Houlihan Lokey Advises Ankerkraut

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Ankerkraut GmbH, a portfolio company of EMZ Partners, has sold a majority stake to Nestlé.

Hamburg-based premium herb and spice manufacturer Ankerkraut has enjoyed phenomenal growth in Germany via the direct-to-consumer and retail channels since it was founded in 2013. Nestlé has agreed to acquire the shares of investors EMZ Partners, Freigeist Capital, and Knälmann Ventures as well as a proportion of management shares and is set to become the majority shareholder of Ankerkraut. Founders Anne and Stefan Lemcke will remain shareholders and will act as brand ambassadors. The current Managing Directors Timo Haas and Alexander Schwoch will also remain shareholders and continue to manage the company’s operations.

EMZ Partners is a specialist fund investing alongside founders, family shareholders, and managers willing to acquire or consolidate the control of their capital. As specialists in private bond and equity financing, it offers an alternative to equity financing, thus avoiding or significantly limiting the dilution of the existing shareholders’ interests.

Nestlé will benefit from Ankerkraut’s agility, entrepreneurial spirit, digital capability, and strong omnichannel presence as it seeks to continue to grow in direct-to-consumer.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Ankerkraut and assisted the management and shareholders throughout the transaction, including marketing materials and business plan preparation, due diligence process coordination, and transaction negotiations. This deal demonstrates Houlihan Lokey’s deep expertise in the food and direct-to-consumer sectors.