Kainos Capital announces acquisition of Unilever's Slim-Fast brand

Jul 11 2014

Kainos Capital, a firm specializing in acquiring and managing food and consumer brands, today announced that it has acquired the Slim-Fast brand from Unilever. Unilever will retain a minority stake in the business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Slim-Fast is a branded weight loss and meal replacement business that markets ready-to-drink shakes, powders, bars and snacks to retail customers throughout North America and in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The transaction includes the Slim-Fast trademark and the global Slim-Fast business portfolio.

Slim-Fast will be part of the Kainos Capital portfolio of health and wellness companies, which currently includes Milk Specialties Global, the largest value-added whey protein manufacturer in North America; InterHealth Nutraceuticals, an international provider of specialty nutraceutical ingredients; and Healthy Delights, an international branded marketer of supplement products including the popular line of nutritional confection chews and Nu-Life, a 50 year-old multivitamins brand. In 2013, Healthy Delights was named Vendor of the Year by GNC, a leading global specialty retailer of health and wellness products.

It was also announced today that Chris Tisi, the CEO and founder of Healthy Delights, will become the CEO of Slim-Fast as well.

Andrew Rosen, Managing Partner of Kainos Capital, said: "We are tremendously excited to acquire the Slim-Fast business in partnership with Unilever. Slim-Fast is the most recognizable brand name in weight management and over the last twenty years has helped millions of people lead healthier lives. Chris Tisi and his team have decades of experience in the diet and weight management category and are ready to give Slim-Fast the resources and entrepreneurial focus that will drive the brand to new heights."

Mr. Tisi said: "There is great opportunity to grow the Slim-Fast brand which already benefits from the highest aided and unaided brand awareness in the weight management category. I look forward to working with our retail partners and driving consumer engagement with dynamic marketing support and new product innovation."

SOURCE Kainos Capital