Kiva Sales & Service and Petalfast close cannabis merger, adding 8 new brands
What's the deal? Kiva Sales & Service (KSS) and Petalfast have completed their merger, combining two cannabis sales and distribution businesses into a single platform. The transaction closed August 17, 2026, after being announced in March.
Who's running it? Petalfast co-founder Arun Kurichety becomes chief executive officer of the combined business. KSS co-founder Scott Palmer will chair the board while continuing as CEO of Kiva Confections.
What's the endgame? The platform offers cannabis brands multiple levels of support. KSS Lite serves brands that run their own sales teams but want access to the retail network and logistics; Full Partnership adds sales services, retail collaboration, and cash collection.
The company's digital ordering marketplace, KSS Live, supports both models — giving self-managed brands retail buyer visibility and layering onto full-service customers' field sales.
Why now? Management wants to build on its California footprint and expand into New York and New Jersey. Eight new brands have joined since the parties signed their letter of intent.
"Since we signed our letter of intent, eight new brands have joined our platform," Kurichety said. "This momentum tells us we understand today's market and are building the right model for California and our expansion into new states."
The merger preserves the existing sales teams and partner relationships of both companies. The combined organisation will eventually operate under a new unified name, expected later in 2026.
The signal: The deal reflects consolidation in cannabis distribution, where fragmented markets and thin margins push players to pool retail reach and logistics. "A cannabis brand should never have to choose between scale and control," Palmer said, framing a combined roster that spans full-service sales, agency sales, and logistics-only support.
Read more: pulse2.com
Image credit: elsaolofsson
