PARIS — Label Capital has made a 5 million euro minority investment in IVB Wellness Lab, a Spanish holistic supplements brand.
It was co-launched by Isabel Viña Bas, an endocrinologist and IVB’s chief scientific officer, in April 2023 with one stock keeping unit and a stated mission to help people “know more, fear less and choose better.” She focuses on how metabolism and hormones affect practically each bodily function.
Gaspard de Sarnez, a cofounder of Label Capital, called IVB “a proactive health company.”
“It’s from a medical perspective,” continued Eléonore Oudea, another cofounder at the early growth equity firm.
IVB was initially meant to be mostly direct-to-consumer, but Spanish pharmacies quickly became interested in its products.
“That it was endorsed so fast, such a young brand, by so many pharmacists was also truly amazing for us,” said de Sarnez. “It reinforces the credibility of the brand.”
He called IVB, based in Valencia, one of the fastest-growing labels in the supplements sector that’s dynamic today. The brand, with 23 employees, has been clocking double-digit growth month-on-month, and it is estimated IVB will reach sales of more than 10 million euros this year.
It has two main ranges totaling about 15 skus. The Advanced Clinical Line tackles increasing energy, while reducing fatigue and stress, gives PMS relief, appetite control, and alleviates peri- and menopause symptoms. Within this is the Fertility line with products for women — IVB’s largest consumer base — and men. The Essential Line includes supplements for heart, muscle and bone health. All of the products, which range in price from 13 euros to 41 euros, can be combined. Some bestsellers are Total Magnesium and FemmeBalance.
A product from IVB Wellness Lab.
Courtesy of IVB Wellness Lab
IVB counts more than 20,000 clients online and has more than 700 points of sale in Spain — its largest market — mostly in pharmacies.
Viña Bas, who three years ago developed a trio of autoimmune diseases, has a large online fanbase, with 309,000 Instagram followers, plus a podcast on Spotify that’s broadly listened to in South America.
“Beyond followers, she has a very high engagement rate,” said de Sarnez. “She has built a community around herself, educating people” about what’s happening in their bodies in an accessible way.
Carlos Viña Bas, Isabel’s brother who is an IVB cofounder and serves as chairman of the board, said she never wanted to be a doctor who dictates to patients what they need to do. He recalled her saying: “I want to be the kind of doctor who’s telling you what you have, so you understand and you make the decision. I want the patient to be in the driving seat, and [me] sitting right next to it.”
A handful of years ago she became interested in the world of supplements for wellness. Viña Bas began formulating for another company, then joined forces with her brother and Valerio Soto Ferri to cofound IVB. The latter is now its chief executive officer.
IVB has a large — and growing — social presence. In just more than one year it’s commanded more than 50,000 followers on Instagram and 30,000 on TikTok. IVB responds to each of the 4,000-plus messages and comments it receives online per month.
IVB commits to its clients, community of followers as well as further afield, according to Carlos Viña Bas. The brand has donated more than 35,000 euros to nongovernmental organizations and medical foundations researching the likes of breast cancer, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis.
He said Label Capital will help IVB go international.
“We are all about relations and want to be with the right partners that helps us grow,” said Viña Bas. “They have passion.”
IVB seeks to tap into Hispanic communities, with a geographic focus elsewhere in Europe — such as France, Italy and Germany — the U.S., where it’s testing the concept, and Mexico.
Label Capital, dedicated to wellness as a whole, prioritizes high-quality consumer health care. The fund also homes in on beauty, including services and products, and on food and beverage, involving services and products with eco-friendly attributes that could disrupt a market.
Label Capital’s first investment was in Innerskin, an aesthetic clinic started in France, in which it led a 5 million euro investment round last November. Label Capital’s second investment was in Paris Dental Studios. It has also taken stakes in niche fragrance brand Ex Nihilo, also in France, and Curex, for allergy care, in the U.S., the fund’s first investment abroad.
