Essor, a consumer products platform created by the merger of Heyday and Branded, has raised $50 million in new equity financing following a $40 million raise by Branded prior to the purchase of Heyday.WHO: Essor was established as a result of Branded’s acquisition of Heyday to create a next-generation consumer products platform that leverages technology, industry expertise, and strategic collaborations to ignite growth and launch brands beyond expectations. They find digital challenger brands and supercharge the business. The group is focused on four growth levers, including new product development, global expansion, omnichannel strategy, and digital native brand building. The company aims to keep the founders of the brands it acquires on board in some capacity.Essor’s brand portfolio today includes a broad range of rapidly growing health & wellness and lifestyle brands like Boka, ZitSticka, Puracy, OTOTO Design, FreshCap, Iron Flask, Fullstar, numnum, Key Nutrients, and Viking Revolution that are sold on Amazon, direct-to-consumer channels, and through national retailers like Target, CVS, and Walmart.WHY: The additional capital will provide a strong balance sheet to fuel more acquisitions in personal care and beauty. The group is looking for sizeable assets with which it can continue to partner with founders.Essor leverages the proven track records of both companies in applying its platform capabilities to scaling and transforming challenger brands into household, omnichannel, and global brands, such as Boka, the premium oral care brand behind the #1 toothpaste sold online with more than 300% growth since its acquisition in 2022, and Puracy, one of the leading...