A majority of interest in Cibo Vita, a better-for-you snack company, has been acquired by Citation Capital LLC, a private equity firm specializing in founder and family-led businesses.
Citation will become Totowa, New Jersey-based Cibo Vita’s first outside shareholder. Cibo Vita’s co-founders Emre Imamoglu, CEO, and Ahmet Celik, president, will continue to hold a significant ownership interest.
Together, Cibo Vita and Citation will advance the company’s growth trajectory while delivering on the mission of providing smart snacking choices for every household. Citation will work shoulder-to-shoulder with Cibo Vita for continued growth and success.
“Our vision in founding Cibo Vita was to bring healthier snacking options to all families, inspired by our Mediterranean roots,” said Imamoglu. “Throughout our history, we have experienced phenomenal growth, attributed to our innovation capabilities, commitment to quality and a drive to meet the needs of consumers increasingly seeking healthier functional snacking. We sought out a strategic partner that could help ensure that we stay on the forefront of innovation and who is aligned with our personal core values.”
Since 2009, Cibo Vita has created natural and functional snacks. Nature’s Garden is the company’s flagship brand and an industry leader in innovating the smart snacking category focusing on better-for-you snacking.
Cibo Vita is based in Totowa, New Jersey, with three manufacturing facilities and employs more than 900 individuals.
“Emre and Ahmet started from an idea, believing that they could bring better snacking habits to North American consumers, and put everything they had into building Cibo Vita into a highly innovative, profitable business that provides value-added services and products to some of the most coveted customers in North America,” said Tiffany K. Hagge, founder and managing partner of Citation. “Cibo Vita exemplifies Citation’s investment philosophy in backing fundamentally strong, defensible businesses with exceptional cultures and shared values, helping them to become ‘best in class’ in their segment through strategic partnership, operational excellence, and relentless focus on execution.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.