Front Row Group Announces Strategic Investment from Charlesbank Capital Partners

New funding will enhance Front Row Group's ability to execute strategic growth initiatives and deliver hyper-personalized service at scale

NEW YORK and BOSTON, Sept. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Front Row Group (or the "Company"), an e-commerce agency and accelerator providing fully outsourced marketplace management to beauty, health & wellness, and CPG brands, today announced a strategic investment from Charlesbank Capital Partners ("Charlesbank"), a middle-market private equity firm with more than $18 billion of capital raised since inception. The investment will help the Company accelerate innovation and growth of the business, while maintaining its focus on high-quality, personalized service at scale.

With a global presence in New York, San Diego, Hamburg and Bratislava, Front Row Group leverages proprietary technology to design, market, distribute and scale leading brands around the globe. The Company tailors its diverse set of specialized services to a business's unique needs with expertise across strategic brand-building, omnichannel marketing, international market expansion, content production, and business intelligence through its proprietary Catapult platform and innovative design and branding. This investment follows the 2023 brand consolidation that united Fortress Brand, School House, Taylor & Pond, Bizmut and Finc3 under the Front Row Group brand, providing the Company with differentiated global capabilities to better support clients across North America and Europe.

Charlesbank's investment will enable Front Row Group to continue scaling in the fast growing and dynamic e-commerce space. The Company will be well-positioned to deliver faster, more impactful results in the operationally complex Amazon channel, helping clients optimize content, power data-driven decisions via Catapult, and manage the complicated logistics of the competitive marketplace. Through its partnership with Charlesbank, Front Row Group can further build on its track record of organic growth and accretive acquisitions, allowing the Company to accelerate its growth trajectory.

"As demand for Front Row Group's services increases with more brands looking to unlock e-commerce growth, Charlesbank's partnership will enable us to fully capitalize on the market opportunity in front of us," said Yuriy Boykiv, CEO at Front Row Group. "With Charlesbank's deep industry expertise and long track record of driving value, Front Row Group is better equipped to extend its position as a leading partner to top brands globally. We are excited to have Charlesbank's support for this next phase of growth." 

"Front Row Group is at the intersection of a couple of powerful long-term trends: the movement of the $300 billion beauty, health and wellness industries, particularly the premium segment, into e-commerce, and the increasing personalization of brand preference," said Michael Choe, Managing Director & CEO at Charlesbank. "These tectonic shifts have created a significant market opportunity for leading service providers that can enable brands to reach their full potential online faster and more efficiently. Front Row Group is a clear leader in helping their brand partners achieve this. We are thrilled to partner with Yuriy, cofounders and current Presidents Alex and Matt Beer, and their team, to build on their already impressive growth."

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Jefferies LLC served as financial advisor to Front Row Group on the transaction and Akerman LLP provided legal counsel to Front Row Group. Lincoln International LLC served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel to Charlesbank.

About Front Row Group:

Front Row Group is a leading e-commerce agency and accelerator specializing in beauty, health, wellness, and consumer brands. With a global presence in New York City, San Diego, Hamburg, and Bratislava, the company partners with top brands to drive holistic commerce growth. Leveraging proprietary technology called Catapult and robust capabilities, they design, market, distribute, and scale brands worldwide.

Front Row Group's expertise encompasses strategic brand-building, omnichannel excellence, international market expansion, compelling content creation, and innovative design and branding. Front Row Group ensures robust marketplace growth, seamless e-commerce management, targeted digital marketing, and actionable business intelligence.

Trusted by industry leaders like OUAI, Summer Fridays, Glow Recipe, Designs For Health, Scrub Daddy, Unilever, Bosch, and Wella, Front Row Group empowers brands to achieve their full potential in a competitive marketplace. For more, visit https://www.frontrowgroup.com/.

About Charlesbank:

Based in Boston and New York, Charlesbank Capital Partners is a middle-market private investment firm with more than $18 billion of capital raised since inception. Charlesbank focuses on management-led buyouts, growth capital financings, opportunistic credit, and technology investments. The firm seeks to invest in companies with sustainable competitive advantage and excellent prospects for growth. For more information, please visit www.charlesbank.com

Contacts for Front Row Group:
frontrowgroup@kwtglobal.com

Contacts for Charlesbank:
Ryan FitzGibbon / Alexa Ottenstein / Peter Gavaris
Prosek Partners
pro-charlesbank@prosek.com

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