ACON Investments, L.L.C. and its affiliates have announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in YumEarth, a fast-growing organic confectionery brand known for its allergy-friendly candy with clean, simple ingredients. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 2007, YumEarth’s mission is to make life’s moments sweeter through great-tasting, better-for-you treats. YumEarth’s products are made with simple, organic and non-GMO ingredients, contain no artificial dyes or high-fructose corn syrup, and are both gluten-free and free from the top nine allergens. YumEarth specializes in making organic candy that children love and parents feel good about serving to their families. The Company’s portfolio includes chewy and gummy candy, lollipops, fruit snacks, sour candy and more. It is sold both online and through approximately 30,000 retail doors including Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger and Sprouts.
Next-gen leadership
The transaction marks the first investment of the ACON Evolution Fund, which is led by ACON’s next generation of leadership, Anjali Jolly and Suma Kulkarni. The ACON Evolution Fund focuses on value-oriented investment opportunities across the consumer and industrial sectors while providing investors with access to a unique, programmatic co-investment offering. This represents the sixth ACON partnership formed to invest in the U.S. middle market.
Consistent with prior ACON transactions, the acquisition of YumEarth was led by the Firm with support from an industry partner, The Fini Company (“Fini”), which will hold an ownership stake in the business. Fini is a global confectionery leader founded in 1971 and headquartered in Molina de Segura, Spain. Fini distributes to over 100 countries across five continents. Together, ACON and Fini will leverage their respective expertise to support YumEarth’s strategy and accelerate its growth.
Steve Van Tassel, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Our partnership with ACON and Fini represents an exciting new chapter for YumEarth. Since its founding, YumEarth has been guided by a simple belief: families should not have to choose between candy that tastes great and ingredients they can trust. With ACON’s experience supporting consumer brands and Fini’s deep confectionery expertise, we are well-positioned to expand our reach, strengthen our innovation pipeline and bring YumEarth to even more families.”
Anjali Jolly, Managing Partner at ACON, commented, “We are thrilled to partner with Steve and the YumEarth team, who have built a differentiated brand with a loyal consumer following at the intersection of several powerful consumer trends. We believe our partnership with Fini will provide valuable resources to help unlock the Company’s full potential.”
Manolo Sánchez, Chief Executive Officer of Fini, further commented, “YumEarth is an exceptional brand with a strong purpose, high-quality products and meaningful growth potential. We are excited to collaborate with ACON and YumEarth’s talented management team to support the Company’s next phase of expansion.”
Financing for the acquisition was led by Truist Bank. Santander served as financial advisor to ACON. Winston Taylor and Hogan Lovells served as transaction counsel and fund counsel, respectively, to ACON. TM Capital and Jones Day served as financial advisor and transaction counsel, respectively, to YumEarth. Deloitte served as financial advisor to Fini. Blank Rome and Garrigues acted as legal advisors in connection with the transaction.
