David Koch, the former Sunrise host, has invested in Nexba and Goodness Group Global, an Australian beverage company that aims to rid the world of sugar and artificial ingredient consumption.
Koch, 67, signed off as host of Sunrise on the Seven Network in May after a 21-year stint at the helm of Australia’s most popular breakfast TV program.
It’s Kochie’s first significant investment since he decided to depart the Seven Network for a life away from the TV studio cameras. The Pinstripe Media founder has now invested in Nexba’s Series B capital raise. Nexba is currently in market raising $7.75 million as part of its ambitious growth strategy.
Nexba is a leading brand in ‘Naturally Sugar Free’ functional soft drinks that has removed more than 6 billion grams of sugar from global diets. Its range of crafted soda, kombucha, nootropics, iced tea and mixers can be purchased in major supermarkets and retail outlets across Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK and Europe.
Kochie’s investment follows the recent news that Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins had signed on as a global brand ambassador and shareholder of Goodness Group Global, the parent company of Nexba. The company’s vision is to build a house of “better-for-you” brands under the Goodness Group Global umbrella.
“I met the Nexba founders on a plane 10 years ago and have followed and admired their journey ever since. When the opportunity came to become a shareholder, I jumped at the chance,” said David Koch.
“I love supporting young Aussie entrepreneurs and Nexba joins a group of 6 other startups and scale-ups I’ve invested in over recent years. Whenever I assess the suitability of a company for potential investment, there are a few key principles that guide me. One is the quality and integrity of the founders of the business and the other is having a strong purpose to deliver value & impact long-term. In the case of Nexba and Goodness Group Global – I overwhelmingly support both.
“We know that Nexba is on a mission to create a lasting impact of better health and wellness and that’s not only a worthy journey to join, but is hopefully a good investment decision as well,” he said.
Nexba co-founder and joint CEO Troy Douglas said, “Having Kochie join Goodness Group as an investor and advisor is a significant milestone in the journey of our business. Apart from being a much loved well-known figure, David brings immense expertise and experience in business and his guidance will prove to be invaluable. We’re delighted to have him on board and his involvement reaffirms the immense potential and value of our Goodsweet alternative to sugar & artificials in the food & beverage industry.”
This year, Nexba expanded to become Goodness Group Global with the goal of building a house of brands that ‘taste good & do good’ while creating positive change by removing sugar and artificial ingredients from consumption.