North Castle Partners said Monday it made a growth investment in SmartyPants Vitamins. Financial terms weren’t announced. CircleUp Growth Fund is coinvesting in the deal. SmartyPants develops, markets and distributes gummy vitamins and supplements for kids and adults. PRESS RELEASE Greenwich, CT and Marina del Rey, CA – July 27, 2015 – North Castle Partners and SmartyPants Vitamins announced today that the private equity firm has made a growth investment in the burgeoning vitamin brand. CircleUp Growth Fund provided a co-investment alongside North Castle. SmartyPants is a developer, marketer and distributor of premium, GMO-free gummy vitamins and supplements for kids and adults alike. For North Castle Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on consumer businesses that promote healthy, active and sustainable living, this transaction represents its 8th investment in the dietary and nutritional supplements industry. The terms of the investment were not disclosed. Launched in 2010 by Co-CEOs Courtney Nichols Gould and Gordon Gould, SmartyPants Vitamins provides consumers with “all in one” nutritional supplements that combine the highest quality, sustainably sourced (eco-friendly), bio-available nutrients with great taste at a compelling value proposition. SmartyPants’ products have no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors or preservatives. SmartyPants’ core products include Kids Complete, Kids Fiber, Adult Complete, Adult Fiber and most recently, PreNatal vitamins. “We are proud to partner with Courtney and Gordon and the SmartyPants team,” said Alison Minter, North Castle Managing Director. “SmartyPants is one of the most attractive businesses we have seen in the nutritional supplement industry. The company’s strong product foundation, brand positioning and mission driven approach differentiates its prospects in a crowded category,” continued Ms. Minter. “North Castle’s mission is to partner with entrepreneurs to build great companies that advance healthy, active and sustainable lifestyles, while living by our core values and striving to create extraordinary value for these companies, their employees, investors and communities,” said North Castle Managing Partner, Chip Baird. “For more than 18 years, North Castle has partnered with companies in the dietary and nutritional supplements industry, and we are excited to leverage our network and substantial prior experience in the industry to help SmartyPants continue to grow.” “We are very pleased to begin our partnership with North Castle,” said Courtney Nichols Gould, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of SmartyPants, Inc. “There are often intangibles that make good partnerships great. We believe that North Castle’s unique industry approach to focus on outsized performance while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and partnership is what makes them the ideal partner for us. We look forward to leveraging the firm’s knowledge, experience and strong network of nutritional supplements industry experts as we continue our mission to simplify health and build on the more than one-million 1•for•1 nutrient grants delivered to children in need through our partnership with Vitamin Angels.” “North Castle’s team, advisors and years of experience bring a wealth of knowledge in high-growth branded nutrition businesses to the SmartyPants team,” said Gordon Gould, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of SmartyPants Vitamins. “We believe the firm’s mass market and Internet distribution experience, coupled by its expertise in product and channel expansion, will be an invaluable resource as we continue our upward growth year-over-year.” About North Castle Partners North Castle Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on investments in consumer-driven product and service businesses that promote Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Living. North Castle is a hands-on, value-added investor in high-growth, middle market companies in the (i) beauty & personal care, (ii) consumer health, (iii) fitness, recreation & sports, (iv) home & leisure and (v) nutrition sectors, among others. North Castle’s current portfolio includes such well-known brands as Curves International/Jenny Craig, Palladio Beauty Group, Mineral Fusion, Red Door Spas, Sprout Organics, Performance Bicycles, Octane Fitness, Ibex Outdoor Clothing, and Doctor’s Best. Prior portfolio company holdings include Atkins Nutritionals, Contigo, Cascade Helmets, Bora-Bora Organic Foods, gloProfessional, Equinox Fitness, EAS, Enzymatic Therapy, CRC Health Group, Doctor’s Dermatologic Formula, Naked Juice Company, Flatout Flatbread, and Avalon Organics / Alba Botanicals. North Castle and its operating executives and advisors partner with management to bring a wide range of strategic and operational capabilities to build world-class companies by unlocking the exponential power of values-based partnerships. North Castle is headquartered in Greenwich, CT. For more information, visit www.northcastlepartners.com. About SmartyPants, Inc. At SmartyPants Vitamins we are all about simplifying health. That’s why we make the Good Gummy, delicious and premium all-in-one complete gummy vitamins that combine nutrients like Omega3s, soluble fiber, Vitamins D+ B12 that are toughest to get in the right amount from our diets. All SmartyPants are non-GMO and made from organic and eco-friendly ingredients. They contain no synthetic colors, artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives and every batch is 3rd party lab tested. Founded by concerned parents and leading health practitioners, SmartyPants are so delicious that you will never forget to take your vitamins again. For each bottle of SmartyPants sold, we make a 1•for•1 nutrient grant to a child in need through our partnership with Vitamin Angels. All in One. One for All. It’s All Good! For more information, please visit SmartyPantsVitamins.com.