Rocana Venture Partners Research
Investment Thesis
Rocana Venture Partners is a specialized venture capital fund dedicated to democratizing health and wellness through disruptive consumer brands. Founded in 2018 by Gurdeep Prewal and Sumesh Sachar, Rocana believes that the next generation of consumer brands will be built by passionate entrepreneurs who understand how to combine purpose with profitability. Their mission is to help founders succeed not just financially, but also through their positive impact on people and the planet.
Core Investment Philosophy
Rocana operates with a "triple bottom line" approach: People, Planet, and Profit. They are deeply aligned with the global wellness economy, which is projected to grow from $4.5 trillion to $7 trillion USD by 2025. Rocana recognizes fundamental shifts in consumer behavior:
- Health-first mentality: Consumers are willing to pay premiums for products with sustainable packaging and health benefits
- Proactive healthcare: Healthcare is shifting from reactive treatment to proactive prevention through self-care and nutrition
- Digestive health revolution: 60% of consumers are interested in digestive health products, with 70% recognizing the link between digestive health and overall wellness
- Mental wellness focus: Growing awareness that diet impacts mental health and stress levels
- Female empowerment: Women's wellness is experiencing explosive demand, with female billionaires growing at 100% more than men in the past decade
Sector and Category Focus
Primary Investment Pillars
Food & Beverage - What you put inside yourself
- Plant-based and functional foods
- Better-for-you beverages with health benefits
- Digestive health products and gut-focused brands
- Nutritional innovation and sustainable sourcing
- Ethnic and specialty foods
Mind-Body Wellness - What you do with yourself
- Mental health and stress management
- Wellness experiences and community
- Sleep and relaxation products
- Digital therapeutics
- Wearable wellness devices
Personal Care & Beauty - What you put on yourself
- Inclusive beauty and inclusive skincare
- Clean label personal care
- Women's wellness and femtech products
Preferred Categories
- Confectionery and better-for-you snacks
- Digital therapeutics
- Ethnic foods with authenticity
- Functional beverages (adaptogens, nootropics, electrolytes)
- Gut health and immunity products
- Inclusive beauty brands
- Mental health solutions
- Personalized nutrition
- Plant-based alternatives
- Sustainable products
- Wearable devices for wellness
- Wellness experiences
- Women's wellness (femtech, hormonal health)
No-Fly Zones
- Tobacco
- Alcohol and alcohol-related products
- Cannabis (excluding CBD products)
Stage and Check Size
Rocana predominantly invests at the Seed to Series A stages, with a clear focus on brands with initial market traction or product validation. Based on portfolio analysis:
Stage Distribution:
- Pre-Seed: 10-15% of investments ($250K-$1M typical)
- Seed: 45-50% of investments ($1M-$5M typical)
- Series A: 30-35% of investments ($5M-$15M typical)
- Series B and beyond: Selective follow-on investments ($5M-$30M typical)
Check Size:
- Minimum check: ~$500K
- Target check (Seed): $2M-$5M
- Target check (Series A): $5M-$15M
- Maximum observed: $30M (for proven portfolio winners like Olipop)
Team and Decision-Making
Leadership Team
Gurdeep Prewal, Co-founder & General Partner
- 17 years in investment banking M&A and capital markets
- CFA charter holder
- Transitioned to VC in 2018 with deep personal passion for health and wellness
- Based in New York and Singapore
- Known for financial acumen and deal-making expertise
Sumesh Sachar, Co-founder & General Partner
- Global business leadership experience (CFO, COO, CEO roles)
- One of the youngest CPAs in NY state
- Lived across 6 continents (New York, Singapore, Mumbai, Dubai, Los Angeles, Zambia)
- Extensive operational and business management background
- Personal investor in better living space since 2014
- Based in Miami and Los Angeles
- Passionate about bringing people together and "possible people" ethos
Alex Borschow, General Partner
- 10+ years as venture investor and advisor
- MIT Chemical/Bio Engineering degree
- MBA from MIT Sloan
- Former youngest Director in BNP Paribas equity derivatives
- First Director of Finance for Eataly USA
- Deep expertise in food, beverage, and sustainability startups
- Based in New York; raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Supporting Team
- 8+ investment associates, associates, and analysts
- Strong bench of operational advisors with CPG expertise
- Network of strategic limited partners including Grupo Mariposa (anchor LP), Golden West Food Group, and PLTFRM
Decision Process
- Structure: Partnership-based model with active partner involvement
- Timeline: Approximately 4-8 weeks from initial conversation to term sheet
- Committee: Senior partners make investment decisions collaboratively
- Follow-on: Partners stay deeply involved in portfolio governance and value creation
Recent Activity and Fund Status
Fund Portfolio
As of Q4 2025, Rocana has invested in 25+ portfolio companies across three funds (RVP I, II, III), with 3 new investments in the past 12 months.
