Vetnique Labs, a leading pet health and wellness company, recently announced that it has agreed to acquire Lintbells, a globally recognized leader in pet supplements sold under the YuMOVE brand, from European mid-market private equity investor Inflexion. Vetnique is backed by Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco. Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024, were not disclosed.
YuMOVE is the U.K.’s number one joint mobility supplement for dogs and cats and also offers supplements that support digestive health, anxiety, dermatological and dental needs. Based in Hertfordshire, U.K., and founded two decades ago by Dr. John Howie DL and John Davies, YuMOVE aims to provide pets and their owners with scientifically supported supplements to manage chronic health conditions. It is also a certified B Corporation, a distinction achieved based on its high standards in ESG performance.
Vetnique develops a range of specialty pet products, which are vet-founded, vet-formulated and vet-recommended, including supplements and topical solutions for digestive health, allergy and dermatological support, and ear care. The company is best known for its Glandex supplement, which is North America’s number one solution for anal gland disease. Vetnique and YuMOVE are both omnichannel businesses with a shared vision to offer highly efficacious, veterinary-endorsed supplements through pet specialty retail outlets, veterinary distributors, and direct-to-consumer.
Chris Slager, Executive Chairman of the newly combined company, said, “We are thrilled to unite these well-known brands and expand our presence in two of the largest pet supplement markets in the world, the U.S. and the U.K. Our combined portfolio greatly increases our company’s scale across the key areas of hip & joint and digestive and will allow us to bring science-backed formulations, clinical efficacy, and patented products to consumers worldwide.”
Vetnique founder James Bascharon, DVM will remain CEO of Vetnique, with responsibility for North America operations. Fiona Hope will continue to serve as CEO of YuMOVE, with responsibility for the U.K., Europe and the rest of the world.
Dr. Bascharon commented, “Our vision with Gryphon has always been to create a global pet health and wellness platform in the $3 billion supplement market. We are excited to build on our track record of profitable growth and help accelerate YuMOVE’s products in North America. Together we can broaden our offering of differentiated products and solutions that are consistently recommended by veterinarians and provide real and lasting benefits for pets.”
Hope added, “We look forward to joining forces with Vetnique and together exploring opportunities to realize the global potential of our complementary pet portfolio. We are also excited to gain access to Gryphon’s resources and expertise, which we believe will reinforce our mission of enhancing the quality of life for pets and can help unlock significant value during our partnership.”
The transaction significantly expands Gryphon’s pet products portfolio. In addition to Vetnique, the firm also has a presence in the broader pet health and wellness ecosystem through its 2019 investment in veterinary support organization Heartland Veterinary Partners.
“We have been proud to support James and his outstanding team over the past 12 months, and we are delighted to help Vetnique achieve the next step of its growth by partnering with Fiona and her organization at YuMOVE. We believe that together this platform is a leader in highly efficacious pet health and wellness that stands for quality, research and innovation, and sustainability,” noted Matt Farron, deal partner and co-head of Gryphon’s consumer group, and Eddie Douglas, managing director in the consumer group.
Raymond James served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Gryphon and Vetnique.
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