In recent years, the internet has evolved into a chaotic battlefield where thousands of brands are vying to capture the precious eyes and ears of consumers. And behind this visible battlefield lies an intense, often unseen struggle where entrepreneurs strive to create something truly captivating — a product that not only attracts consumers but keeps them coming back for more.
Building a brand that stands the test of time is hard. In a business landscape where risk-taking rarely bears fruit and staying alive is a daily struggle, the idea of selling a brand is often seen as a pipe dream. In a generation brimming with innovative, ambitious minds eager to build something of their own from the ground up, only a select few have triumphed. Deep Patel is one of them.
In January 2022, 24-year-old Patel launched Blu Atlas, a company dedicated to creating exceptional men’s personal care products. A mere 18 months later, the now 25-year-old founder sold Blu Atlas for an undisclosed eight-figure sum. While many of his peers were finishing up college and finding their way in the world, Deep Patel was disrupting the business sphere.
Prior to the inception of Blu Atlas, Patel had experienced success with his initial venture, Penguin. That brand quickly became a frontrunner in the CBD industry, even earning accolades from our team at Rolling Stone. With Blu Atlas, Patel took what he had learned from his first venture and created stratospheric success.
Rolling Stone sat down with Deep Patel to delve into his journey of rapidly building a successful brand. Patel also imparted invaluable advice for budding entrepreneurs eager to embark on their own ventures.
Blu Atlas Grassroots
When asked why he selected men’s grooming for his latest venture, Patel shared the pivotal backstory that led to the founding of the iconic brand.
“When I was 20, I developed extreme sensitivities to chemicals commonly found in personal care products. I couldn’t use a generic deodorant without reacting poorly to it. I went down a research rabbit hole, and learned about the toxins that were used throughout the industry. It was mind-blowing. I found that it was difficult to change my lifestyle, though, as the market had few products that were both healthy and effective.”
As Patel searched for clean, healthy products, he realized there was a stark divide in the skincare market: While women had a plethora of options, men’s skincare was severely limited, and was often laden with harsh chemicals and abrasive elements unsuitable for the human biome.
Once he recognized this gap, Patel didn’t wait for a solution; he decided to create one.
Though he had no experience in the personal care industry, a factor that might have daunted a less determined entrepreneur, Patel remained undeterred. He was going to turn his vision into reality. Step one was figuring out how.
Patel recruited leading experts in the field, from top dermatologists to the most creative formulators in the country. He delved headfirst into research, searching for natural plant-derived ingredients that were both healthy to use and crafted to enhance the microbiome. He developed a rigorous testing process to get each formulation just right, often enlisting friends as guinea pigs to give honest feedback “until we perfected each formula.”
After months of product development, Patel found a domestic manufacturer that shared the same ethos and, as he puts it, “was as obsessive about quality as I was.” Within a month, they had started production of the first three Blu Atlas offerings. These were a natural face wash infused with lightly exfoliating volcanic ash, a scrub enriched with hibiscus flower extract and an ultra-rich face moisturizer made from mango seed butter. The formulas went on to win industry awards, including editor’s choice product at Spy — receiving their “most luxe” ranking.
When Rolling Stone asked Patel what was the biggest challenge in growing the brand, he said, “I knew the market was there. I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt the products we were putting on our bodies needed to be made better. However, I cannot stress enough how difficult it was to develop these initial formulations. I was hammering away at our formulators morning, noon and night, urging them to create the most flawless products the industry had ever seen. And they delivered.”
Patel is certain that starting small and taking the time to perfect those first few products was the right move. This attention to detail helped build a strong foundation and consumer loyalty, which in turn sped up the adoption of future products.
The Meteoric Rise
“Blu Atlas took off like wildfire,” recounted Deep with a hint of awe. His guiding principle was simple: perfect the product first, then focus unwaveringly on customer satisfaction. Word about his startup quickly got around. Within two months, a number of major publications had mentioned the new brand. This exposure triggered a domino effect, creating a customer base eager to experience what Blu Atlas had to offer.
Organically, titans on social media weighed in, and shared their positive experiences with Blu Atlas products. Then the company went viral. “We were winning industry awards left and right, outranking giant companies like P&G and Unilever and their armies of formulators,” Patel said proudly. Atlantis, the brand’s cologne, won the “Most Versatile Scent” from AskMen. Their deodorant also won “Best Deodorant” in the AskMen 2023 Grooming Awards, while the shampoo received the “Best Shampoo” badge of honor at The Manual Grooming Awards.
