Axum Capital agrees to acquisition of beverage brand Barcode
- The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026
- The deal is in partnership with NBA All-Star Victor Wembanyama
- Barcode was founded in 2021
Axum Capital Partners announced that the firm has agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Barcode. The deal is in partnership with NBA All-Star Victor Wembanyama.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Barcode is a plant-based and hydration drink for performance. The company was founded in 2021 by NBA player Kyle Kuzma and Mubarak Malik, a former director of performance with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2026.
“[Barcode] further advances our strategy and commitment to collaborate with distinctive health and wellness consumer brands — alongside exceptional founders, operators, cultural leaders and athletes — to accelerate growth, drive operational excellence, and create long-term value,” Muhsin Muhammad, a managing partner at Axum, said in a statement. “With the global health and wellness food and beverage market expected to exceed $2 trillion by 2033, Axum is reinforcing its commitment to backing category-defining health and wellness brands.”
“I believe we have a great opportunity to establish a leading transformative hydration platform across the wellness space,” Wembanyama said in a statement.
Axum is a private equity firm focused on investing in health and wellness-oriented food and beverage brands and operators. Based in Charlotte, the firm partners with founder-led and high growth companies.
