ALPHAPET ACQUIRES JR PET PRODUCTS

AlphaPet Ventures (AlphaPet) is digitizing the pet market and successfully building and distributing premium brands across Europe. Its portfolio includes premium brands such as Wolfsblut, Wildes Land, Arden Grange, and Herrmann’s Manufaktur. AlphaPet’s strategy focuses on multi-channel distribution, emphasizing direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales through its own platforms. This is complemented by a highly customer-centric approach and strong B2B partnerships with retailers.

JR Pet Products (JR) was founded in 2012 by Jonathan and Rebecca Davies with seed investment from Stephen Tandy, a close friend of Jonathan. Today the JR brand is UK’s leading premium dog treat brand, offering a wide range of high-quality, natural dog chews and treats. With a strong focus on top-quality raw materials and products, JR has built a loyal and strong customer base. The brand distributes its products over its own D2C shop and via B2B partners.

Marco Hierling, founder and CEO of AlphaPet, on the acquisition: “Jonathan and Rebecca have built a fantastic brand. JR is an excellent addition to AlphaPet’s brand portfolio, aligning with our commitment to healthy and premium pet food, while offering a highly complementary product range.”

“By partnering with AlphaPet, JR will gain access to AlphaPet’s resources and European distribution network, unlocking substantial potential for future growth.” Fritjof Franz, partner at capiton explains.

Jonathan and Rebecca Davies, founders and managing directors of JR: “Our partnership with the AlphaPet team marks an exciting new chapter for JR. Together, we look forward to building on the strength of the brand, supported by our trusted suppliers and customers, to achieve our growth goals in the years ahead."

The whole team will stay on board and Jonathan and Rebecca Davies will continue as managing directors of JR.

The acquisition of JR is AlphaPet’s fourth acquisition since 2020 and the next step to strengthen its position as the leading European premium pet food and treats platform.

The acquisition was financed through a combination of equity and debt. Patria Investments, an existing capiton LP, acted as lead investor, alongside Venture Stars and existing AlphaPet shareholders. Mark Nicolson, Partner and Head of Primary Investments at Patria: “We are excited to enable the next chapter of value creation for AlphaPet and very much look forward to continuing our successful partnership with AlphaPet’s exceptional management team and capiton, one of the top performing managers in European private equity today.”

Debt financing was provided by CVC, demonstrating their ongoing support of AlphaPet’s buy and build strategy.

AlphaPet was advised by Ashfords (Legal UK), LutzAbel (Legal Germany), Deloitte (Financial and Tax), Allen & Overy (Financing Legal) and Sonntag & Partner (Tax Germany). JR was advised by Quantuma Advisory (Lead Advisory) and Thomson Snell & Passmore (Legal).

About AlphaPet Ventures

AlphaPet Ventures is Europe’s leading technology-driven brand platform for premium pet food. Combining multi-channel distribution, digital brand building, and end-to-end technological solutions, AlphaPet is transforming the pet market. The company excels in direct-to-consumer (D2C) and business-to-business (B2B) sales, leveraging expertise in technology, business intelligence, digital marketing, and logistics.

Through a combination of organic growth and a successful buy-and-build strategy, AlphaPet has built a steadily growing portfolio of leading European premium brands. AlphaPet’s subsidiaries and brands continue to advance the digitization of the pet market, driven by the vision of providing healthy food for every pet.

About JR Pet Products

JR was founded in 2012 by Jonathan and Rebecca Davies with seed investment from Stephen Tandy. Over the last years JR has become a leader in the premium dog market.

The company has a strong focus on quality and innovation and has built a successful multi-channel distribution with a strong network of B2B partners and direct consumer access (D2C). JR will remain firmly committed to the UK’s pet specialist sector.

About capiton

capiton is an independent, owner-managed private equity firm with over €1.6 billion in managed funds. Its current portfolio includes 19 mid-sized companies, supporting management buyouts and growth financing for established businesses.

About Patria Investments

Patria is a leading alternative investment firm with over 35 years of history specialized in key resilient sectors. With over USD 44 billion in assets under management and a global presence, it aims to provide consistent returns in attractive long term investment opportunities while creating sustainable value for society.

About Reimann Investors

Reimann Investors is a family office and corporate group representing members of the Reimann entrepreneurial family. The firm focuses on highly liquid capital market investments and direct investments in high-growth digital businesses in the areas of SaaS and FinTech.

About Venture Stars

Venture Stars is a Munich-based venture capital fund specializing in early-stage investments in innovative B2C and B2B digital business models. Founded by Martin Junker, Florian Calmbach, and Stefan Pfannmöller, the firm manages three funds, with investments typically ranging between €0.5 million and €5 million per portfolio company. As a former company builder, Venture Stars offers support beyond capital, including strategic know-how, networking, and operational advice in areas such as organizational development and financing. Venture Stars co-founded ePetWorld, which later merged with pets Premium to become AlphaPet Ventures.