# Mana Up

Mana Up is a Private Equity based in Honolulu, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Equity
- **Headquarters:** Honolulu, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Honolulu, HI, United States
- **Founded:** 2017
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** manauphawaii.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/manaup

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Mana Up is a Hawaiʻi-based initiative focused on building a stronger local economy by supporting homegrown consumer brands. Through long-term guidance, access to resources, and pathways to market, it helps Hawaiʻi companies grow sustainably in Hawaiʻi and beyond. It runs a business accelerator, retail platforms like House of Mana Up, and storytelling to help Hawai‘i-based product companies grow and scale globally.

## Sectors

- Consumer Goods
- AgriTech & FoodTech
- Luxury
- Media & Entertainment

## People

- Melia Foster — Co-Founder & Managing Partner
- Brittany Heyd — Co-Founder & Managing Partner

## Questions

### Who makes investment decisions at Mana Up?

Co-founders Melia Foster and Brittany Heyd jointly run the firm as Managing Partners and make the final call on accelerator cohort selection and follow-on investments. The accelerator program includes a network of mentors and corporate partners — including Hawaiian Airlines and Kamehameha Schools — who provide advisory input but do not hold investment committee authority (per the firm's public program materials).

### What is Mana Up's accelerator structure, and how does it differ from a traditional venture capital firm?

Mana Up operates an annual six-month accelerator program for roughly 10 Hawaii-based product companies per cohort. Each company receives a $25,000 grant at acceptance and can qualify for larger equity investment upon graduation. Unlike a traditional venture firm raising blind-pool funds, Mana Up has layered a public-facing retail store, wholesale distribution network, and economic development grant support on top of its equity portfolio, creating a vertically integrated platform for island consumer brands.

### Which sectors does Mana Up intentionally avoid?

Mana Up focuses exclusively on consumer packaged goods — food and beverage, beauty, apparel, home goods — and does not invest in enterprise software, deep tech, or SaaS. The firm's geographic mandate also excludes companies headquartered outside Hawaii, regardless of sector alignment.

### How does Mana Up source its deal flow?

Virtually all of Mana Up's deal flow comes through its open application process for each accelerator cohort, amplified by deep ties to Hawaii's small-business ecosystem, local chambers of commerce, and University of Hawaii entrepreneurship programs. The firm's retail store and wholesale relationships create visibility that generates inbound founder interest without the need for mainland-style scouting networks.

### Does Mana Up participate in follow-on rounds or only the accelerator phase?

The firm structures its engagement as a staged pipeline: the accelerator provides grant capital and curriculum, while Mana Up reserves the right to make equity investments in graduating companies. While it publicly reports over 85 alumni, it does not disclose how many of those received follow-on equity. The model is closer to an incubator with an embedded venture function than a multi-stage fund.

## Related profiles

- [Manatt Digital Media Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/manatt-digital-media-ventures)
- [Mana Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/mana-ventures)

---

Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:07:19.634Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/mana-up

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology