In this episode of How They Scaled It, host Courtney sits down with Kunle Campbell, co-founder of Octillion Capital Partners—a digital-first brand house that acquires and scales wellness-focused e-commerce brands. If you’ve heard about mushroom coffee or seen a wave of functional health products taking over your feed, this is the story behind the strategist helping scale them.
Where It All Began
Kunle’s journey into e-commerce wasn’t meticulously planned. It started with a lightbulb moment in university during a lecture. That class fused data with creativity—something Kunle had never seen before—and sparked a career that would eventually span SEO, lead generation, and eventually, brand acquisition.
Cutting his teeth in the early internet era, Kunle mastered Google before most brands knew they needed it. He started an agency, navigated the 2008 financial crisis, and began a full transition into e-commerce by 2013. As he tells it, “If you can see the full funnel and optimize every piece, you can actually move the needle.”
Falling in Love with E-Commerce—and the Challenge of Doing It All
After building a successful SEO agency, Kunle realized that traffic alone wasn’t enough. “We doubled traffic, but revenue didn’t follow,” he said of one client. That experience opened his eyes to conversion optimization, copywriting, and the full-stack e-commerce experience. Eventually, he launched the 2X eCommerce Podcast and took on fractional e-commerce director roles, working with $10M+ brands.
But something was missing. Kunle wanted a deeper level of control—the ability to not just advise but truly operate. That led to the birth of Octillion.
The Search Fund Serendipity: How Octillion Was Born
Kunle’s leap into brand acquisition came from a Google search. Literally.
While writing his book, E-Commerce Growth Strategy, he stumbled on a dissertation advocating for a “search fund” approach to e-commerce—a buy-and-build model traditionally used in private equity. Intrigued, he reached out to the author. Three conversations later, they became business partners. Octillion was born with the mission of acquiring wellness brands that are genuinely “good for you.”
Growth vs. Profit: The Balancing Act of Scaling Brands
Now operating Octillion, Kunle says one of the biggest challenges has been balancing profitability and growth. “If you’re trying to achieve growth, your daily decisions look very different than if you’re optimizing for profitability,” he explained.
Their model is built around subscriptions—an approach that requires confidence in your product and a data-backed understanding of customer lifetime value. “We acquired a brand with 1,000 subscribers and pushed it to nearly 3,000 in 9 months,” Kunle shared. But it’s not just about paid acquisition. It’s about listening, testing, and moving with precision.
When the Hero Product Disappears: A Lesson in Adaptability
One of Octillion’s most impressive feats came after a surprise disruption: their top-selling product went out of stock due to supply chain issues. Kunle and his team quickly pivoted, digging into their portfolio to find another hero product.
They landed on mushroom coffee. With consumer trends already pointing in that direction, they rebranded the product, refined the messaging, and tripled down on advertising. It worked. Mushroom coffee became their new hero product and proved that agility isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a survival skill.
Why Values Matter More Than Margin
Octillion’s investment thesis is clear: they only acquire and scale brands that are beneficial to human health. “Even if there’s a significant upside, if it’s a net negative for well-being, we won’t touch it,” Kunle affirmed.
Sustainability matters too—but wellness is the priority. That clarity in values informs everything, from the deals they pursue to how they onboard brands. “We do a one-day strategy session with a London branding agency after each acquisition,” he shared. “It’s about defining how this brand should show up in the world.”
What’s Next: Scaling Smarter, Not Louder
Looking ahead, Octillion is eyeing bigger deals and deeper impact. With interest rates lowering and capital loosening, Kunle anticipates more M&A activity in the e-commerce space—but warns that the wild aggregator days are over. The future lies in operator-led holdcos that build slow and smart.
AI is also on his radar. Beyond customer service, Kunle predicts AI-powered assistants will increasingly support roles like operations managers. And on the content front, platforms like TikTok will continue driving growth for those who can commit to high-volume, high-quality creative.
Want to hear the full conversation?
Listen to Episode 13 of How They Scaled It on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zHerFrG5OjxVnxbp5r8U1
If you’re a DTC founder looking to scale smarter, let’s talk. Right Left Agency helps brands like yours harness psychology-driven marketing for real growth. Get in touch today!
To learn more about Octillion, visit Octillioncapitalpartners.com.
