HUEL acquired by DANONE

Danone has acquired 100% of Huel. This represents a significant milestone in the second chapter of the "Renew Danone" strategy, which focuses on accelerating growth through high-added-value acquisitions. This transaction allows the French group to establish a dominant position in the rapidly expanding "nutritiously complete" and functional nutrition category. The strategic rationale for the deal centers on the perfect alignment between Huel’s high-growth, plant-based protein portfolio and Danone’s global leadership in specialized nutrition. By acquiring Huel, Danone gains access to a cutting-edge digital business model and a premium, younger consumer base that is increasingly seeking convenient and healthy meal alternatives. The partnership is designed to be highly complementary, combining Huel’s entrepreneurial agility and D2C expertise with Danone’s industrial scale, research facilities, and extensive worldwide retail network. This move follows a series of targeted acquisitions by the group in the medical and biotic nutrition spaces, reinforcing its shift away from lower-margin traditional dairy toward high-performance, science-backed nutritional solutions. For Huel, the integration provides the necessary infrastructure to accelerate international expansion and enter new geographic markets more rapidly than it could as a standalone entity.

In the past, the company had already been the subject of several LBOs, notably led by Highland Europe in 2018 and Highland Europe / Management & Private Investors in 2022. These multiple LBO cycles illustrate the strong appeal for this type of asset.