Huel
Huel is a UK-based plant-based nutrition company producing nutritionally complete meal products (powders, RTD shakes, hot meals, greens) sold direct-to-consumer in 100+ countries and through major US retailers. Founded 2014, it serves health-conscious, fitness, and weight-management consumers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTring, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Huel does
Huel is a UK-based plant-based nutrition company founded in 2014/2015 by Julian Hearn and James Collier, headquartered in Tring, Hertfordshire. The company produces and distributes nutritionally complete meal products built on a base of oats, pea protein, flaxseed, coconut, and MCTs, formulated to deliver 27 essential vitamins and minerals with balanced macronutrients and supported by over 100 peer-reviewed studies cited by the company. Its portfolio spans powdered meals (Huel Powder, Essential Powder, Daily Superblend, Black Edition Powder), ready-to-drink shakes (RTD and Black Edition RTD), hot instant meals (Hot & Savory Meal Packs), greens and superfoods (Daily Greens powder and RTD), energy drinks (Energy+), and high-protein snacks (Complete Nutrition Bars, Complete Protein), unified by a "100% complete nutrition per serving" positioning and 100% vegan, low-carbon formulation.
Huel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Huel
- Legal name
- Huel Limited
- Website
- https://huel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Huel is a UK-based plant-based nutrition company producing nutritionally complete meal products (powders, RTD shakes, hot meals, greens) sold direct-to-consumer in 100+ countries and through major US retailers. Founded 2014, it serves health-conscious, fitness, and weight-management consumers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Huel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plant-Based Complete Nutrition
- NAICS
- Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (311930)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Functional Foods & Supplement Formats (Gummies, Chews, Powders, Shots) (CRADAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Natural Colorants (Plant/Algae/Microbial Extracts: Anthocyanins, Carotenoids, Chlorophyll, Spirulina) (AFAJAEAA)
Keywords
Where Huel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tring
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Huel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce Sales: Primary revenue stream via huel.com across 100+ countries, supported by subscribe-and-save (20% off) and one-time purchases, with a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time orders up to $115.
- Retail and Marketplace Wholesale: Revenue from third-party retail and marketplace partners (Target, GNC, Sprouts, Lifetime Fitness, Amazon in the US, plus 25,000+ stores globally), leveraging Huel's omnichannel model post-Danone.
- Promotions and Sweepstakes (acquisition-driven): Discount-driven promotional sales including 15% off first order, GET20HUEL Meta promo, Acquisition Bundles (20% off), Daily Greens RTD $40 promo, free t-shirt + shaker with first purchase, and Huel Review Sweepstakes incentives.
- Huel+ Loyalty and Referral Program: Engagement/retention revenue layer; Huel+ members earn points on Qualifying Purchases (with 2x points for active subscribers) redeemable for discount codes, plus a Refer-a-Friend program offering 25% off to both referrer and referee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Black Edition Powder - Complete high-protein powder meal (40g protein, 400 cal) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Black Edition Ready-to-drink - High-protein meal shakes (35g protein, 400 cal) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hot & Savory Meal Packs - Hot instant meals (up to 25g protein) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Daily Greens - Supergreens powder (91 vitamins, minerals & nutrients) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscribe-and-Save Subscription |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | New Customer Discount |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Refer-a-Friend Discount |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Huel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Huel produces and sells plant-based, nutritionally complete meal products that deliver 27 essential vitamins and minerals with balanced macronutrients in convenient formats. Its range spans powdered meals (Huel Powder, Essential Powder, Daily Superblend, Black Edition Powder), ready-to-drink shakes, hot instant savory meals (Hot & Savory), supergreens (Daily Greens powder and RTD), energy drinks (Energy+) and high-protein snacks (Complete Nutrition Bars, Complete Protein). Products are sold direct-to-consumer at huel.com across nine country storefronts in 100+ countries, supported by a subscription program, Huel+ loyalty program, and an omnichannel retail presence spanning 25,000+ stores globally (Target, GNC, Sprouts, Lifetime Fitness, Amazon).
Product overview
Huel is a single-brand complete nutrition platform built around a portfolio of plant-based meal products sold primarily through a direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce model. The product line spans multiple formats that share a common positioning of providing nutritionally complete, balanced meals: powdered meals (Huel Powder, Essential Powder, Daily Superblend, and the high-protein Black Edition Powder), ready-to-drink meals (Ready-to-Drink and Black Edition Ready-to-drink), hot instant meals (Hot & Savory Meal Packs), greens and superfoods (Daily Greens and Daily Greens Ready-to-drink), energy/vitamin drinks (Energy+), and high-protein snacks (Complete Nutrition Bars and Complete Protein). The portfolio is unified by Huel's claim of '100% complete' nutrition — 27 essential vitamins and minerals, balanced macros, and 100+ peer-reviewed studies cited in support. The D2C store and subscription program (Huel+) are the central platform layer, layered with a Customer Referral Programme, and the company was acquired by Danone in March 2026 to scale globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Black Edition Powder
Quantifiable outcome
- £250m+ revenue in FY25, up 16% YoY
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Huel
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Huel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Huel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- Arcor (Danone JV)minorDanone (Huel's parent post-acquisition) announced a joint venture with Argentina's Arcor to unlock dairy market potential. While not a direct Huel partnership, this Danone transaction shapes the strategic context for Huel's South American expansion.
- James McMaster (CEO)flagshipJames McMaster leads Huel as CEO; he will remain in his role post-Danone acquisition, with Huel operating autonomously within Danone's European structure.
- DanoneflagshipDanone entered a definitive agreement to acquire Huel for approximately €1 billion ($1.15-1.2bn) on 23 March 2026, subject to regulatory approval. Huel CEO James McMaster remains in role; the brand operates autonomously within Danone's European structure under the Renew Danone strategy. Deal provides Huel access to Danone's global distribution network, infrastructure, and R&D, while extending Danone's portfolio into the "Complete Nutrition" functional nutrition category (estimated $5.9bn market).
