEO of Super Coffee.
The announcement marks Rodriguez’s second beverage investment, after he made a minority investment and became chairman of Anheuser Busch InBev-owned Dominican beer brand Presidente.
Rodriguez first discovered Super Coffee as a guest judge on US reality show Shark Tank in 2018. While the DeCicco brothers’ pitch was unsuccessful, Rodriguez saw an opportunity that his colleagues overlooked.
The former professional baseball player said: “We like winning companies. We like winning founders. Founders who have energy. Founders who are coachable. The brothers behind Super Coffee fit the bill. They have built a strong business in a short time and we look forward to helping the brand reach its full potential.”
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