This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/01/wild-co-founders-sale-of-natural-deodorant-maker-unilever
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Wild co-founders ‘land £100m’ from sale of natural deodorant maker | Wild co-founders ‘land £100m’ from sale of natural deodorant maker |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Childhood friends sell upmarket brand to Unilever, the maker of Marmite, Dove soap and Lynx deodorant | |
| A pair of UK entrepreneurs selling refillable deodorant cases and manuka honey lip balms made from natural ingredients have reportedly landed a near-£100m payday from the sale of their brand to the global consumer goods group Unilever. | A pair of UK entrepreneurs selling refillable deodorant cases and manuka honey lip balms made from natural ingredients have reportedly landed a near-£100m payday from the sale of their brand to the global consumer goods group Unilever. |
| Wild Cosmetics, founded by childhood friends Freddy Ward and Charlie Bowes-Lyon, has been bought by Unilever, the maker of a host of brands including Marmite, Dove soap, and Axe, Lynx and Sure deodorant. | |
| Unilever has acquired the upmarket brand – which specialises in “refillable, natural, body care” – as it seeks to shift its portfolio towards premium and high-growth brands. | Unilever has acquired the upmarket brand – which specialises in “refillable, natural, body care” – as it seeks to shift its portfolio towards premium and high-growth brands. |
| Wild makes premium deodorants starting from £12, lip balms from £7.20, and body washes and hand washes priced from £15.40, using plant-based ingredients, with refillable, plastic-free packaging. | Wild makes premium deodorants starting from £12, lip balms from £7.20, and body washes and hand washes priced from £15.40, using plant-based ingredients, with refillable, plastic-free packaging. |
| The Brixton-based startup changed hands for an undisclosed sum but is thought to be valued at £230m, according to the Times. | The Brixton-based startup changed hands for an undisclosed sum but is thought to be valued at £230m, according to the Times. |
| Wild was launched six years ago by Ward and Bowes-Lyon, who is a first cousin three times removed of the late Queen Mother. They wanted to tackle the issue of single-use plastics and spotted a gap in the market for sustainable bathroom products. The deal will make the pair – who are both in their 30s – millionaires, as they reportedly own nearly 26% and 17% of the company respectively. | Wild was launched six years ago by Ward and Bowes-Lyon, who is a first cousin three times removed of the late Queen Mother. They wanted to tackle the issue of single-use plastics and spotted a gap in the market for sustainable bathroom products. The deal will make the pair – who are both in their 30s – millionaires, as they reportedly own nearly 26% and 17% of the company respectively. |
| Fabian Garcia, the president of Unilever’s personal care arm, said: “The brand’s innovative approach to formulations and packaging, and social-first marketing, has made Wild an unmissably superior brand and a perfect complement to our personal care portfolio.” | Fabian Garcia, the president of Unilever’s personal care arm, said: “The brand’s innovative approach to formulations and packaging, and social-first marketing, has made Wild an unmissably superior brand and a perfect complement to our personal care portfolio.” |
| Wild’s sales jumped by 77% to £46.9m in 2023, resulting in its first pre-tax profit, of £509,000, after facing significant cost pressures the year before, according to its most recent accounts filed at Companies House. | |
| Bowes-Lyon said: “Joining Unilever marks an exciting new chapter for Wild. Our mission to remove single-use plastic from the bathroom with desirable, innovative personal care products will be hugely strengthened by leveraging Unilever’s expertise, scale and reach to further grow the brand and bring our vision to more consumers.” | Bowes-Lyon said: “Joining Unilever marks an exciting new chapter for Wild. Our mission to remove single-use plastic from the bathroom with desirable, innovative personal care products will be hugely strengthened by leveraging Unilever’s expertise, scale and reach to further grow the brand and bring our vision to more consumers.” |
| Wild is backed by investors including the founders of Innocent Drinksvia their investment vehicle JamJar Investments, along with Redbus Ventures, also based in London, and Amsterdam-based Slingshot Ventures. | |
| Unilever has snapped up a number of premium consumer brands in recent years, including the biotech haircare specialist K18 and the UK snack brand Graze. | |
| Sign up to Business Today | Sign up to Business Today |
| Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning | Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning |
| after newsletter promotion | after newsletter promotion |
| The consumer group is acquiring Wild while it is in the middle of a big shake-up, which involves 7,500 job losses, as it trims its food portfolio to focus on its biggest sellers. | |
| It is spinning off its Ben & Jerry’s and Wall’s ice-cream division, announcing plans for a main stock market listing in Amsterdam, in a blow to the London stock market. It will have secondary listings in London and New York. | It is spinning off its Ben & Jerry’s and Wall’s ice-cream division, announcing plans for a main stock market listing in Amsterdam, in a blow to the London stock market. It will have secondary listings in London and New York. |
| Unilever’s chief financial officer Fernando Fernandez was promoted to chief executive last month, replacing Hein Schumacher, who was ousted after less than two years at the helm. Fernandez previously ran Unilever’s beauty and wellbeing division, one of its fastest-growing businesses. | Unilever’s chief financial officer Fernando Fernandez was promoted to chief executive last month, replacing Hein Schumacher, who was ousted after less than two years at the helm. Fernandez previously ran Unilever’s beauty and wellbeing division, one of its fastest-growing businesses. |