Bain Capital agrees to acquire Tej Lalwani’s Vitabiotics in £900m takeover
Vitabiotics, one of the UK’s most established health‑supplement brands, has been sold to Bain Capital, a leading global private investment firm, in a landmark deal that ends more than fifty years of family ownership.
The acquisition, valued at £900 million, marks a major shift for a company whose products, including Wellman, Wellwoman, Pregnacare and Perfectil are fixtures in British households and high‑street pharmacies.
The transaction includes Vitabiotics’ wider VB Group, covering Meyer Organics in India and additional operations across Africa, giving Bain Capital control of a global portfolio with strong consumer recognition. Despite the change in ownership, Vitabiotics has indicated that its UK operations will remain central to the business, with no immediate changes expected to its product lines or day‑to‑day functioning.
Vitabiotics was founded in 1971 by visionary scientist and entrepreneur, Professor Kartar Lalvani OBE, who pioneered the nutraceutical field and innovative science-based formulas, leading to whole new categories of supplements and sector-leading brands supporting specific health and life-stage needs, resulting in a unique portfolio of sector-leading products, including several household names.
Over the last decade under the leadership of his son, Tej Lalvani, Group Chief Executive Officer, the business has significantly accelerated its growth and leadership through product launches and partnerships. Having dedicated more than 30 years to working in the business, Tej Lalvani has played a central role in transforming Vitabiotics into one of the world’s leading independent science-led nutraceutical companies. Outside Vitabiotics, he is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs and as a Dragon on BBC One’s ‘Dragons’ Den’. As founder of the Group and in recognition of his life-time contribution and leadership in the supplement sector, Professor Kartar Lalvani will assume the honorary role of Chairman Emeritus on completion of the transaction. Professor Kartar Lalvani’s elder son, Professor Ajit Lalvani, has contributed his medical and scientific expertise to the business as non-executive director over three decades, alongside his distinguished clinical academic career.
Tej Lalvani, Group Chief Executive Officer of Vitabiotics, said, “This marks a defining moment in Vitabiotics’ journey. I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to build on my father’s vision to harness the power of science and nutrition to improve everyday health and, together with our exceptional team, help transform Vitabiotics from a British family business into one of the world’s most trusted vitamin and wellness companies. This direction is not about changing who we are; it is about accelerating what we can become. With Bain Capital’s global expertise and investment behind us, we have a unique opportunity to expand internationally, accelerate our innovation and take our trusted brands to millions more consumers, while staying true to the science, quality and values that have defined Vitabiotics for more than 55 years.”
Pawan Singh, a Partner at Bain Capital, said, “Vitabiotics is exactly the type of business we support: a trusted, science-led brand platform with category leadership, strong healthcare professional credibility and meaningful presence across the UK, India, the Middle East, Africa and China. Our India team has deep experience partnering with healthcare and consumer businesses, and we look forward to supporting Vitabiotics’ next phase of growth.”
Rishi Mandawat, a Partner at Bain Capital added, “We see a compelling opportunity to help Vitabiotics build on its UK leadership and strengthen its global platform. Across Bain Capital, we will bring sector expertise, portfolio resources and local market knowledge to support investment in innovation, e-commerce, international distribution and operational capability.”
