VRA Advises RIP-IT on its
Recapitalization with Gauge Capital
VRA is pleased to announce that RIP-IT (the "Company") has completed a recapitalization with Gauge Capital ("Gauge"). VRA acted as the exclusive financial advisor to RIP-IT. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"From the outset, VRA demonstrated a deep understanding of our brand, competitive positioning and growth strategy. Their team worked tirelessly to help us communicate RIP-IT's story and ultimately secure the best partner to support our continued growth," said RIP-IT Co-Founder and Co-CEO Matthew Polstein.
RIP-IT specializes in serving female athletes by delivering the most innovative products designed just for her. As a leading brand dedicated exclusively to women sports, RIP-IT works in close collaboration with female athletes and leading big box retailers to develop premium and highly functional footwear, apparel, equipment & gear for every sport she plays. This approach has led to category leadership in softball and early traction in other sports, including soccer and volleyball.
RIP-IT and Gauge will work together to help empower female athletes and achieve the Company's next phase of growth. The partnership will bring together RIP-IT's proven expertise developing and marketing female-focused athletic products and Gauge's strong track record driving transformational growth for middle-market consumer brands.
"The
RIP-IT team has built an exceptional enthusiast brand with a massive growth
opportunity ahead. We're excited to see
what they'll accomplish next in partnership with Gauge." said VRA Managing
Director, Collier McRae.
RIP-IT
Founded in 2003 and headquartered
in Orlando, FL, RIP-IT is a rapidly growing athletic equipment and footwear
company dedicated to delivering innovative products with technical features that
address the specific needs of female athletes.
The Company has three brands - RIP-IT, Ringor and Defender - and its products
include equipment & gear, apparel, footwear and accessories for softball,
soccer and volleyball players. RIP-IT
has established collaborative relationships with all leading sporting goods
retailers and also markets products online through in-house websites and
e-commerce partners. With growing demand
from enthusiastic consumers and retail buyers alike, RIP-IT continues to expand
into new product categories and sports markets. Learn more at www.ripit.com.
Gauge Capital
Gauge Capital is a middle-market
private equity firm based in Southlake, Texas. Gauge invests in five key
sectors: healthcare, technology, business services, government & industrial
services, and food & consumer. The firm manages more than $2.0 billion in
capital and in 2020, 2021 and 2022, Inc. Magazine named Gauge one of the top
private equity firms for founders. In 2021 and 2022, Gauge was also named to
the Top 50 PE Firms in the Middle Market by Grady Campbell. In 2022, Gauge
ranked in the top 5 out of 517 private equity firms in the HEC Paris - DowJones
Small-Cap Buyout Performance Ranking. Learn more at www.gaugecapital.com.