Patrick Schwarzenegger's professional portfolio includes actor, model and angel investor, and now he's backing Charlotte-based startup HA!
Earlier this week, HA!, founded in 2017 by Justin Wiesehan, launched a new crowdfunding campaign. With it came the announcement that Schwarzenegger had invested in the company. Schwarzenegger first invested in HA! in January, though the amount was not disclosed.
HA!, which means Healthier Alternative, was rebranded in May from its original name, Macro Snacks, after Wiesehan completed the SKU Accelerator program earlier this year.
Wiesehan said Schwarzenegger's deep involvement with the company, in addition to the accelerator, is what led him to step away from the niche health-food moniker to make HA! more attractive to a wider customer base.
"He is what sort of of started the rebrand conversation, and SKU got it to where it is today," he said. "Patrick was instrumental in the rebrand and has been instrumental in product development since then. Now he'll start working publicly to promote the brand."
Schwarzenegger is no stranger to angel investing, either. He's a known backer of several healthy alternative brands like Blaze Pizza, Super Coffee, Liquid IV and Nuggs. Wiesehan said the actor's history is investing in healthy brands he believes in speaks for itself.
"The reasoning behind his investments was to find better-for-you products that can replace unhealthy products on the market. He really got his start with the Blaze Pizza franchise," he said. "When he tried (HA!) he thought it was the best-tasting one on the market so he wanted to get involved."
Though Schwarzenegger's investment endeavors may not be as well-known among casual fans of his acting, he's becoming a household name in the health-food startup and investment ecosystem.
"If you look at his history, all of the brands he’s been behind have been very successful, and that lends itself to credibility," Wiesehan said. "It’s not just another celebrity face on the brand, and that was an important part for me. Outside of who he is, he has deep experience in this space, and he knows how to grow these types of businesses."
Wiesehan's crowdfund goal is $450,000 that he said will be used to continue growing the company's online presence, build out its go-to-market strategy and develop new products and flavors. He said he decided to crowdfund instead of a more traditional capital funding round because he wants his customers to be involved.
"We wanted to really use our consumer base as the catalyst for our growth, so we're leaning on our hardcore consumers," he said. "A lot of them have asked if they could invest in some way because they believe in the product and the future of plant-based snacking."
As of Friday, the campaign had raised $650 from four investors. It will be active through May 1, 2022.
