With its latest fundraise, Jake Paul’s W aims to challenge the big fellas

Dr. Squatch and the Old Spice centaur better look out – ads for men’s personal care brands are about to get even wilder.

W, the male-focused personal body care brand co-founded by boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul, has raised $11 million in funding at a valuation north of $150 million, according to a new Wall Street Journal report.

The funds will be used to expand the brand, which, according to Paul, aims to go toe-to-toe with companies currently dominating the category such as Axe and Old Spice.

• W products – men’s deodorants, sprays, and washes – are made in the US (“Pet bald eagle not included” according to its website) and contain no “weird stuff” (like parabens).
• They’re currently sold in Walmart, but will soon be available elsewhere.

Influencer-led brands are having a moment. Prime, the energy/hydration drink founded by Logan Paul (Jake Paul’s brother) and UK influencer KSI, reported annual sales of $1.2+ billion last year (less than two years after its launch). Mr Beast’s Feastables snacks brand last month expanded its retail footprint into markets including Singapore and South Africa. Skims, the shapewear company founded by Kim Kardashian, reached a valuation of $4 billion last year.

But… It takes more than a face and following to create a successful company. Just ask Addison Rae and Charli D’Amelio, whose entrepreneurial business ventures have yet to take off despite their combined ~240 million TikTok followers.