NCN News for April 17, 2019

April 17, 2019

Danone SA (Paris, France) is selling Earthbound Farm, its U.S. organic salads business, to family-owned Taylor Farms (Salinas, California), a salads and fresh foods company. 

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Deal Download: March 2019

April 4, 2019

Mondelēz made its first venture investment under its SnackFutures innovation and venture hub in March. The global snack and candy giant—owner of Oreo, Triscuit and Trident—made a minority investment in Uplift Food, a functional food start-up focused on the “mood-supportive benefits” of prebiotics. 

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NCN Press Release on 2018 Transaction Database Report

Each year Nutrition Capital Network tracks and compiles M&A activity in the health & nutrition arena. Read more about how 2018 compared to years past and where the financing activity took place. 

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NCN News for March 26, 2019

March 26, 2019

DSM and Phynova collaborate on blood glucose ingredient

DSM (Heerlen, Netherlands) and life science company Phynova (Oxford, United Kingdom) have signed a global distribution and collaboration agreement for Reducose, a patented natural ingredient for healthy blood glucose levels. Reducose is a water extract of
white mulberry leaves that can be added to food and beverages or taken as a small supplement to reduce the impact on the body of high-glycemic sugars and other carbohydrates. 

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NCN News for March 12, 2019

March 12, 2019

Moringa company gets second investment from Kellogg

Kuli Kuli (Oakland, California), a pioneer of the superfood moringa, has closed a $5 million Series B financing led by global product development company Griffith Foods and Eighteen94 capital, Kellogg’s venture capital fund. Other investors included InvestEco, S2G Ventures, Authentic Ventures, VilCap Investments and Rocana Venture Partners. Kuli Kuli plans to launch a new moringa ingredient business while scaling up its moringa powder, bars and shots business.

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Deal Download: February 2019

March 8, 2019

This month's Nutrition Capital Network Deal Download shows a high number of  transactions in pet food, alternative proteins and healthy foods.

NCN presenter update February was a big month for past NCN Presenting Companies, headlined by Manitoba Harvest being acquired by cannabis company Tilray Inc. from The Compass Group and other shareholders for up to CA$419 million (US$316.3 million on Feb. 20). Vertically integrated Manitoba Harvest sells hemp seeds, oil, granola, protein powder, and milk alternatives, generating CA$94 million (US$68.9 million on Jan. 2) in gross revenue in 2018. 

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NCN News for February 26, 2019

February 26, 2019

Hormel Foods (Austin, Minnesota) is selling its CytoSport business, including Muscle Milk protein drinks, to PepsiCo for $465 million in cash. Hormel acquired CytoSport Holdings in 2014 from the Pickett family and TSG Consumer Partners for approximately $450 million to expand Hormel’s portfolio of protein-rich foods and serve as a growth catalyst for its Specialty Foods segment; CytoSport had annual sales of around $370 million at the time. 

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NCN News for February 12, 2019

February 12, 2019

Unilever (London, United Kingdom and Rotterdam, Netherlands) has acquired Graze (London, United Kingdom), the United Kingdom’s largest healthy snack brand, from The Carlyle Group. The purchase price was not disclosed, but Sky News reported Graze was acquired for £150 million ($195.9 million on Feb. 5). Graze was founded in 2008 as a snack-box delivery service and sells bars, packaged nuts and seeds, dips and other snacks at retail and online.

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Deal Download: January 2019

February 8, 2019

Nutrition Capital Network reports 942 transactions in 2018

The NCN Transaction Database recorded a total of 942 transactions in the Nutrition and Health & Wellness Industry in 2018, up 3 percent for the year as deals slowed from blistering pace of the past four years. “Given the steep annual growth rates that averaged almost 40 percent annually from 2014 to 2017, it’s hardly surprising that the industry has not sustained that velocity,” said Grant Ferrier, managing director of Nutrition Capital Network (NCN). “But it’s still impressive that 2018 exceeded 2017’s record numbers.” 

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NCN News for January 29, 2019

January 29, 2019

Laird Superfood (Sisters, Oregon) has secured $32 million in a private funding round that included WeWork, the shared workspace company. This round will support product development, acquisitions and headquarters expansion. Laird Superfood and WeWork will also launch a partnership to make Laird foods available to WeWork members and employees. 

