Key Takeaways
- • Axum Capital Partners announced a growth equity investment in VitaHustle, a premium plant-based nutrition brand co-founded by Kevin Hart and Ron "Boss" Everline, signaling the firm's commitment to health and wellness-centric food and beverage companies.
- • Axum launched a new $300 million fund targeting health and wellness-focused food and beverage brands, positioning itself to capitalize on a global market projected to exceed $1 trillion in the coming years, with protein and functional nutrition among the fastest-growing segments.
- • VitaHustle selected Axum based on the firm's deep food and beverage sector expertise, institutional network of industry experts and athletes, and its "Axum Edge" platform designed to support growth through brand expansion, consumer reach, and operational strengthening.
- • Muhsin Muhammad, Axum co-founder and former NFL wide receiver, emphasized the firm's conviction in the structural shift toward healthier consumer consumption, noting his personal background as an athlete positions the firm to authentically support performance-driven nutrition brands.
- • The investment underscores growing institutional capital deployment into better-for-you nutrition products driven by sustained consumer demand for premium, accessible, and functionally-enhanced food and beverage solutions aligned with health and lifestyle priorities.
Summary
Axum Capital Partners, a Charlotte-based private equity firm, announced a growth equity investment in VitaHustle, a premium plant-based nutrition product line co-founded by actor and entertainer Kevin Hart and wellness entrepreneur Ron "Boss" Everline. The investment reflects Axum's strategic thesis around the expanding health and wellness food and beverage sector and represents a continuation of the firm's focus on scaled, performance-driven nutrition brands.
The transaction occurs within the context of Axum's launch of a new $300 million fund dedicated to health and wellness-centric food and beverage companies. The global health and wellness food and beverage market is projected to exceed $1 trillion in the coming years, with protein and functional nutrition emerging as the fastest-growing sub-categories. This market expansion is driven by a sustained, structural shift in consumer preferences toward healthier consumption patterns integrated into daily routines and lifestyle decisions.
VitaHustle's selection of Axum as its strategic investment partner was based on multiple factors: the firm's established expertise in the food and beverage sector, its institutional network encompassing industry experts, advisors, and athletes, and access to Axum's "Axum Edge" platform—a proprietary support system designed to accelerate growth across brand awareness, consumer reach expansion, and operational optimization. Founded on a mission to deliver premium, plant-based nutrition that is both effective and accessible, VitaHustle has cultivated a loyal consumer base emphasizing product quality, authenticity, and alignment with everyday wellness lifestyles.
Muhsin Muhammad, Axum co-founder and former NFL wide receiver, articulated the firm's investment conviction: "Better-for-you food and beverage isn't just a passing trend – it's becoming a core part of how consumers think about their health and lifestyle." Muhammad's background as a professional athlete positions Axum to leverage authentic credibility within the performance nutrition segment, enabling the firm to mobilize its network to support VitaHustle's next phase of growth and market penetration.
The transaction occurs within the context of Axum's launch of a new $300 million fund dedicated to health and wellness-centric food and beverage companies. The global health and wellness food and beverage market is projected to exceed $1 trillion in the coming years, with protein and functional nutrition emerging as the fastest-growing sub-categories. This market expansion is driven by a sustained, structural shift in consumer preferences toward healthier consumption patterns integrated into daily routines and lifestyle decisions.
VitaHustle's selection of Axum as its strategic investment partner was based on multiple factors: the firm's established expertise in the food and beverage sector, its institutional network encompassing industry experts, advisors, and athletes, and access to Axum's "Axum Edge" platform—a proprietary support system designed to accelerate growth across brand awareness, consumer reach expansion, and operational optimization. Founded on a mission to deliver premium, plant-based nutrition that is both effective and accessible, VitaHustle has cultivated a loyal consumer base emphasizing product quality, authenticity, and alignment with everyday wellness lifestyles.
Muhsin Muhammad, Axum co-founder and former NFL wide receiver, articulated the firm's investment conviction: "Better-for-you food and beverage isn't just a passing trend – it's becoming a core part of how consumers think about their health and lifestyle." Muhammad's background as a professional athlete positions Axum to leverage authentic credibility within the performance nutrition segment, enabling the firm to mobilize its network to support VitaHustle's next phase of growth and market penetration.
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