What Makes Us Invest in a Company More Than Once?
Every venture firm talks about finding great founders.
What doesn't get discussed nearly as often is what happens after the first investment.
The initial check is only the beginning of a relationship. Every follow-on investment is a new decision—one that's based not on a pitch deck, but on everything that happens afterward.
At LvlUp Ventures, we've had the opportunity to support Herbal Accession across three different funds: our Marketing Edge Accelerator, CPG Fund, and most recently, our First Check Fund.
Those weren't automatic decisions. Each investment reflected the company's continued progress and the team's ability to execute.
The First Investment: Betting on the Vision
We first met Herbal Accession through our Marketing Edge Accelerator.
From the beginning, the company stood out for its mission to make herbal wellness more accessible through thoughtfully crafted teas and wellness products. More importantly, the team demonstrated a deep understanding of its customers and a willingness to iterate as the business evolved.
Early-stage investing is rarely about perfect metrics. It's about identifying founders who are solving meaningful problems and have the determination to build something lasting.
For Herbal Accession, that was where our partnership began.
The Second Investment: Execution Creates Confidence
A founder's first few years are filled with uncertainty.
Products evolve. Marketing strategies change. Customer feedback reshapes priorities. The companies that continue moving forward are the ones that remain adaptable while consistently delivering on their goals.
As Herbal Accession continued to grow, so did our confidence in the team.
The company expanded its reach to customers in 40 of the 50 U.S. states, demonstrating demand well beyond its initial market.
Along the way, Herbal Accession was selected as one of only 16 businesses to participate in the 2025 Walmart Retail Readiness Program, an initiative designed to prepare emerging brands for retail success.
The company also became a trusted vendor for nationally recognized organizations and events, including Buy From A Black Woman × H&M and BeyGOOD Black Parade, creating new opportunities to introduce the brand to broader audiences.
Each milestone reinforced something more important than the milestone itself: the team knew how to execute.
That led to our second investment through the LvlUp Ventures CPG Fund.
Why We Invested Again
Our most recent investment came through the LvlUp Ventures First Check Fund.
By this point, the decision wasn't based on projections alone. It was based on a track record.
Herbal Accession had continued to strengthen its brand, expand its wholesale presence, and pursue new retail opportunities while building strategic relationships with hotels, spas, boutiques, and other wellness-focused businesses.
Rather than chasing growth at all costs, the company focused on building a sustainable foundation for long-term success.
That's the kind of progress we look for when deciding whether to continue supporting a portfolio company.
What Follow-On Investments Really Mean
People often assume that follow-on investments are automatic.
They're not.
Every new investment requires us to evaluate whether a company has continued creating value since the last time we partnered with them.
Have they learned from customers?
Have they adapted when challenges arose?
Have they continued making measurable progress?
Most importantly, have they earned the confidence to keep building together?
Those questions matter far more than whether every milestone went exactly as planned.
Looking Ahead
Backing Herbal Accession across three different LvlUp Ventures funds reflects something we value deeply as investors: long-term partnerships.
The first investment was based on potential.
The second was built on execution.
The third reflected sustained momentum.
We're proud to continue supporting Herbal Accession as the company enters its next stage of growth, and we're excited to see what comes next.
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