A consortium of investors, including the family firm which founded and owns UK-based high street retailer River Island, has backed The Hut Group with £9m ($14m) of development capital.
As well as River Island, the family’s Lewis Trust Group owns a property portfolio and hotels in Israel and the US.
The fundraising, which precedes an expected stock market listing later in 2013, also sees Clive Lewis, deputy chairman of River Island, join the Hut board as a non-executive director.
Other investors joining the Lewis family include a trio of return backers: City fund managers Artemis, The William Currie Group and prominent technology VC firm Balderton Capital.
In June 2012, The Hut Group secured £4m from shareholders as part of its efforts to launch MyVitamins.com to sit alongside 2011 acquisition Myprotein.com.
In April 2011, Hut announced £14m investment by investors including highly successful retailer Angus Monro, now non-executive director of Hut following a term as chairman.