PURCHASE, N.Y.-- PepsiCo has acquired Health Warrior, a producer of plant-based products such as superfood snack bars, protein powder and mug muffins, for an undisclosed amount.
The acquisition expands PepsiCo’s snacking portfolio and enhances its Performance With Purpose initiative, which aims to make nutritious items with reduced sugars, sodium and saturated fats.
PepsiCo’s previous healthy-brand acquisitions—two of the several CPG buyouts that have occurred this year—include Bare Snacks Co. and KeVita beverages.
"We're thrilled to welcome the innovative Health Warrior brand to the PepsiCo family," said Al Carey, CEO of PepsiCo North America. "We continue to position ourselves at the forefront of changing consumer preferences and trends. This acquisition helps us increase our presence in the nutrition bar category, which is an attractive growth space."
Shane Emmett, CEO of Health Warrior, said joining PepsiCo will allow the superfood company to reach a wider audience.
"With a shared mission to help create healthy relationships between people and food, PepsiCo is the ideal partner to bring our nutrient-dense, plant-forward offerings to even more consumers and considerably accelerate Health Warrior's growth,” he said. “This is the whole reason we started the company."
The deal continues a busy year for PepsiCo. In February, the company debuted Drinkfinity, a beverage that comes with a reusable vessel for customers to refill with water. In May, the brand launched PepsicoPartners.com, an online platform that allows operators to manage orders, review recipes and learn about PepsiCo’s new products.
Three months later, PepsiCo’s board of directors elected Ramon Laguarta to succeed Indra Nooyi as CEO of the company. During this same time, PepsiCo acquired home beverage system SodaStream for $3.2 billion and introduced The Hive, a platform meant to develop smaller, emerging brands within PepsiCo’s North American portfolio.
Richmond, Va.-based Health Warrior Inc. makes products that contain plant-based superfood ingredients and are low in sugar. Its offerings include protein powder, mug muffins and nutrition bars made with chia and pumpkin seeds.
Purchase, N.Y.-based food and beverage company PepsiCo Inc. has a portfolio of more than 22 brands that generates more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Its major brands include Pepsi, Quaker, Tropicana and Gatorade.
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