GLD secures growth investment led by MarcyPen Capital Partners

International lifestyle jewellery brand GLD announces a strategic growth investment round led by MarcyPen Capital Partners, alongside GLD founder Christian Johnston reinvesting in the company to “unlock the next wave of growth”.

The investment comes as H.I.G. Growth Partners sells its majority stake in GLD to MarcyPen, a next-generation investment platform that provides strategic capital to early and growth-stage consumer businesses, with participation from Brand Velocity Group, while retaining a minority interest to support the future growth of the jewellery brand. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In addition, GLD founder, president, and chief creative officer Christian Johnston has also increased his ownership stake by personally reinvesting in the business and will continue to lead the company along with the rest of the GLD management team, which includes chief executive David Reinke.

Commenting on the new investment, Johnston said in a statement: “Today marks a bold step forward in our evolution, and is clear validation of the strength and relevance of the brand we’ve built, particularly following our recent successful expansion into retail and women’s categories.

“MarcyPen brings a rare combination of sophisticated investment capabilities, fluency in the consumer sector, and a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial journey. With MarcyPen, alongside Brand Velocity Group, we’re confident we have the ideal partners on board to support GLD in our next phase of growth as we look to increase our scale while doubling down on our commitment to build a generational brand rooted in creativity and community.”

MarcyPen Capital Partners invests in jewellery brand GLD

Based in Miami, Florida, GLD is a lifestyle jewellery brand known for designing both classic and custom chains, pendants, watches, and accessories. Since launching in 2015, GLD has become trusted by top athletes, artists, and tastemakers for blending streetwear with luxury craftsmanship. Its designs have been worn by the likes of Micah Parsons, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Paul Pogba, Polo G, Fivio Foreign, and Snoop Dogg. GLD is also an official licensing partner of the NBA, NFL, MLB, NCAA, NHL, WNBA, and DC Comics.

H.I.G. became GLD’s strategic investment partner in 2021 and helped the brand enhance its leadership team and marketing strategy, as well as significantly expanded its product portfolio, boosting its revenue by more than 130 percent over the four years.

Evan Karp, managing director at H.I.G. Growth, said: "GLD's evolution from a digital disruptor to category leader has been part of our aligned vision with Christian and the senior management team since our initial investment.

“We're proud of the growth we achieved working together, and we believe that MarcyPen and Brand Velocity Group are the ideal partners to expand upon the foundation that we have built. We look forward to joining them in this next phase of the Company's continued growth."

Robbie Robinson, co-founder and chief executive of MarcyPen, added: “Christian and the GLD team have cultivated a loyal customer base by creating an authentic brand that blends connectivity to community, a focus on self-expression and customisation, accessibility, and quality with a strong digital-first strategy.

“Our partnership with GLD is the perfect representation of MarcyPen’s commitment to partnering with game-changing brands. On behalf of myself and my partners, we are excited to contribute to GLD’s next chapter of growth.”