Scaling with Purpose: Why Wellness Founders Are Redefining Growth

From kefir to refillables, founder-led wellness brands are no longer niche. They’re reshaping consumer expectations and changing what buyers want.

At Cavendish, we’ve seen how health-conscious, purpose-driven businesses are driving not just growth but M&A activity. Today’s most compelling wellness brands are founder-led, data-literate, and clear about who they serve. For investors and acquirers, that combination is proving hard to ignore.

A Wave of Acquisitions

In the past six months alone, six UK-born wellness and personal care brands have been acquired by major players:

• Biotiful Gut Health → Müller UK & Ireland

• The Collective UK (B Corp) → Yeo Valley Organic

• Rude Health → Oddlygood

• Deliciously Ella → Hero Group

• Wild → Unilever

• Two Chicks → Gruppo Eurovo

What unites these deals isn’t just strong product. It’s credibility on health, sustainability, and purpose. In many cases, acquirers found it more strategic to buy than compete.

The UK as a Launchpad

Four of those six acquisitions involved overseas buyers, underlining the UK’s growing reputation as a hub for credible, scalable wellness brands. Despite a decline in European FDI overall, the UK attracted 985 projects in 2023, a 6% increase year on year, cementing its role as a springboard for international expansion.

What Consumers Are Demanding

This wave of M&A is being fuelled by lasting changes in consumer behaviour:

• The UK is Europe’s largest plant-based food market, worth over £1bn in 2023.

• The probiotic yoghurt drinks market grew 11% year-on-year.

• 68% of UK consumers say gut health matters to their food and drink choices.

• Over 80% of shoppers say sustainability influences what they buy.

This makes the logic behind acquisitions like Biotiful–Müller and Wild–Unilever clear: incumbents need fast-growth, values-led brands to stay relevant.

More Than Numbers

Financial performance still matters, but today’s strategic buyers are looking for more. They want brands with purpose and authenticity. UK B Corps, for example, outperformed other SMEs in 2023–24, growing 23.2% in revenue compared with a 16.8% national average. Among consumers aware of B Corp, 69% say certification positively influences purchasing decisions.

The Blueprint for Brands

Looking across recent transactions, the pattern is consistent. Brands that attract strong buyer interest tend to:

1. Own a distinctive position in a fast-moving category

2. Blend retail presence with direct-to-consumer insight

3. Build brand equity through purpose, not just product

4. Demonstrate operating and capital discipline

For founders, this is about more than preparing for an eventual sale. It’s about making decisions now - on structure, governance, and strategy - that shape how investors and acquirers see your business later.

Read the full report