SAN FRANCISCO — On July 9, Vetnique Labs, a pet health and wellness company, announced it has agreed to acquire Lintbells, a producer of pet supplements, from European private equity Inflexion. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Based in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, Lintbells is known for its dog supplement brand YuMove. The company was founded by John Howie, Ph.D., and John Davies, and aims to provide dogs and cats and their owners with scientifically supported supplements to help manage chronic health problems. The YuMove brand offers a variety of products targeting joint health and mobility, digestive health, anxiety, dermatological and dental health.
In addition to its commitment to the wellbeing of pets, Lintbells is also dedicated to the environment, as evidenced by its recent B Corp certification.
Founded by James Bascharon, DVM, chief executive officer of the company, Vetnique develops a wide range of specialty pet products, all vet-formulated and vet-recommended. Its current offerings include supplements and topical solutions for digestive health, allergy and dermatological support and ear care. Vetnique’s supplements are available in various formats including soft chews and powders. The company is backed by Gryphon Investors, a private equity based in San Francisco.
“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 United States and the United Kingdom,” said Chris Slager, executive chairman of the newly combined company. “Our combined portfolio greatly increases our company’s scale across the key areas of hip and joint and digestive, and will allow us to bring science-backed formulations, clinical efficacy and patented products to consumers worldwide.”
Both Vetnique and YuMove leverage an omnichannel strategy. The companies share a similar goal of offering highly efficacious, veterinary-endorsed supplements through pet specialty retail, veterinary and direct-to-consumer channels, according to the companies.
Bascharon will remain CEO of Vetnique, with responsibility for its North American operations.
“Our vision with Gryphon has always been to create a global pet health and wellness platform in the $3 billion supplement market,” he shared. “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.”
YuMove is currently led by Chief Executive Officer Fiona Hope, who will continue to serve in her position under the acquisition with responsibility for the brand’s business in the United Kingdom, Europe and the rest of the world.
“We look forward to joining forces with Vetnique and together exploring opportunities to realize the global potential of our complementary pet portfolio,” Hope said. “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.”
According to Gryphon, the transaction will expand its pet product portfolio. In addition to Vetnique, the private equity also has an investment in a veterinary support organization.
“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,” said Matt Farron, deal partner and co-head of Gryphon’s Consumer Group. “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.”
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