Meghan invests in latte start-up business
The Duchess of Sussex has invested in a start-up business which makes instant oat milk lattes.
It marks the beginning of Meghan establishing herself as an investor with a focus on supporting female-founded companies.
She has backed Clevr Blends, which chat show queen Oprah Winfrey promoted on Instagram after being sent a Christmas basket of its products by former Suits actress Meghan.
Winfrey wrote: āOn the first day of Christmas my neighbor āMā sent to meā¦a basket of deliciousness!ā
She said it was āYes that Mā followed by a crown emoji, and added: āMy new drink of choice for the morning and night. Wish I had @clevrblends sooner cause I wouldāve added it to my Favorite Things list. #HappyHolidays.ā
Winfrey, who has 19.2 million followers, was filmed making a cup of her ānew favouriteā turmeric Golden SuperLatte to instructions she said she received from āMā.
Meghan, who this year secured a multimillion-pound deal with Netflix, is beginning to build a portfolio of investments, and her involvement with Clevr Blends is the first to be made public.
The duchess said in a statement: āThis investment is in support of a passionate female entrepreneur who prioritises building community alongside her business.
āIām proud to invest in Hannahās commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients and creating a product that I personally love and has a holistic approach to wellness.
āI believe in her and I believe in her company.ā
Clevr Blends is run by Hannah Mendoza, has six staff and is based in Santa Barbara, California, where Meghan and the Duke of Sussex now live.
It describes itself as a āwoman-led, mission-driven wellness companyā.
After tasting the lattes, Meghan contacted Ms Mendoza to learn more about the firm.
The duchess, who is passionate about gender equality, is working to help close the gap which sees all-female founding teams typically receive less than 3% of venture funding in the US.
It is understood she will help Ms Mendozaās business with financial support, mentorship and a shared vision for the product.
Ms Mendoza described her excitement at her partnership with the duchess, saying: āEntrepreneurs need funding, but they also need advisers who care deeply about what they are building.
āIām grateful to have found both in the Duchess of Sussex ā her passion for what weāre creating is palpable, and I couldnāt imagine a more aligned partnership. Weāre excited for the road ahead.ā
Meghan quit as a senior working royal in March for a life of personal and financial freedom.
She and Harry had hoped for a dual role, earning their own money and supporting the Queen, but it was not possible and would have led to accusations they were profiting from the monarchy.
Their Netflix deal is rumoured to be worth more than Ā£150 million.
Clevr Blendsā website said the brand started as āa funky pop up coffee barā.
It sells four types of latte, with bags of 14 servings costing 28 dollars (Ā£20.93).
Other products include a Starter Kit of two latte bags and a frother for 69 dollars (Ā£51).
āWe traveled the California coast, mixing up adaptogenic lattes and mushrooms coffees out the back of a van. It was awesome,ā the site read
āOur drinks made people feel amazing ā but were hard to re-create at home. We needed an easier way to bring these magical elixirs to peopleās daily ritualsā¦so we hit the kitchen!ā
The firm donates a percentage of its revenue to organisations campaigning for food justice in the US.
A spokesman for the duchess declined to say how much she invested or whether she now has a stake in the company.
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