Detroit-based Stars + Honey, the collagen protein bar brand, announced a minority growth investment from VMG Partners, a growth equity firm focused on high-potential consumer brands. The investment will fuel Stars + Honey’s omnichannel expansion, drive continued product development and brand growth, and finance the expansion of its manufacturing footprint with a new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility—the unlock that will allow the brand to build the operational infrastructure needed to support national scale, it says. McConnell Smith, general partner at VMG, will join the company’s board of directors.    

Launched in 2023, Stars + Honey was founded on the belief that eating well should never come at the cost of your palate, the brand enumerates. The brand's collagen protein bar delivers 15 g of protein in 18 chef-inspired flavors including Espresso Vanilla Cinnamon and Cherry Chocolate Waffle Cone, all under 200 calories and free from gluten, dairy, soy, sugar alcohols, and seed oils. Formulated with Type I and Type III grass-fed bovine collagen peptides, each bar supports skin elasticity, hair health, and joint comfort to aim to optimize health.

“Stars + Honey was created to bring care, craft, and attention to detail to a category that often lacks it,” says Daniel Rainey, founder and CEO of Stars + Honey. “Getting there has been far more difficult than we expected, and in many ways the industry isn’t built for the level of quality and control we wanted. That pushed us to build and refine so much in-house ourselves. VMG has an exceptional track record of building category-defining brands, and we’re excited to partner with them to help redefine what a protein bar can be.”  

The focus on quality and dessert-like flavor profiles has been made possible by in-house-led flavor development and vertical integration of the brand’s supply chain that allows Stars + Honey to have end-to-end control of ingredient quality, production, and innovation, the brand notes. In the last 14 months, Stars + Honey has formulated 18 flavors of its collagen protein bars, with more planned for the year ahead. Last year, the brand saw 300% growth and is reportedly on track to reach approximately $50 million in revenue in 2026 supported by the brand’s upcoming expansion into national retail.   

“We’ve invested in some of the most iconic bar brands over the past 20 years, which helped us very quickly recognize how special Stars + Honey is,” says Smith, general partner at VMG. “Daniel’s created a tremendous product that speaks to a really underserved consumer in the space, and he’s assembled a phenomenal team to build with.”  

Stars + Honey collagen protein bars are available for purchase at StarsandHoney.com and Amazon. 

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