PE targets opportunities in nutraceuticals: 7 deals
As consumers pay more attention to wellness, nutraceuticals are an increasingly common part of people’s daily routines. Nutraceuticals are foods, food components and food-derived extracts that aim to provide health benefits. Growing demand for nutraceuticals and the subsector’s high fragmentation are attracting private equity investments.
PE Hub has also covered deals in the dietary supplements segment. While the sectors are closely linked, not all dietary supplements fall under the nutraceuticals category.
Starting from the most recent, PE Hub rounded up seven deals in the nutraceuticals sector dating back to the beginning of 2026.
1. Wise Equity acquires E-Pharma Trento
Wise Equity announced in August the acquisition of E-Pharma Trento, an Italian contract development and manufacturing organization specializing in nutraceuticals and consumer health pharmaceuticals. The acquisition was made from WiseEquity VI.
Existing shareholder Unifarm, a holding company for pharmaceutical wholesale distribution services, retained a minority stake in the company.
E-Pharma Trento’s portfolio consists of effervescent tablets and granules, soluble powders and orodispersible forms, all of which it manufactures at its two plants in Trento. Together, they have a combined capacity of around 900 million units per year. The company’s end-of-year 2025 revenue was over €55 million, around 45 percent of which came from outside Italy, according to the transaction press release.
“E-Pharma dominates a technological niche in which, across the whole of Europe, very few players are genuinely equipped to compete: a position that is hard to build and just as hard to attack,” said Stefano Ghetti, senior partner of Wise Equity, in a statement. “This is precisely the kind of company Wise Equity invests in – a solid leadership in a specialized segment, a strong export orientation and real room to grow, particularly in nutraceuticals.”
2. Butterfly and Graham Partners invest in Custom Flavors
In July, Butterfly Equity and Graham Partners announced their investment in Custom Flavors, a maker of liquid and powdered sweet flavors.
Based in San Clemente, California, Custom Flavors serves the nutraceuticals industry, as well as businesses focused on gummies, protein, nutrition, functional foods and beverages, and better-for-you snacks.
As part of the transaction, Butterfly and Graham have created a flavor investment platform that backs Custom Flavors and Target Flavors, a flavor house for the beverage, dairy, dairy alternatives, pharmaceutical and bakery industries that Graham backed in 2025.
3. Ambienta invests in Italy’s GFF
Ambienta announced in June an investment in GFF, a developer and producer of natural flavors for food and beverages. GFF’s founder and CEO Enrico Giotti and the company’s key managers also reinvested in the company.
Operating out of Florence, Italy, GFF makes and provides flavors, extracts and essential oils for sweet, savory, beverage and nutraceutical applications to over 250 small and medium-sized food and beverage producers.
Under Ambienta, the company will pursue geographic expansion, new business segment development and strategies for optimizing its operations. It will also seek out M&A opportunities within the highly fragmented food flavors market.
4. Adenia Partners acquires Parkville Pharmaceuticals
In June, Adenia Partners announced the closing of the acquisition of Parkville Pharmaceuticals, an Egyptian company active in the nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals sectors. The seller was Admaius Capital Partners.
Parkville Pharmaceuticals is based in Giza. Adenia Partners announced the intent to acquire the company in January.
“We are delighted our first acquisition in Egypt is into one of the region’s fastest growing businesses,” said Stéphane Bacquaert, managing partner at Adenia Partners, in a statement at the time.
5. Lupin Limited acquires GHO-backed VISUfarma
In April, GHO Capital Partners announced the closing of the sale of specialty pharmaceutical provider VISUfarma to Lupin Limited.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, VISUfarma serves the ophthalmology market, providing over 60 branded products for specialty nutraceuticals, dry eye, glaucoma, eyelid hygiene, blepharitis and retinal health. It has a commercial presence in Italy, the UK, Spain, Germany and France.
GHO Capital formed VISUfarma in 2016 by merging founder-owned Italian VISUfarma and the European commercial operations of Nicox.
6. Frontenac-backed Monterey Bay Herb Co acquires NP Nutra
In March, Monterey Bay Herb Co (MBHC), a supplier of herbs, botanicals, teas and specialty plant-based ingredients backed by Frontenac, announced the acquisition of NP Nutra.
NP Nutra is based in Carson, California, and is supplier of specialty nutraceutical ingredients and botanical extracts. It will continue operating from its Carson facility.
MBHC is based in Watsonville, California. Frontenac invested in it in 2021.
The acquisition of NP Nutra provides MBHC with specialty and extract-based products and the ability to better source high-growth categories including superfruits, supergreens and proprietary blends. Together, both companies will offer more than 1,000 products across herbs, botanicals and extracts to the nutraceuticals, food and beverage, health and beauty and pet nutrition industries.
7. Gryphon Investors-backed Metagenics buys Probiotic Brand Symprove
Metagenics, a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, announced in January the acquisition of Symprove, from bd-capital.
Metagenics is a nutritional supplement company based in Aliso Viejo, California, and with facilities across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Gryphon Investors acquired the company in 2021.
Symprove is a probiotic brand based in Farnham, Surrey. It claims to address digestive illnesses and discomfort and to improve the health of gut microbiomes in people.
“Through its global network of partnerships with healthcare practitioners, Metagenics will be able to grow patient engagement and improve patient results with Symprove’s technology in markets around the world,” said Ryan Fagan, deal partner in Gryphon’s consumer group, in a statement.
With nutraceuticals use on the rise, PE Hub expects to see more deals in the segment in the coming months.
