Starco Brands
Starco Brands is a publicly traded consumer packaged goods company that invents and acquires behavior-changing brands across food and beverage, personal care, and clean beauty — including Whipshots, Art of Sport, Skylar, Winona Pure, and Soylent — distributing through Sephora, RNDC-powered spirits retail, and DTC e-commerce.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Starco Brands does
Starco Brands, Inc. (OTCQB: STCB) is a Nevada-incorporated, Los Angeles-based branded consumer packaged goods company that invents and acquires products with what it terms "behavior-changing technologies." Its portfolio of five wholly-owned brands spans food and beverage (Whipshots, a vodka-infused whipped cream co-founded with Cardi B; Winona Pure, an air-powered theater-popcorn spray; Soylent, a plant-based complete nutrition brand acquired February 2023), personal care (Art of Sport, an athlete-focused body care line co-founded by Kobe Bryant and acquired in an all-stock transaction in September 2022), and clean beauty (Skylar, a hypoallergenic fragrance brand acquired July 2022). The company operates with 51–100 employees from offices in Santa Monica and Los Angeles and is led by founder and CEO Ross Sklar.
Starco's revenue model is unit-pricing retail and DTC consumer product sales distributed through a mix of channels: national spirits distribution via RNDC into Total Wine, BevMo, Binny's, Specs, and other retailers for Whipshots; exclusive Sephora app launches with nationwide rollouts for Skylar; DTC e-commerce (which the company emphasized after strategically exiting lower-margin retail for Soylent in 2025); and a premier sales force servicing national and regional brick-and-mortar and online retailers for Art of Sport and Winona Pure. Pricing varies materially by brand — Skylar True Love's Cake retails at $96 for a 50ml bottle and $33 for a 10ml travel size — positioning the fragrance line at premium price points while mass-market brands like Soylent and Whipshots compete on volume.
Starco Brands pursues growth through three primary levers: (1) strategic acquisitions of differentiated consumer brands with celebrity or category-first IP, financed in part via exempt securities offerings (SEC Form D filings totaling roughly $56.4M across 2022–2023); (2) celebrity- and sports-driven marketing — Whipshots with Cardi B, Art of Sport with Kobe Bryant and James Harden, Skylar with CCO Leah Kateb, and naming rights for the Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk at SoFi Stadium; and (3) vertical integration via the planned acquisition of sister company The Starco Group, a contract manufacturer spanning 10+ CPG categories and over 3,000 products, announced via non-binding LOI in July 2025 with expected close in 2026. FY2025 net revenue was $40.5M (down from $58.7M in 2024 due to the Soylent retail exit), with adjusted EBITDA of ~$3.1M (+135% YoY) and gross margin of ~39%, against a net loss of $20.7M.
Starco Brands firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starco Brands
- Legal name
- Starco Brands, Inc.
- Website
- https://starcobrands.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Starco Brands is a publicly traded consumer packaged goods company that invents and acquires behavior-changing brands across food and beverage, personal care, and clean beauty — including Whipshots, Art of Sport, Skylar, Winona Pure, and Soylent — distributing through Sephora, RNDC-powered spirits retail, and DTC e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Starco Brands industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Packaged Goods
- NAICS
- Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alcoholic Beverage Brand Owners & Holding Companies (Multi-category Portfolios) (CRADAIAL)
Keywords
Where Starco Brands is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Starco Brands business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Personnel
Revenue model
- Consumer product sales: Starco Brands generates revenue through the sale of consumer products across multiple categories including food & beverage (Whipshots, Soylent, Winona Pure), personal care (Art of Sport, Skylar fragrances), and household products. Revenue declined from $58.7M in 2024 to $40.5M in 2025 due to strategic exit from lower-margin retail distribution for Soylent division to focus on higher-margin DTC and e-commerce channels.
- Manufacturing services: Through partnership with sister company The Starco Group, Starco Brands gains access to commercial manufacturing facilities across 10+ CPG categories, enabling vertical integration and improved margins.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skylar True Love's Cake fragrance - full size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skylar True Love's Cake fragrance - travel size |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skylar Pomegranate Princess fragrance - full size and travel spray |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Starco Brands product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starco Brands invents and acquires consumer brands with behavior-changing technologies spanning food and beverage, personal care, fragrance, and household categories. The company sells five distinct product lines: Whipshots (vodka-infused whipped cream), Art of Sport (athlete body care), Winona Pure (air-powered popcorn spray), Skylar (clean hypoallergenic fragrances), and Soylent (plant-based nutrition). Products are marketed under celebrity partnerships and sold through DTC e-commerce and tier-one retail and distribution partners.