Despite his prior entrepreneurial success, Patel says that the quick rise of Blu Atlas was completely unexpected. “Launching Blu Atlas, I had no inkling whatsoever of the explosive growth we would experience. When revenue grew to six figures in the very first month, I was floored. That was when I realized we had tapped into something extraordinary.”
Countless consumer venture capitalists soon showed keen interest in hitching a ride on Blu Atlas’ rapid rise. Remarkably, the business turned profitable within the first month. Patel, seeing no need for external funding, chose to continue growing the company independently without relinquishing any equity.
When asked by Rolling Stone what led to this quick success, Patel said that an incredible team, exceptional products and a bit of luck were central to Blu Atlas’ triumph.
The Decision to Sell
As Blu Atlas ascended the ranks in the men’s personal care industry, investment bankers and prospective buyers came calling. Deep Patel was thrilled with what he had built, but he now realized that a partner was necessary to take it to greater heights.
Intent on preserving what had made Blu Atlas special in the first place, Patel held out for a buyer that shared his values and vision. “Many interested parties were massive corporations,” he said, “but they lacked an intrinsic understanding of the core principles that Blu Atlas stood for. To me, the brand was more than a business; it represented a reflection of my identity.”
Finally, the right match emerged when Foundry Brands came along. The platform was established in 2021, and launched with $100 million in debt-free equity from LightBay Capital and Monogram Capital Partners. They had a passionate and sustained interest in men’s personal care, an industry worth more than $200 billion today.
Patel was instantly attracted to Foundry’s long-term plan for Blu Atlas. He noted that Foundry “showed a genuine understanding of why I started this in the first place, and what I wanted it to evolve into.” After extensive negotiations, Patel sold the business to Foundry in the summer of 2023 for an undisclosed eight-figure sum.
Joining Foundry’s portfolio placed Blu Atlas alongside other distinguished men’s grooming brands, each chosen for its resonance with discerning male consumers. The Foundry team detailed their vision of leveraging synergies among these brands to cultivate a shared customer base, aiming to significantly boost sales across the board and drive growth in the category. Their brands include Supply, a high-end men’s razor company, and Stryx, which creates men’s cosmetics.
“We believe Blu Atlas has the potential to reach $100 million in sales over the coming years, by increasing distribution, building greater awareness and continuing to offer a premium and differentiated product assortment,” said Foundry CEO Hendre Ackermann. “Our Blu Atlas brand is more than doubling year over year, and our shampoo and conditioner hero SKUs are up 70% year over year. That’s a testament to our superior products, which sell at premium prices due to their efficacy. Our loyal customer base is expanding rapidly as men discover our cult-favorite cologne Atlantis, as well as our skincare and grooming must-haves.”
Reflecting on the journey, Patel told Rolling Stone that the whole experience, while a nail-biter at times, had been overwhelmingly positive. He remains excited to see the continued growth and trajectory of the brand under Foundry’s stewardship. Watching the new developments take shape is rewarding, and Patel says he “can’t wait to see Blu Atlas blossom into a household name.”
The Blueprint for Success
Rolling Stone asked Patel to share some of his secrets to building a brand from scratch. His response was straightforward: “Trust your gut. If there’s a gap in the market, fill it. Confront problems head-on. And always, without fail, act in the best interest of your customers.”
Patel also expressed his reservations about raising venture capital in the consumer space. “I don’t really see value in taking other people’s money when it’s not needed. I come from a very middle-class upbringing in the outskirts of Atlanta. Blu Atlas was bootstrapped. We achieved profitability out of necessity. It’s a testament that anyone can succeed in this manner. This is a healthier approach to growing a business, in my view.”
Throughout his journey of growing a brand, Patel also learned the importance of adaptability. “Market trends can change rapidly, and your ability to react to these changes quickly is critical,” he says. “You can’t just rely on traditional strategies that have worked in the past. Making big changes can require taking risks, but it can also lead to favorable outcomes.”
Discussing his future endeavors, Patel revealed his aspiration to continue creating products that positively impact consumers’ lives. His experience with Blu Atlas has reinforced his belief in the market’s desire for products that are not only effective but also promote a positive lifestyle.
Finally, when Rolling Stone asked what advice he had for budding entrepreneurs, Patel replied, “Find something you love, validate that consumers actually want it, pour your heart into making that thing absolutely perfect, and success becomes inevitable.”