Axum Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Barcode, a Los Angeles-based plant-based and hydration drink brand founded in 2021. The transaction, expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, is being done in partnership with NBA All-Star Victor Wembanyama.

Barcode was co-founded by NBA player Kyle Kuzma and Mubarak Malik. The brand focuses on performance hydration.

Muhsin Muhammad, a managing partner at Axum, stated that Barcode aligns with the firm's strategy to collaborate with distinctive health and wellness consumer brands. He highlighted the growing global health and wellness food and beverage market, projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2033, as a key driver for Axum's investment.

Wembanyama expressed enthusiasm for establishing a leading hydration platform within the wellness sector. Axum Capital, based in Charlotte, specializes in investing in health and wellness-oriented food and beverage brands and operators.