Loading organizations...
Loading organizations...
RECESS is a technology company.
Recess develops functional sparkling beverages and powder blends, utilizing adaptogens, magnesium, and natural compounds such as L-theanine and American ginseng. These products aim to promote feelings of calm, balance, and mental clarity. The company offers a natural alternative for stress management, with ingredients supporting the body's response to daily stressors.
Ben Witte founded Recess in 2017, driven by his personal experience with stress and anxiety. He identified a market need for natural, accessible well-being solutions. This insight, combined with his brand development background, led him to create products helping consumers achieve internal balance and feel "calm, cool, and collected."
Recess targets consumers seeking mindful options for stress relief and improved focus. The company envisions becoming a premier lifestyle brand, empowering individuals to find equilibrium. Its mission is to cultivate a culture of well-being, enabling sustained calm and focused presence.
RECESS has raised $43.0M across 5 funding rounds.
RECESS has raised $43.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
RECESS has raised $43.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
RECESS's investors include CAVU Venture Partners, Jared Jacobs, Baukunst, Intuition Capital, Manifold, Torch Capital, Anthony Pompliano, Kevin Weil, Mark Cuban, Craig Kallman, Doehler Ventures, KAS Venture Partners.
Recess is a technology-powered brand activation platform specializing in experiential marketing for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. It enables brands to launch targeted sampling campaigns using proprietary geo-targeting, audience filters, and an expansive network of partner venues like Equinox, WeWork, college campuses, and fitness studios, handling everything from discovery to execution and ROI measurement.[1][2][6] Serving CPG marketers for product launches, shopper marketing, brand awareness, and inventory clearance, Recess simplifies high-impact activations with turnkey solutions, transparent pricing, and dedicated managed services—no hidden fees or billable hours—driving retail sales lift through trusted community endorsements.[1][2]
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Venice, California, the company has shown strong growth momentum, raising a $5M Series A in 2022 led by Data Point Capital and Spring Mountain Capital after onboarding major clients like DoorDash, Milk Bar, Oakley, Mondelez, and Red Bull.[1][6]
Recess traces its roots to 2015-2016, emerging from music and ideas festivals on college campuses aimed at inspiring young entrepreneurs, which evolved into branded events.[6] The pivotal first brand activation came with Topshop in 2016, partnering with KIND Bar and Red Bull for multi-city college campaigns to help the UK retailer penetrate the US market—marking Recess's shift toward experiential marketing.[6]
By 2022, Recess launched its full platform with advanced geo-targeting and audience filters, scaling from campus events to nationwide sampling across fitness studios, family events, and more.[1][2][6] This platform debut fueled rapid customer growth, culminating in the $5M Series A to expand operations.[6]
Recess rides the wave of experiential retail media, blending adtech with physical sampling amid CPG's shift from digital-only to hybrid activations that build trust and drive in-store purchases.[1][2] Timing aligns with post-pandemic demand for authentic, community-based marketing—geo-targeting tech capitalizes on retail data explosions (e.g., Dollar General partnerships) and shopper behavior analytics, outpacing traditional sampling's inefficiencies.[1]
Market forces like e-commerce saturation and inventory management pressures favor Recess, enabling quick clearances and launches for brands facing thin margins.[2] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing premium venues for mid-tier CPGs, fostering data-driven decisions that elevate experiential marketing as a measurable channel alongside DOOH and CTV.[1][6]
Recess is primed to dominate experiential CPG activation as AI-enhanced targeting and retail media networks converge, potentially expanding into adjacent verticals like beauty or DTC subscriptions. Expect deeper integrations with retailer APIs for real-time inventory syncing and global venue scaling, amplifying ROI amid rising ad fatigue. Its influence could redefine "shopper marketing" as a tech-orchestrated flywheel, turning one-off samples into loyalty engines—cementing Recess as the go-to platform for brands chasing tangible sales impact in a fragmented market.[1][2][6]
RECESS has raised $43.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $30.0M Series B in October 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2025 | $30.0M Series B | CAVU Venture Partners, Jared Jacobs | Baukunst, Intuition Capital, Manifold, Torch Capital, Anthony Pompliano, Kevin Weil, Mark Cuban, Craig Kallman, Doehler Ventures, KAS Venture Partners, Midnight Venture Partners, Rocana Ventures, Vanquish, Craig Kallman |
| Mar 1, 2025 | $2.0M Seed | Baukunst | CAVU Venture Partners, Intuition Capital, Manifold, Torch Capital, Anthony Pompliano, Kevin Weil, Mark Cuban |
| Nov 1, 2022 | $5.0M Series A | Climate Capital, Runway Growth Capital, Sound Ventures, Haroon Mokhtarzada, Jeff Cunningham | |
| Oct 1, 2019 | $5.0M Seed | 8VC, Archangel Network of Funds, Baukunst, Bowery Capital, CAVU Venture Partners, Climate Capital, Intuition Capital, Manifold, Runway Growth Capital, Sound Ventures, Torch Capital, Anthony Pompliano, Greg Kidd, Haroon Mokhtarzada, Jeff Cunningham, Kevin Weil, Mark Cuban | |
| Feb 1, 2016 | $1.0M Seed | Climate Capital, Runway Growth Capital, Sound Ventures, Haroon Mokhtarzada, Jeff Cunningham |