Stars + Honey Lands $24 Million Investment From VMG Partners
Collagen protein bar brand Stars + Honey has landed a $24 million growth investment from VMG Partners, as it prepares for a much bigger push into national retail.
The funding will support the brand’s retail expansion and a new 60,000-square-foot production facility designed to give Stars + Honey the capacity it needs to scale nationally, expand its product lineup, and continue developing new flavours over the next year.
As part of the deal, McConnell Smith, general partner at VMG Partners, will join the Stars + Honey board of directors.
Since Daniel Rainey launched the Michigan-based brand in 2023, Stars + Honey has gathered serious pace. The brand reported 300% growth last year and is now on track to reach approximately $50 million in revenue in 2026.
Its collagen protein bars are made with Type I and Type III grass-fed bovine collagen peptides and contain 15 grams of protein per serving.
The range spans 18 flavours, from Espresso Vanilla Cinnamon to Cherry Chocolate Waffle Cone. Each bar comes in under 200 calories and is made without gluten, dairy, soy, sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, or seed oils.
“Stars + Honey was created to bring care, craft, and attention to detail to a category that often lacks it,” said Rainey, founder and CEO of Stars + Honey. “Getting there has been far more difficult than we expected, and in many ways the industry isn’t built for the level of quality and control we wanted. That pushed us to build and refine so much in-house ourselves. VMG has an exceptional track record of building category-defining brands, and we’re excited to partner with them to help redefine what a protein bar can be.”
For San Francisco-based VMG Partners, which was established in 2005 and manages dedicated funds across consumer and technology sectors, the investment adds another name to its portfolio of wellness, beauty, personal care, and food brands. “We’ve invested in some of the most iconic bar brands over the past 20 years, which helped us very quickly recognize how special Stars + Honey is,” said Smith. “Daniel’s created a tremendous product that speaks to a really underserved consumer in the space, and he’s assembled a phenomenal team to build with.”
Stars + Honey is available in the US at starsandhoney.com and amazon.com.