Verdane partners with women’s health specialist InnoNature

Verdane, the Northern European specialist growth investor, has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in InnoNature, a women’s health company for dietary supplements, superfoods and natural cosmetics. The aim of the partnership is to expand into new markets from the company’s base in the DACH region and to strengthen the product portfolio. Founders Julia and Gil Lang will remain shareholders and will continue to manage the company’s day-to-day operations.

InnoNature focuses on the development and sale of 100 percent natural and certified organic products and has achieved strong growth in recent years, especially in its main target group of female consumers. After several years with exponential growth, the company anticipates sales well into the double-digit millions in 2021, nearly doubling its revenues compared to the previous year. Founded in Hamburg in 2016, the company has a total of 35 employees, most of whom are women. Its products include natural vitamins and minerals, facial and body care products, and superfood shakes and are mainly sold directly to customers (D2C) via its own online store. All products are manufactured in Germany and are vegan as well as cruelty free and PETA certified.

Julia Lang, co-founder and co-CEO of InnoNature, said: “Since the founding of InnoNature, we have always remained true to our values. Honesty, quality and naturalness are our main priorities. We are delighted to have found the ideal partner in Verdane for InnoNature to expand internationally.”

Gil Lang, co-founder and co-CEO of InnoNature commented: “Direct contact with our customers is crucial for the success of InnoNature. Since the company’s foundation, we have consistently focused on D2C, which clearly shows our commitment to achieving the highest degree of customer loyalty. Together with Verdane, we will take our growth strategy for the European market to the next level.”

As part of the partnership, Verdane and InnoNature will jointly drive the company’s growth in the coming years. In addition to strengthening the existing product range and entering into new product categories, the partners also plan to expand into other European markets. To date, InnoNature has locations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with the majority of its sales generated in its German domestic market.

Verdane sees great growth potential in the European market for vitamins and dietary supplements, especially in e-commerce, and expects average growth rates of 20 percent in the European online market in the coming years. In addition to the ongoing structural shift from offline to online, the growing consumption of dietary supplements due to an increasing health awareness is likely to lead to high growth rates.

Maroje Guertl, Principal at Verdane’s Berlin office, said: “We are very happy to enter into this partnership with InnoNature, which has managed to build a compelling brand in the women’s health sector with innovative and natural products in just a few years. Julia and Gil are outstanding founders, and we look forward to supporting them in the coming years with our wealth of expertise in the areas of e-commerce, marketing and sales.”

Julia Gerken, Investment Professional at Verdane added: “With its focus on women’s health and sustainably produced organic products, InnoNature fits perfectly into Verdane’s portfolio. We will work closely with Julia and Gil in the future, supporting them in expanding into new categories as well as successfully positioning the InnoNature brand in other European markets.”

Following the majority investment in InnoNature, Verdane is further expanding its portfolio in the core areas of sustainability and e-commerce. In these sectors, the investment company has acquired and further developed numerous companies in recent years. In Germany, Verdane holds a stake in the second-hand platform Momox and in asgoodasnew, the European pioneer in the circular economy for high-quality consumer electronics products.