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Deal Download: December 2018

January 8, 2019

In December, Tivity Health Inc., a provider of fitness and health improvement programs and owner of the SilverSneakers brand, announced it was buying Nutrisystem Inc. for $1.3 billion in cash and stock. Nutrisystem sells portion-controlled meals and weight loss services, and owns the South Beach Diet and DNA BodyBlueprint brands. 

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NCN News for December 20, 2018

December 20, 2018

Tivity Health Inc. (Nashville, Tennessee), a provider of health and fitness programs, is buying Nutrisystem Inc. (Fort Washington, Pennsylvania) for $1.3 billion in cash and stock. Tivity Health generated revenue of $453.3 million for the nine months ending Sept. 30, from
programs including SilverSneakers, Prime Fitness, WholeHealth Living and flip50. Nutrisystem owns Nutrisystem weight loss products and services, the South Beach Diet and DNA BodyBlueprint, generating revenue of $561.5 million for the nine-month period.

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NCN News for December 11, 2018

December 11, 2018

The Kraft Heinz Company (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is acquiring Primal Nutrition LLC (Oxnard, California), maker of Primal Kitchen branded products, for approximately $200 million. Expected to generate approximately $50 million in net sales this year, Primal Kitchen is a better-for-you brand of condiments,sauces, dressings and avocado oil, as well as protein powders and snack bars. 

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Deal Download: November 2018

November 30, 2018

It’s been a busy year for initial public offerings, with global markets expected to number more than 200 in 2018 driven by biotech, tech and Chinese offerings, according to IPO expert Renaissance Capital. Outside of medicinal cannabis and internet food delivery, few companies associated with the nutrition and health & wellness industry have gone public this year, so November was unusual in seeing two IPO announcements added to the NCN Transaction Database.

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NCN News for November 26, 2018

November 26, 2018

Post Holdings Inc. (St. Louis, Missouri) has announced an initial public offering to establish its Active Nutrition division as a “pure-play, high growth companywith strategic flexibility to pursue strong organic and M&A opportunities.” Active nutrition houses ready-to-drink protein beverages, protein powders,  nutrition bars and nutritional supplements under the Premier Protein, Dymatize, PowerBar, Supreme Protein and Joint Juice brands. 

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Deal Download: October 2018

October 31, 2018

Glanbia PLC is buying SlimFast and certain supplement brands from Kainos Capital for $350 million, adding the iconic weight-loss brand to its Performance Nutrition division, which houses Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Isopure, Amazing Grass and the weight-loss snack thinkThin. 

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NCN News for November 13, 2018

November 13, 2018

Publicly traded Flowers Foods Inc. (Thomasville, Georgia) is acquiring Canyon Bakehouse LLC (Johnstown, Colorado), a gluten-free baking company, forapproximately $205 million. Canyon Bakehouse offers 21 gluten-free breads, buns, bagels, English muffins and specialty items, and is expected to generate sales of approximately $70 million to $80 million in 2019. 

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NCN News for October 30, 2018

October 30, 2018

Kite Hill (Hayward, California), a maker of dairy alternatives made with nut milk, announced a $40 million capital round led by 301 INC, General Mills’ venture unit, with CAVU Venture Partners participating. 

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NCN News for October 16, 2018

October 16, 2018

Glanbia PLC (Kilkenny, Ireland) is buying SlimFast (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) and certain supplement brands for $350 million from Kainos Capital...

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Deal Download: September 2018

September 30, 2018

Functional water, kombucha and coffee populated the beverage deals tracked by Nutrition Capital Network’s (NCN) Transaction Database in September. Keurig Dr Pepper agreed to acquire allied brand partner Core Nutrition LLC for $525 million...

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NCN News for September 25, 2018

September 25, 2018

The Coca-Cola Company (Atlanta, Georgia.) has acquired Organic & Raw Trading Co. (Willunga, South Australia), maker of the Mojo brand of naturally fermented organic kombucha drinks...

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NCN News for August 31, 2018

August 31, 2018

According to the NCN Transaction Database, beverages dominated the top 10 financing transactions in the Branded Food & Beverage segment during the first half of 2018…

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NCN News for August 26, 2018

August 26, 2018

Recent transactions in the nutrition and health & wellness industry…

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NCN News for August 14, 2018

August 14, 2018

Recent transactions in the nutrition and health & wellness industry…

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