Wellful Expands Portfolio with Ancient Nutrition Acquisition
Wellful’s ambition to dominate the supplement space is well underway with one of the first deals of 2025
Superfood and supplement brand Ancient Nutrition has been acquired by Wellful Inc., and the deal appears to be just the start for the health and wellness platform’s omnichannel ambitions.
Wellful secured Ancient Nutrition from VMG Partners, Hillhouse Investment, and other investors, bolstering its portfolio that features prominent brands such as Nugenix, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Peptiva, Instaflex, Super Beta Prostate and Doctors’ Preferred.
“The acquisition of Ancient Nutrition establishes Wellful as the largest independent vitamin, mineral and supplement platform in North America,” said David Gassko, a partner at Kainos, the private equity firm backing Wellful. He added that Wellful continues to have “amply dry powder” to invest in its brand portfolio, including future acquisitions.
Ancient Nutrition CEO Colt Morton will remain at the helm of the superfoods and supplement brand, which sells collagen, protein and active nutrition products, as well as probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
“Partnering with Wellful marks an exciting new chapter in our journey,” Morton said. “Wellful’s resources and our shared vision for innovation position Ancient Nutrition to bring our mission to even more people while staying true to the values and culture that have brought us here.”
Wellful CEO Brandon Adcock noted that the brand has considerable future growth potential.
“Ancient Nutrition fundamentally stands for something within the industry and delivers real results to its customers,” Adcock said. “We’re very excited to further strengthen the brand and to expand the product portfolio that customers have come to know and trust.”
Capitalizing on Healthier Options
Supplements are among the key trends industry experts predict will see significant growth in 2025. The category has certainly captured the attention of Gen Z, who are increasingly reaching for pre-workout blends, often inspired by fitness influencers dominating social media. Beyond Gen Z consumers, an overall interest in healthier foods and beverages have set the stage for nutrition, ready-to-drink and “better for you” food categories to emerging as a focus area for investors and industry titans.
In 2024, Keurig Dr Pepper made a play for energy drink and nutrition supplement brand Ghost, while Simply Good Foods Co. acquired Only What You Need (OWYN), a plant-based and ready-to-drink protein shake brand, for $280 million. In a similar deal, Molson Coors secured a majority stake in Zoa energy drinks.
Prenetics, a health sciences biotech company that co-launched IM8 with David Beckham, followed suit, acquiring Europa Sports Partners, one of the largest sports nutrition distributors, which includes supplements and sports drinks. In the food sector, PepsiCo acquired Siete for $1.2 billion, eager to add its flavorful Mexican-American food products (many of which are Whole-30 approved) to its massive portfolio.
And while keto-friendly and high-protein brand Magic Spoon hasn’t yet been acquired, it has likely piqued the interest of major food corporations. In the meantime, the colorful breakfast food and snack brand has just introduced its healthier spin on granola.