Care Bears And Prenetics' IM8 Announce Global Partnership

Prenetics and Authentic Brands launch a 10-year global Care Bears wellness partnership, targeting 2027.

What the company is saying

Prenetics Global Limited (NASDAQ:PRE), through its IM8 brand co-founded by David Beckham, and Authentic Brands Group, owner of Care Bears, have signed an exclusive 10-year worldwide partnership to launch Care Bears by IM8, a family health and wellness brand. The announcement emphasizes the global reach and multigenerational appeal of Care Bears, now present in over 190 countries and 26 languages, and leverages IM8's science-first product development and digital commerce capabilities. The collaboration will debut with science-backed gummy multivitamins for children and adults, with a global launch targeted for the first half of 2027, coinciding with Care Bears' 45th anniversary. Corey Salter, CEO of Entertainment at Authentic, frames the partnership as a natural extension of Care Bears' values, while Danny Yeung, CEO of Prenetics and IM8 co-founder, sets the ambition to make Care Bears by IM8 the world's number one gummy vitamin brand for kids and adults. The release highlights IM8's rapid growth—$251 million in annualized run-rate revenue within 20 months, over 200,000 servings daily, and more than 70 million servings delivered since its December 2024 launch. Authentic Brands Group is positioned as a global powerhouse with over 1,700 licensees and $38 billion in annual systemwide sales. The tone is confident and forward-looking, with both companies stressing the scale of their networks and the potential for further product launches.

What the data suggests

The disclosed figures show IM8 has achieved approximately $251 million in annualized run-rate revenue within 20 months of launch, shipping to 46 countries and delivering well over 200,000 servings daily, for a cumulative total of more than 70 million servings since December 2024. Authentic Brands Group's brands generate over $38 billion in annual systemwide sales through a network of more than 1,700 licensees and strategic partners across 150 countries. The Care Bears brand itself has a presence in over 190 countries and 26 languages, supported by more than 500 licensing partners. These numbers demonstrate substantial scale and rapid growth for both partners, but all financial and operating metrics pertain to existing businesses, not the new Care Bears by IM8 product line. No revenue, margin, or distribution commitments are disclosed for the new venture, and the 2027 launch remains a forward-looking target. Product claims—such as zero sugar, no artificial colors or flavors, and third-party testing—are stated as intentions, with no supporting data or test results provided. The evidence supports the partners' ability to execute at scale, but the commercial impact of the new product is unproven.

Analysis

The announcement is upbeat, highlighting a major 10-year global partnership and leveraging the scale and credibility of both Prenetics (IM8) and Authentic Brands Group. While the partnership itself is a realised milestone, the core commercial benefit—the launch of Care Bears by IM8 gummy vitamins—is targeted for the first half of 2027, making the execution distance long-term. Most of the measurable data (IM8's revenue, servings, Authentic's systemwide sales) pertains to existing businesses, not the new product line. Forward-looking claims, such as ambitions to become the world's number one gummy vitamin brand and product formulation promises, are aspirational and not yet substantiated by operational or financial results for the new venture. There is no explicit disclosure of a large capital outlay tied to this launch, so the capital intensity flag is false. The tone is moderately hyped by referencing the global reach and rapid growth of the partners, but the actual commercial impact of the new product is several years away and unproven.

Risk flags

• ●Execution risk is high, as the commercial launch of Care Bears by IM8 is not expected until the first half of 2027, leaving significant time for potential delays in product development, regulatory approval, or manufacturing scale-up.
• ●No binding distribution agreements or retailer commitments are disclosed for the new product line, so actual market access and shelf space remain unproven despite the partners' global networks.
• ●Forward-looking claims about becoming the world's number one gummy vitamin brand for kids and adults are aspirational, with no supporting market share data, financial projections, or evidence of consumer demand for the new line.
• ●All disclosed financial and operational figures relate to existing businesses; there is no guidance or forecast for the incremental impact of the Care Bears by IM8 launch, making it difficult to assess the partnership's financial upside.
• ●The involvement of high-profile figures like David Beckham signals strong brand potential, but celebrity endorsement does not guarantee commercial success or sustained consumer adoption.

Bottom line

This announcement signals a major 10-year global licensing and product development partnership between Prenetics (IM8) and Authentic Brands Group (Care Bears), aiming to launch a new family wellness brand in 2027. Both partners bring significant scale—IM8 with $251 million in annualized run-rate revenue and over 70 million servings delivered since December 2024, and Authentic with $38 billion in annual systemwide sales and a vast global licensing network. The partnership leverages Care Bears' multigenerational appeal and IM8's science-first approach, but all operational and financial achievements cited are for existing businesses, not the new product line. The commercial launch is at least 18 months away, with no disclosed distribution agreements, retailer commitments, or financial projections for the new gummies. Execution risk is material, and the path from announcement to revenue realization is long. The most important takeaway is that while the partnership has credible scale and brand power, the commercial impact of Care Bears by IM8 will not be known until at least 2027, and investors should watch for concrete milestones such as regulatory approvals, manufacturing readiness, and retailer adoption before assigning value to this initiative.

Announcement summary

(NASDAQ:PRE) Prenetics Global Limited, parent of IM8, and Authentic Brands Group, owner of Care Bears, have announced an exclusive 10-year worldwide partnership to launch Care Bears by IM8, a family health and wellness brand. The collaboration will debut with science-backed gummy multivitamins for children and adults, with a global launch targeted for the first half of 2027. This marks the first wellness license for Care Bears under Authentic's ownership, following Authentic's acquisition of Care Bears in August 2026 as its first character intellectual property. Care Bears will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2027 and currently has a presence in more than 190 countries and 26 languages. Corey Salter, Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment of Authentic Brands Group, stated that the partnership is a natural extension of the Care Bears brand into family wellness, leveraging IM8's formulation expertise and quality standards. Danny Yeung, Chief Executive Officer of Prenetics and Co-Founder of IM8, emphasized the ambition to make Care Bears by IM8 the world's number one gummy vitamin brand for kids and adults within the next few years. The gummies will be formulated with zero sugar and no artificial colors or flavors, and every product will be third-party tested and developed with guidance from IM8's advisory board of leading academic and medical experts. The initial launch for children responds to frequent requests from IM8's community for kids' products. Distribution will include IM8's direct-to-consumer, subscription, and e-commerce channels, as well as pharmacy, grocery, mass-market, and club retailers worldwide. Care Bears' network of more than 500 licensing partners and Authentic's content and fan experience divisions will support the partnership. Authentic Brands Group operates through a network of more than 1,700 licensees and strategic partners across 150 countries, driving more than $38 billion in annual systemwide sales worldwide. IM8, co-founded by David Beckham, is the fastest-growing premium supplement brand ever recorded, reaching approximately $251 million in annualized run-rate revenue within 20 months of launch, shipping to 46 countries, and delivering well over 200,000 servings daily. IM8 launched in December 2024 and has delivered more than 70 million servings. IM8's ambassador and equity-partner roster includes David Beckham, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Aryna Sabalenka, Ollie Bearman, Jay Shetty, Inter Miami CF, and the NBA.

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