Product overview
Starco Brands is a 21st century consumer goods company that invents and acquires consumer products with behavior-changing technologies. The company operates five distinct brands: Whipshots (vodka-infused whipped cream co-founded with Cardi B), Art of Sport (athlete body care co-founded by Kobe Bryant), Winona Pure (air-powered theater popcorn spray), Skylar (clean hypoallergenic fragrances), and Soylent (plant-based nutrition). The company focuses on products that are truly new, change behaviors, and spark enjoyment. Starco Brands distributes through major retail channels including Sephora, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and wholesale distribution partners, while leveraging vertical integration through its sister company The Starco Group for manufacturing capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Whipshots: World's only vodka-infused whipped cream, co-founded with global artist Cardi B
- Art of Sport
- Winona Pure
- Skylar
- Soylent
Products and services
- Whipshots The world's only vodka-infused whipped cream, co-founded with global artist Cardi B. A ready-to-serve alcoholic whipped cream that adds a playful shot of sophistication to drinks, desserts, and party occasions; sold at spirits retailers and DTC.
- Art of Sport Complete line of daily essential body and skincare products engineered for athletes, featuring high-performance skincare science and fresh scents; co-founded by Kobe Bryant.
- Winona Pure The first indulgent theater-popcorn taste powered by air — an aerosol spray that delivers authentic movie-theater popcorn flavor at home without the traditional cooking method.
- Skylar Clean fragrance brand creating scents that are hypoallergenic, safe for sensitive skin, vegan, and cruelty-free; the only fragrance positioned as both hypoallergenic and sensitive-skin safe; sold via Sephora and DTC.
- Soylent The original plant-based food technology company offering complete non-dairy, high-protein nutrition shakes, powders, and snacks for convenient meal replacement.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3+ million Whipshots cans sold in 17 months
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Starco Brands
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Starco Brands technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Starco Brands partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.
- The Starco GroupcoreStarco Brands executed a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire The Starco Group, a contract manufacturer, to create a vertically integrated consumer products platform. The transaction aims to expand Starco's revenue, improve margins, and increase supply chain ownership. The Starco Group provides innovative formulas and commercial manufacturing facilities spanning 10 CPG categories including household, air care, personal care, food, beverage and spirits. Expected to close in 2026.
- Cardi BflagshipGlobal artist Cardi B co-founded Whipshots, the world's only vodka-infused whipped cream. The partnership brings celebrity endorsement and marketing expertise to drive brand awareness and sales. Cardi B is actively involved in product promotion including appearances at events, social media marketing, and brand campaigns.
- SephoracoreSephora serves as the exclusive and primary retail partner for Skylar fragrance launches. Products debut exclusively on the Sephora app before nationwide rollout. Sephora provides retail distribution, marketing support, and pop-up event venues for brand activations.
- RNDC (Republic National Distributing Company)coreRNDC is the national retail distribution partner for Whipshots, the vodka-infused whipped cream. The partnership enables nationwide distribution to retail stores including Total Wine, BevMo, and other alcohol retailers.
- Kobe Bryant (Art of Sport)flagshipKobe Bryant co-founded Art of Sport, the body care brand designed for athletes. Starco Brands acquired The AOS Group Inc. in an all-stock transaction that closed September 12, 2022, inheriting the Bryant partnership legacy.
- James HardenmajorBrooklyn Nets star James Harden collaborated with Art of Sport on the 'Defy' fragrance, inspired by his basketball career and paying homage to Kobe Bryant. Represents athlete partnership strategy for brand extensions.
- Leah KatebcoreLeah Kateb serves as Chief Creative Officer and 'Refounder' of Skylar, creating signature fragrances inspired by her Persian heritage. Key launches include Double Dates, Pomegranate Princess, and True Love's Cake.
- BuzzBallz / Testicular Cancer Awareness FoundationminorJoint marketing campaign 'Whip the Ballz' combining Whipshots with BuzzBallz cocktails to support the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation, demonstrating cause marketing partnerships.
