Huel has agreed to join Danone. Here is everything you need to know

[Mark_Huel]

Hi everyone here,

We wanted to come here and share some big news with you.

Huel has agreed to join Danone, subject to regulatory approvals. We wanted to tell you directly before you saw it elsewhere.

We know this is a big update for this amazing community, so we want to walk you through it properly and answer as many questions as we can.

Danone is one of the largest B Corps in the world, operating in over 120 markets. It has a 100-year history in nutrition and health, with a focus on science and a commitment to improving how food is produced and delivered. Danone works within dairy and plant-based yogurts, Specialised Nutrition and Waters categories, and has a strong focus on science-based research and development. They have a global presence that will provide a strong platform for us to grow further and do more of what Huel does best: fast, nutritious, complete food. That has always been the mission. This is how we do more of it.

We know that the main question you will want answered is what changes for you and your Huel when the deal completes:

1. What changes for Huel: the ability to reach more people in more markets with the nutrition they actually need. Huel continues to operate under its existing name and leadership.
2. What changes for you: no changes to products or prices are planned. Your subscription, your orders and your account continue exactly as they are. Huel remains Huel. And Huel has a lot more to do.

Ten years. 600 million meals. 100+ countries. Around 50% less CO2 than the average meal.

When we look at that, we are proud of the impact - but we also see the people who’ve shaped it. All of you.

You are the early adopters and long-term customers who’ve stuck with us through everything. You are the die-hard Hueligans who’ve shouted about Huel to your friends and family. You are the people who, when Huel was still seen as some weird powder, said otherwise.

Without your feedback and your support, we would not be where we are now.

We are proud of what Huel has become. We are genuinely excited about what comes next.

We know you will have a lot of questions. We will be here in the comments to answer as much as we can. Please keep comments in this thread so I can respond as quickly as possible.

A full statement and a list of FAQs will be shared to our site shortly and I will update here then.

[Ndiz]

Danone is an awful, evil, horrible company. Look at Wikipedia. I feel betrayed.

Onto the next alternative before it too, gets sucked up by a publicly traded company that is obligated to reward shareholders first and foremost.

Enjoy your payday and bonuses, Huel execs.

[bunkscene]

Never heard of the company, but corporate takeovers are always bad for the consumer. It always starts with “no changes”, until they “make improvements”, which is market speak for cheaper and worse ingredients.

Oh well. It was good while it lasted.

[Ndiz]

Unilever takeover of Ben and Jerry’s a perfect example. I’m old to remember when Google had ‘Do No Evil’ as the company’s motto.

[Hope_Huel]

Appreciate your thoughts and your presence in the forum, as always . We can’t speak to all of the controversies of a company as large and as old (100+ years) as Danone, but I think there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of Huel and the sort of infrastructure Danone provides. For example, I often see requests for Huel in Latin America and Australia, and I think Danone, which operates in those markets and beyond, could be a good avenue for getting there where we found it challenging on our own. Danone products are also widely available for SNAP EBT benefits, a request we get from time to time. Access to more organizational resources and Danone’s reputation as a food (rather than a supplement) brand could also make this more attainable for Huel. Danone could be a really useful vehicle for putting complete, plant-based nutrition in the hands of more people, and I think that’s something to be hopeful about. Of course, these are just some cool ideas, as we don’t know what the future holds!

I understand the concerns around quality, but Julian founded Huel on a clear mission to improve the health of people and the planet. That mission is embedded in how we build products and make decisions. The team remains committed to the values Julian set out when he founded Huel. The nutritional standards that define Huel are exactly why this partnership exists, and compromising them would defeat the purpose of the deal. Food safety and quality remain central to everything we do.

We know we can count on you all to hold us accountable if things change for the worse, and I think we have a pretty good track record in recent years of listening and adjusting to customer feedback. We have a lot of long-term plans for the future that are unaffected by this acquisition: exciting new products, expansion of existing products, easier website functionality and greater retail availability. I personally found out about this acquisition very recently, and nothing about our long-term goals would have indicated it to me. These goals do not seem to indicate diminished quality but rather enhanced quality and fulfilling wishes that customers have had for a long time. We hope you’re willing to wait and see what we have in store!

[Hope_Huel]

I think the match makes sense. Danone is really committed to making nutrition more widely accessible, one of Huel’s core goals: Danone North America Announces $22M Investment in Nutrition, Education, and Accessibility to Support Better Health Outcomes

The fears about a corporate acquisition are the same as fears when any company gets larger: diminished quality, cut corners, etc. These fears would exist whether or not Huel grew on its own or with the aid of another company. If you’ve stuck with us for these 10 years, when Huel went from nonexistence to a $560 million+ company, I think it’s worth seeing what the next 10 bring!

[i_love_powdered_food]

I am saddened to hear this too. The reaction from your customer base has been overwhelmingly negative, especially on the UK forum: Huel has agreed to join Danone. Here is everything you need to know - Huel Updates - Huel

In fact I don’t think I see a single positive reaction to this, except for Mark’s PR damage control.

In this world, no values ever survive a large enough corporation, and no hopes and dreams of an original team survive past the first few years of an acquisition. Eventually the team gets replaced by the soulless mid-management of the conglomerate and everyone who gives a damn leaves and the product decays. Enshittification begins today.

I don’t think you need to sugarcoat this, and trying to greenwash it with misplaced optimism honestly just feels kinda slimy. At least have the integrity to say “We know this is an unpopular decision and Danone is controversial. But we needed the money to grow.” That would at least be honest and less infantilizing of your customer base.

“No current plans” are meaningless weasel words. It would’ve been better if the acquisition included, say, any sort of promise from Danone not to change things for X years. But you don’t even have that. Your customer-facing staff didn’t even know this was coming? That’s never a good sign. Sounds like your own leadership betrayed your staff and tried to hide this from you until the last minute. How much did the execs get? How much did any of the staff get? I hope Danone at least treats your staff well after the acquisition and doesn’t start cutting PTO and benefits like so often happens after an acquisition. Companies like Danone aren’t committed to anything except stockholder value and executive bonuses.

Sad. I haven’t hit the cancel button yet, but will definitely be watching the next few months closely, and searching for alternatives too.

If anyone at Danone’s reading this: I think you just put Huel into hospice. Too bad you didn’t opt for a 49% stake and let the Huel team maintain majority control. With a full acquisition, Huel loses everything that made it Huel.