Early & Growth Stage  ·  Fund I  ·  2026

Backed by
the Hockey
Community.

Hockey Stick Ventures invests in food and beverage brands shaping the next generation of consumer culture — before the rest of the world figures it out.

LP Inquiry View Portfolio
$3M
Fund Size
7
Investments
5x
Base Case Return
20 Yrs
Investing Experience
Liquid Death ·  Recess ·  Coconut Cult ·  Renais Gin ·  Leisure Hydration ·  Slate Milk ·  De Soi ·  Liquid Death ·  Recess ·  Coconut Cult ·  Renais Gin ·  Leisure Hydration ·  Slate Milk ·  De Soi · 

Track Record

Portfolio at a Glance

Pre-fund syndicate investments with multiple markups and strong momentum across every company.

7 Investments  ·  Multiple Markups
1.6x ↑
Canned Water
3 secondary purchases; multi-billion dollar exit on the horizon. The anchor of the portfolio.
On Track
Functional Beverage
$100M+ in sales in 2025; exceeding all growth targets. Category-defining functional brand.
~3x ↑
Probiotic Foods
Fastest markup in the portfolio since our September 2024 entry. Category-defining probiotic brand.
Growing
Spirits
Emma Watson's brand. Sold out in the US and scaling globally into new markets.
~2x ↑
Hydration / Sports
Hit and surpassed every single growth target. An athlete-loved brand built for people like our LPs.
2–3x ↑
RTD Protein / Iced Coffee
Hitting targets consistently; new product launches fueling continued expansion.
New
Non-Alcoholic Apéritif
1,100+ new doors added in Q4 including Kroger, Whole Foods, and Target. Amazon sales +342% YoY.

The Opportunity

Legacy Brands Can't Innovate. So They Buy.

85% of new product launches from established brands fail within two years. The result is a proven, active M&A market for challenger CPG brands — and investors who got in early are seeing the returns.

$6.7B+

in CPG acquisitions closed in 2025 alone — from companies that were challenger brands just a few years ago.

Acquired by
PepsiCo
↓
Poppi
$1.95B
May 2025
Acquired by
Celsius
↓
Alani Nu
$1.8B
Feb 2025
Acquired by
PepsiCo
↓
Siete
$1.2B
Jan 2025
Acquired by
e.l.f. Beauty
↓
Rhode
$1B
Jul 2025
Acquired by
Flowers Foods
↓
Simple Mills
$795M
Feb 2025

The Hockey Advantage

Why Hockey Players?

01
They Already Use These Products
Emerging CPG brands are built on better-for-you trends: added protein, gut health, hydration, and clean energy. NHL players are already among the most loyal consumers of exactly the brands we invest in.
02
Short Careers Demand Smart Money
The average NHL career lasts just 4.5 years. Athletes need to start building wealth while they are still playing. Hockey Stick Ventures targets 3–7x net returns — far beyond what any savings account can match.
03
Athletes Are Building These Brands
A growing wave of professional athletes are founding CPG companies. Hockey Stick Ventures can support athlete-created brands as investments and prioritize LP founders for deal access.
04
Built-In Brand Amplification
An NHL player as an LP doesn't just write a check — they become an authentic voice for every portfolio brand to millions of followers and teammates. That is distribution no traditional fund can manufacture.

The Fund Manager

Sean Hershman

Sean Hershman

Sean Hershman

Founder & Fund Manager  ·  Hockey Stick Ventures

Hockey has been part of my life for over thirty years. It shaped who I am, and my determination, grit, and passion pushed me further than anyone expected — playing in college and having a crack in the minors. Hockey Stick Ventures is my way of getting back to the game and bringing the hockey community with me.

The fund is built on something real. Years deeply embedded in the food and beverage CPG industry, working alongside founders, investors, and syndicate leads, have given me differentiated access to early and growth stage brands with a genuine shot at a meaningful exit. Our current portfolio speaks for itself with multiple markups and rapid growth.

But for me, this is about more than returns. The vision is a tight-knit community of hockey players and insiders who are early owners of the brands shaping the next generation of food and beverage — people who share the love of the game, build wealth together, and maybe rep the logo in the locker room while they're at it.

Education
MBA, University of Illinois
Hockey Background
JWU College Hockey  ·  ECHL Augusta Lynx & SC Stingrays
Investing Experience
20 years across Real Estate, Equities & Venture
CPG Industry
4+ years deeply embedded at Numerator

Fund Structure

Investment Strategy

Investment Strategy
StageEarly to Growth Stage
Check Size$50K – $500K
Companies7–10 per Fund
Investment Period3 Years
IndustryFood & Beverage CPG
Ownership Target1–5%
Target Return Scenarios

Our goal: 3–7x net returns over the life of the fund. Even in the conservative case, LPs triple their investment.

Conservative
3.0x
11.6% Net IRR
Base Case
5.0x
17.4% Net IRR
High Case
7.0x
21.4% Net IRR

Forward-looking projections for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. For accredited investors only.

Join Us

Ready to Back the Next Billion-Dollar CPG Brand?

Hockey Stick Ventures is where we share our love for the game, back the brands we believe in, and build real wealth together.

Email Sean Directly 401-824-6263

sean@hockeystickventures.vc  ·  Confidential  ·  For Accredited Investors Only