JamJar Investments promotes Grocer Golds judge to principal

JamJar Investments has promoted Sophie Luck to the role of principal in recognition of the impact she has made since joining the consumer VC firm set up by the founders of Innocent.

Luck, who has acted as a judge for the annual Grocer Gold Awards, leads on JamJar investments across food & beverage, health & wellness and petcare. She has sourced and led on deals for the business in wellness startup Healf, hydration challenger Humantra and, most recently, instant coffee brand TrueStart.

Her investment portfolio also spans early bets on protein system change with Meatly, premiumisation in pet through Marleybones, challenger brands in drinks with Xoxo and Dot Dot Tea, and better-for-you snacking with Ahead.

In her new role as principal, Luck will continue to lead investments as JamJar looks to back the next wave of category-defining consumer brands.

“I’m at my best when I’m properly in it with founders,” Luck said. “The relationships are close, and most of the founders I back message me every week.

“We talk through hiring, launches, tough decisions and big moonshot ideas. Some of them even come round for dinner with my friends, which probably tells you everything about how much of this job is real partnership, not just capital. That level of trust is everything.

“Fmcg is honestly one of the most exciting spaces to build in. It can be brutal, the competition is relentless, and consumers are unforgiving, but that’s exactly why it’s such a great arena. If you get product, brand and execution right, you can build something iconic, something people actively choose to bring into their everyday lives.”

JamJar co-founder Adam Balon added: “Sophie has had an outsized impact at JamJar. She has sourced and led several of our strongest performing investments and built deep, trusted relationships with founders.

“She combines analytical discipline with real conviction and passion, and she backs brands with the potential to define their categories. This promotion reflects both her performance and the leadership she brings to the firm.”

Before joining JamJar in 2023, Luck built her career across investment banking and venture capital.

She started at M&A advisory firm Centerview Partners in 2017 before moving into growth investing at Burda Principal Investments in 2020 and joining consumer venture firm Felix Capital in 2022.

Luck said the typical investment for JamJar started at the point a business started to show “something real” and where customer behaviour was already clear.

“I want to keep backing founders early, with conviction, and help build the next generation of category-defining brands across food, health and pet.”

JamJar founders Adam Balon, Richard Reed and Jon Wright set up the firm after selling Innocent to Coca-Cola for $700m in 2013. The fund has invested in more than 100 companies, including the likes of Wild, Tony’s Chocolonely, Graze, Propercorn and Lucky Saint.

Emily Bullman, Luck’s counterpart focusing on health & beauty, personal care and leisure, has also been promoted to principal in the same promotion round. The pair join Kirsty Macdonald as principal following her promotion to the position in 2021.