Persona has raised $630,000 in a pre-seed round led by Upturn to grow its portfolio of consumer brands across Gulf markets and develop a direct-to-consumer commerce platform.
The company currently manages eight brands across food and beverages, fast-moving consumer goods, beauty, retail and lifestyle. It plans to launch more brands with content creators, influencers and owners of media intellectual property.
Persona operates as a venture studio, partnering with individuals and organisations that have established digital audiences. The company manages product development, design, sourcing, operations and distribution, while partners contribute audience reach and help build consumer connections. Both sides share ownership of the resulting ventures, according to the announcement.
The new funding will support expansion of the existing portfolio, development of the commerce platform and the addition of partners across GCC markets.
Adel El Masry, founder of Persona, said the company aims to turn audiences’ connections with creators and entertainment platforms into everyday consumer products. Mishal Al Ghamdi, co-founder and CEO of Upturn, said Persona’s retail and supply chain experience, along with the model’s potential to scale across sectors and markets, supported the investment.
Source: EntArabi
