Saysh, the lifestyle brand co-founded by Olympian Allyson Felix and her brother and business partner Wes Felix, announced its Series A round closed at $8 million, led by specialist consumer fund IRIS and Gap Inc.’s activewear brand Athleta.
Additional investors in the round include Redpoint Ventures and Springbank Collective.
Saysh will use the new funding to scale its branded e-commerce, wholesale distribution and community-based retail footprint. It will also support an expanded product offering and the launch of activity-specific sneakers.
“This is an exciting next step for the brand, and we’re so grateful to those partners who see the potential for Saysh to help shape a better future for us all,” said Wes Felix, co-founder and CEO.
Athleta will continue its partnership with Felix, now as an investor in Saysh. Athleta’s investment was brokered by Gap, Inc.’s Strategic Growth Office. As part of the investment, Gap, Inc. acquired an equity stake in Saysh, and Athleta has entered into a partnership to showcase the brand’s footwear on Athleta.com.
“When we signed Allyson Felix as our first-ever sponsored athlete in 2019, we knew we wanted to do things differently by supporting her as a mom, athlete and advocate,” said Mary Beth Laughton, president and CEO, Athleta. “Today we are proud to continue supporting Allyson as an entrepreneur while fueling growth to the Athleta brand with our investment in Saysh.”
