Norwest Venture Partners announced Monday that it has made a growth equity investment in Jolyn Clothing Co, a women’s performance swimwear and active wear brand based in Huntington Beach, CA.
Jolyn was founded in 2010 by a lifeguard who saw a need for better looking, functional swimwear. The company’s broad network of decorated female athletes, including Olympic medalists and NCAA champions, are a key part of the company’s design, brand and sales efforts.
Jolyn joins other female-focused brands in Norwest’s portfolio including Kendra Scott Designs, Minted, Ritual, Bailey 44 and Madison Reed, and also embraces the firm’s broader strategy of investing in direct-to-consumer and omni-channel brands.
Norwest General Partner Sonya Brown led the strategic investment in Jolyn and will join the company’s board of directors. “We are thrilled to have the chance to work with the Jolyn team. The company embraces the female athlete and fitness enthusiast, and we look forward to helping Jolyn broaden its offering to even more consumers,” said Brown.
Stew Campbell, Vice President at Norwest, will also join the Jolyn board. “Jolyn has built an incredible, authentic brand while staying laser focused on serving its many happy customers. We look forward to doubling down on those efforts with the team.”
The company sells a majority of its products directly to consumers on jolyn.com and is known for its successful trunk shows at swim and water polo competitions. Jolyn recently opened its first brick and mortar store in Huntington Beach and plans to continue expanding across all channels in 2019.