Notable Recent Investments (2024-2025)
- Olipop: Series C (Feb 2025) at $1.85B valuation - raised $50M; now #1 non-alcoholic brand in US by sales
- Othership: Spa-focused wellness community (valued $50M+, featured in NYT/New Yorker)
- Eli Health: At-home hormone testing device (CES Best of Innovation Winner, Jan 2025)
- Magic Mind: Productivity drink (Series A, $12.4M)
- Recess: Relaxation beverages with adaptogens
- Poppi: Apple cider vinegar beverage (recently acquired by PepsiCo for $1.65B)
Fund Status
Rocana Venture Partners Fund III is actively deploying capital with:
- Strong momentum and market validation through portfolio companies
- Multiple companies approaching $100M+ ARR or $1B+ valuations
- 5+ year plus deployment window
- Continued ability to support follow-on rounds
Notable Portfolio Companies
Exits and Exits-in-Progress:
- Hu Chocolate: Acquired by Mondelez (2021) - one of cleanest chocolate brands on market
- Poppi: Acquired by PepsiCo ($1.65B, 2024) - apple cider vinegar beverage category creator
Unicorns and Near-Unicorns:
- Olipop: $1.85B valuation, $400M+ revenue run-rate, profitable, top brand in category
- Othership: Multi-million user community, featured in premium publications
- Eli Health: Entering scaled distribution, FDA regulatory pathway
Active Productive Companies (10+ more at $50M-$200M valuations):
- Kettle & Fire (collagen bone broths)
- Borealis Foods (plant-based ramen)
- Gather Foods (plant-based seafood)
- Gymkhana Fine Foods (premium cooking sauces)
- HumanCo (brand incubator, multiple brands)
- Lavva (plant-based yogurt with probiotics)
- Splendid Spoon (direct-to-consumer soups)
- SuperGut (GLP-1 nutrition and gut health)
- Tiny Organics (baby food)
- WTRMLN WTR (functional hydration)
Key Differentiators
Operational Expertise
Rocana partners bring deep CPG, distribution, and retail expertise:
- Gurdeep's 17 years in capital markets and M&A
- Sumesh's global operational experience across 6 continents
- Alex's Eataly and food industry connections
- Network includes Grupo Mariposa (95+ year family CPG business), distribution leaders, and retail partners
Go-to-Market Support
Beyond capital, Rocana provides:
- Direct introductions to major retail channels (Whole Foods, Target, Walmart via PLTFRM)
- Supply chain and manufacturing optimization
- Distribution strategy and partnership development
- Brand building and positioning guidance
- Production sourcing support
- Mentorship from seasoned operators
Founder-Centric Approach
The "possible people" ethos emphasizes:
- Partnership mentality, not just capital provision
- Personal connection to the wellness mission
- Founder empowerment and autonomy
- Long-term value creation, not quick flips
- Strong belief in the founder's vision
Investment Process
Typical Engagement
- Introduction: Usually through advisor network, existing founders, or investor relationships
- Initial Meeting: Partners evaluate founder-market fit and mission alignment
- Diligence: 4-8 week process with deep dives into:
- Product-market fit and early customer validation
- Go-to-market strategy and distribution potential
- Team composition and founder background
- Unit economics and path to profitability
- Decision: Partnership-based decision-making by senior partners
- Value Creation: Active board participation and quarterly support
Warm Introductions
While not stated explicitly, the fund's strong founder network and advisor relationships suggest warm introductions are preferred.
Geographic Focus
Primary Markets:
- Los Angeles, California (headquarters)
- Miami, Florida
- New York
- Global: Singapore, South America (Latin America), Europe
International Exposure:
- Anchor LP Grupo Mariposa (Mexico + Latin America)
- Connections to European wellness brands
- Limited but growing Asia interest
Market Positioning
Rocana is not a traditional VC in the tech-heavy sense. They are a consumer brand venture platform specifically designed for founders building purpose-driven businesses. Key positioning points:
- Mission-driven: Wellness is core, not peripheral
- Operator-backed: Not primarily financial engineers
- Brand-focused: Deep CPG expertise and relationships
- Distribution-savvy: Unique advantage in retail/DTC channels
- Global perspective: Founders and LPs span continents
- Female-friendly: Strong support for female-founded brands (Anjula Acharia advisory role)
Founder Profile They Back
Rocana looks for:
- Authentic mission: Genuine passion for health/wellness, not just market opportunity
- Market insight: Deep understanding of pain point being solved
- Operator experience: Ideally someone who has worked in food/CPG/retail
- Coachability: Open to guidance on go-to-market and operations
- Ambition with realism: Belief in $100M+ potential but grounded execution
- Founder-founder network: Often strong connections to other entrepreneurs
Key Metrics and Performance
- 25+ companies invested across three funds
- 3 new investments in past 12 months (as of Oct 2025)
- 2 exits with Mondelez and PepsiCo acquisitions
- 2-3 potential near-term exits in later-stage portfolio
- Multiple companies at $100M-$1.85B valuation range
- Average check size (Seed): ~$1.47M
- Average round size (Series C observed): ~$13M
Thesis Strengths
- Demographic tailwinds: Female empowerment, Gen Z wellness focus, global health spending
- Category tailwinds: Functional beverages, digestive health, mental wellness all accelerating
- Distribution moat: Unique retail connections and DTC expertise
- Fund timing: Entering market at inflection point for better-for-you brands
- Founder quality: Backing proven CPG operators and mission-driven founders
- Portfolio momentum: Multiple companies proving playbook at scale
Summary
Rocana Venture Partners represents a specialized, highly focused venture platform for founders building the next generation of consumer wellness brands. With deep operational expertise, unique distribution relationships, and genuine passion for the wellness movement, they combine financial resources with the hands-on support needed to scale consumer brands in competitive retail environments. Their portfolio performance—including Olipop's $1.85B valuation and exit successes—validates their approach. For founders with authentic wellness missions, proven CPG experience or co-founders, and ambitions to build $100M+ brands, Rocana is an ideal partner.