ALPHAPET ACQUIRES HEALTHFOOD24 (WOLFSBLUT)

AlphaPet Ventures GmbH is driving the digital transformation of the pet food market and excels in brand development and multi-channel distribution of premium pet food. The acquisition of Healthfood24 GmbH further enhances AlphaPet's portfolio with the Wolfsblut brand.

Wolfsblut is one of the leading brands in the premium dog food segment, pioneering the category of species-appropriate dog food and repeatedly being named Germany’s most popular dog food brand.*

From the perspective of Private Equity investor capiton, which is acquiring a 36% stake in AlphaPet Ventures through its capiton V fund to finance the acquisition, the merger of the established Wolfsblut brand with the dynamically growing digital brand builder AlphaPet offers significant potential for further growth.

In addition to capiton as a new equity investor, Muzinich & Co. is supporting the transaction with acquisition financing.

AlphaPet Ventures and Healthfood24 have shared a successful business relationship for years, during which AlphaPet became Healthfood24's largest and most important online distribution partner. Following the acquisition, the Wolfsblut and Wildcat brands will continue to be developed independently under the AlphaPet Ventures umbrella. Distribution will be expanded through AlphaPet's subsidiary Premium Pet Products GmbH and its dedicated sales team, while AlphaPet's digital expertise will be utilized even more extensively for online channels.

With this acquisition, AlphaPet strengthens its position as a leading premium provider with multi-channel distribution and positions itself as a strong player in the market.

Marco Hierling, CEO and founder of AlphaPet Ventures, on the acquisition: “Wolfsblut is a strong premium brand with tremendous potential. Through our digital expertise, direct-to-consumer access, and established distribution to over 10,000 physical retailers, we are taking a significant step closer to our goal of positioning AlphaPet as the leading provider of premium pet food with multi-channel distribution in Europe. We will continue to rely on the existing supplier and customer relationships of both companies and look forward to expanding them in the coming year.”

Felix Becker, founder of Healthfood24: “I founded the Wolfsblut brand 15 years ago to provide species-appropriate dog food as an alternative to the offerings of large manufacturers. The brand name itself evokes nature, and the imagery featuring wolves still best represents this category today. Wolfsblut is a category leader and has become a must-have for an ever-growing group of dog owners. Through AlphaPet's team, I see great potential for further developing the brand, not only nationally but also internationally. I am confident that together with AlphaPet, we will unlock Wolfsblut's full potential.”

Christoph Karbenk, Partner at capiton: “We support medium-sized companies in achieving their growth objectives. Combining AlphaPet - a dynamic and digitally driven company - with the strong Wolfsblut brand, which is exceptionally well-positioned in the pet market, creates significant potential. We are excited to shape AlphaPet's long-term success in the years to come.”

Stefan Pfannmöller, Managing Director of Venture Stars and shareholder of AlphaPet Ventures: “Having supported AlphaPet since its inception with Venture Stars, we are now entering a new phase with the acquisition of Wolfsblut. We are pleased to take this step with a reputable private equity investor like capiton. With the majority of revenue coming from branded products, we aim to grow profitably into a European house of brands for premium pet food with multi-channel distribution. This success demonstrates the effectiveness of the buy-and-build strategy we have employed in other Venture Stars investments as well.”

Dr. Ulrich Bergmoser, Managing Director of Reimann Investors: “This merger allows AlphaPet Ventures and Healthfood24 to enhance their market position in Germany and Austria while expanding their multi-channel distribution. Together, the companies aim to bring their shared vision of making healthy pet food mainstream to the next level. Reimann Investors, as AlphaPet's second-largest shareholder after capiton, is fully committed to this strategy.”

The acquisition is still subject to approval by the German Federal Cartel Office.

About Wolfsblut and Healthfood24 GmbH

Healthfood24 GmbH was founded by Felix Becker and established the Wolfsblut brand as the category leader in species-appropriate dog food. The brand is one of the German market leaders and has repeatedly been voted Germany’s most popular dog food brand. Wolfsblut capitalizes on the trend toward healthy nutrition, which increasingly drives dog owners toward species-appropriate food. With a team of approximately 25 employees, the brands of Healthfood24 are primarily distributed through stationary specialty retailers and online channels. The product portfolio is continuously expanded in the areas of dry food, wet food, and snacks for dogs and cats.

*According to market research institute Konzept & Markt, surveys from 2015 and 2017: Wolfsblut is Germany’s most popular dog food brand.

About capiton

capiton is an independent, owner-managed private equity company with total fund assets of €1.3 billion. Currently, capiton AG's portfolio includes 11 medium-sized companies. capiton acts as an equity partner for management buy-outs and growth financing of established medium-sized companies.

About Reimann Investors

Reimann Investors is the family office and business holding of members of the Reimann entrepreneurial family, who divested from their former family business in the late 1990s. Since 2007, Reimann Investors has invested in young, innovative, and rapidly expanding companies. Reimann Investors sees itself as a strategically active and long-term-oriented investor that works closely with management to support and foster business development. The investment focus includes digital companies in the fields of premium consumer commerce, fintech, SaaS, and digital services. In addition to AlphaPet Ventures, the portfolio includes the Deutsche Handelsbank, a payments specialist.

About Venture Stars

Venture Stars is a Munich-based venture capital fund focused on early-stage investments in innovative, digital B2C and B2B business models. Venture Stars was founded by Martin Junker, Florian Calmbach, and Stefan Pfannmöller. The team currently manages two funds, typically investing between €0.5–1.5 million initially and up to €5 million per portfolio company. Venture Stars began as a company builder and therefore traditionally works very closely with the founders of its portfolio companies. The support provided by Venture Stars goes beyond capital investment and includes know-how, networking, and operational support in areas such as strategy, organizational development, financing, and exit.