Toadfish Reels in Critical Mass

Toadfish, a coastal lifestyle brand with an emphasis on conservation, secures a majority investment from Annapolis, MD based Critical Mass.  

“There’s strength in numbers,” says Huk founder and Critical Mass CEO Ben Verner. “Critical Mass is a roll up of niche brands in the fishing, boating, and coastal market. I want to unite a strong portfolio of brands under one umbrella, but I also want to remain founder-friendly because I’ve been on that side of it, too.”  

“My experience, passion for product and the outdoors, and ability to bring capital to the equation through my network of investors makes Critical Mass a perfect partner for early stage founders.”

“The Critical Mass business model leverages efficiencies in shared services and supply chain volume, and most importantly customer acquisition, allowing us to sell all of our brands and products to our vast customer list giving our brands a competitive advantage in the market.” 

“I’m excited for our future with Toadfish. ICAST is the perfect time for us to connect with new brands and capital partners.”

The investment will benefit Toadfish as founder Casey Davidson moves the company out of the startup phase to take its place in the big leagues of outdoor retail. 

Toadfish offers a diverse lineup of premium fishing related items from luxury kitchen tools to innovative fishing rods, but it is perhaps their commitment to preserving our precious marine resources that truly sets them apart.  

Toadfish uses proceeds from every product sold to replant oyster beds which helps to clean coastal waters. Just one oyster can clean about 50 gallons of water in a day and so far, with help from their loyal customer base, the company has planted enough oysters to filter over 82 million gallons of water a day! 

Leveraging the investment by Critical Mass, Toadfish is poised to do a lot of good for our marine environment.