- SoFi Stadium / LA BowlmajorStarco Brands secured naming rights to the LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk, collegiate football bowl game owned and operated by SoFi Stadium. The partnership provides brand visibility and entertainment marketing integration.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Starco Brands competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BuzzBallz: BuzzBallz makes ready-to-drink alcoholic cocktails and has partnered with Starco Brands on the 'Whip the Ballz' cause-marketing campaign. Comparable as an alcoholic novelty RTD with bold, youth-oriented branding chasing similar retail and at-home consumption occasions to Whipshots.
- Huel: Huel is a complete-nutrition meal-replacement brand offering shakes, powders, and bars across DTC and retail. It is the most direct functional-food competitor to Starco's Soylent brand, fighting on plant-based positioning, channel mix, and brand-led marketing.
- Phlur: Phlur is a DTC clean fragrance brand selling hypoallergenic, vegan, ingredient-transparent scents similar to Skylar. Comparable on direct-to-consumer model, clean-beauty positioning, and target of migrating customers from Sephora-style discovery to brand-site repeat purchase.
Emerging players
- Liquid Death: Liquid Death is a novel-format packaged beverage brand that built a cult following through heavy earned media, celebrity-adjacent marketing, and unconventional design. A useful analogue for Whipshots on category-blurring innovation and unconventional consumer-acquisition marketing, even though their alcohol mechanics differ.
- Olipop: Olipop is a better-for-you functional soda brand competing with incumbents through clean ingredients and category renarrative. Comparable to Starco's behavior-change model on Soylent-adjacent shelves and similar DTC-plus-retail GTM.
- Duke Cannon: Duke Cannon is a men's premium body-care brand sold through DTC, Target, and other national retailers. Most direct emerging-player competitor to Art of Sport in the athlete/men's performance-grooming niche.
- Ellis Brooklyn: Ellis Brooklyn is a clean, premium indie fragrance brand sold at Sephora and DTC. Direct emerging competitor to Skylar on clean-beauty positioning and the same Sephora-exclusive launch mechanic.
- Ka'Chava: Ka'Chava is a plant-based meal-replacement shake brand sold primarily through DTC. Direct emerging competitor to Soylent on the complete-nutrition occasion, especially after Starco's DTC-led repositioning of Soylent.
Broad incumbents
- Old Spice (Procter & Gamble): Old Spice is P&G's mass-market men's body-care franchise with deep retail penetration. The broad incumbent Art of Sport competes against for athlete and young-male grooming share, setting the bar on pricing, distribution depth, and shelf velocity.
- B&G Foods: B&G Foods is a small-cap public holding company that owns, acquires, and operates a large portfolio of CPG brands. The closest listed analogue to Starco's invent-plus-acquire multi-category model and useful for understanding how the public markets value such a roll-up.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Starco Brands social profiles
Digital presenceStarco Brands financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starco Brands leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Starco Brands subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Starco Brands funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starco Brands M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Starco Brands
What does Starco Brands do?
Starco Brands invents and acquires consumer brands with behavior-changing technologies spanning food and beverage, personal care, fragrance, and household categories. The company sells five distinct product lines: Whipshots (vodka-infused whipped cream), Art of Sport (athlete body care), Winona Pure (air-powered popcorn spray), Skylar (clean hypoallergenic fragrances), and Soylent (plant-based nutrition). Products are marketed under celebrity partnerships and sold through DTC e-commerce and tier-one retail and distribution partners.
Is Starco Brands a public or private company?
Starco Brands is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Starco Brands founded?
Starco Brands was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Starco Brands based?
Starco Brands is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Starco Brands make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Consumer product sales are the primary driver. The others are manufacturing services.
Who are Starco Brands's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BuzzBallz, Huel and Phlur. Emerging players are Liquid Death, Olipop, Duke Cannon, Ellis Brooklyn and Ka'Chava. Broad incumbents are Old Spice (Procter & Gamble) and B&G Foods.
Does Starco Brands have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starco Brands.
What industry is Starco Brands in?
Starco Brands's product category is Consumer Packaged Goods. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAL, Alcoholic Beverage Brand Owners & Holding Companies (Multi-category Portfolios). Its NAICS code is 3113 and its SIC code is 2000.