- Meta (advertising platform)coreHuel is an active Meta advertiser (Meta is one of Huel's primary paid social channels), and Huel's Global Marketing Director William Paterson sits on Meta's advisory board, providing strategic input to Meta's advertising platform.
- Sprouts Farmers MarketcoreSprouts is a US retail partner for Huel's Daily Greens Ready-to-drink launch in Fall 2025, alongside Target, Lifetime Fitness, and Amazon.
- TargetcoreTarget is a US national retail partner for Huel ("Now available in Target stores nationwide"). The Huel.com homepage includes a "Find Huel near you" campaign promoting Target availability, alongside distribution of Daily Greens RTD.
- AmazoncoreAmazon is a US marketplace channel for Huel, including Daily Greens RTD and other Huel products; the Huel community forum also includes a thread about Amazon orders.
- Lifetime FitnessminorLifetime Fitness is a US retail/on-site distribution partner for Huel's Daily Greens RTD launch, leveraging the fitness club channel for health-conscious consumers.
- TrueMed (HSA/FSA payments)minorHuel partners with TrueMed to enable HSA/FSA eligible purchases, as referenced via a "HSA/FSA Eligible: Learn more" link on the site that routes to the TrueMed integration.
- GNCcoreGNC is a US retail channel partner for Huel's Black Edition High-Protein Complete Meal (40g plant protein, 400 cal, three flavors), launched across GNC stores in the US to extend Huel's US retail reach beyond DTC.
- Shopify (Shopify Plus)coreHuel uses Shopify Plus as its commerce backbone; the new Shopify Plus Admin enabled Huel to onboard new staff 9x faster and efficiently manage roles across its nine global online stores.
- Snowflake (AI Data Cloud)coreHuel uses Snowflake's AI Data Cloud to unify data across the business, saving 200 hours per month and providing secure, scalable insights that drive product and customer service improvements.
- William Paterson (Global Marketing Director)coreWilliam Paterson joined Huel in 2017 as Global Marketing Director from Deutsche Telekom, M&C Saatchi, AKQA, and UDG. He sits on Meta's advisory board and is leading Huel's transition from direct response to long-term brand building (e.g., "Every Fire Needs Its Fuel").
- James Collier (co-founder and dietitian)coreCo-founder James Collier is a former NHS dietitian who co-developed Huel's complete nutrition formula; continues to be a public voice for the brand, including his book "Well Fed" (2025) and speaking on UPF/plant-based nutrition.
- Julian Hearn (founder)flagshipJulian Hearn co-founded Huel in 2014 (some sources cite 2015) and is the largest individual shareholder; received a reported £300-400m payout on the Danone deal. Co-founder James Collier is a former NHS dietitian.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Huel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ka'Chava: Plant-based complete meal shake brand with similar 'all-in-one nutrition' positioning, premium pricing, and D2C subscription model targeting wellness and performance consumers.
- Orgain: Plant-based protein and meal replacement shakes/bars sold via DTC, retail and healthcare channels; competes with Huel in the high-protein and functional nutrition category in the US.
- AG1 (Athletic Greens): Premium daily greens and complete nutrition powder brand with strong D2C and celebrity/athlete endorsement model; competes directly with Huel Daily Greens and adjacent to Huel's complete-meal positioning.
- Soylent: US-based pioneer of nutritionally complete meal replacement shakes and powders; directly competes with Huel in the powdered/RTD complete-meal category with overlapping positioning around convenience and balanced macros.
- Ample: Premium ready-to-drink complete meal brand with D2C subscription model; directly comparable to Huel's RTD and Black Edition RTD offerings in the on-the-go complete nutrition category.
- Jimmy Joy: European plant-based complete meal replacement brand (Plenny, Plenny Shake, Plenny Bar); competes with Huel across the UK/EU with similar nutritionally complete positioning and D2C subscription model.
Emerging players
- Daily Harvest: US plant-based D2C food brand with subscription model across smoothies, meals and snacks; overlaps with Huel's plant-based, convenience-led, DTC positioning and audience.
- Kate Farms: Plant-based complete nutrition shakes and formulas sold via healthcare, retail and DTC; comparable in formulation philosophy and complete-meal positioning to Huel, with stronger medical/nutrition channel presence.
- Owyn (Only What You Need): Plant-based high-protein RTD shakes and meal replacement drinks in retail and DTC; competes in the same plant-based high-protein RTD lane as Huel Black Edition.
- Sprout Living: Plant-based protein powders, greens and functional nutrition products sold D2C; competes with Huel Daily Greens and adjacent complete-nutrition positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Huel social profiles
Digital presenceHuel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Huel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Huel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Huel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Huel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Huel
What does Huel do?
Huel produces and sells plant-based, nutritionally complete meal products that deliver 27 essential vitamins and minerals with balanced macronutrients in convenient formats. Its range spans powdered meals (Huel Powder, Essential Powder, Daily Superblend, Black Edition Powder), ready-to-drink shakes, hot instant savory meals (Hot & Savory), supergreens (Daily Greens powder and RTD), energy drinks (Energy+) and high-protein snacks (Complete Nutrition Bars, Complete Protein). Products are sold direct-to-consumer at huel.com across nine country storefronts in 100+ countries, supported by a subscription program, Huel+ loyalty program, and an omnichannel retail presence spanning 25,000+ stores globally (Target, GNC, Sprouts, Lifetime Fitness, Amazon).
Is Huel a public or private company?
Huel is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Huel founded?
Huel was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Huel based?
Huel is headquartered in Tring, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Huel make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail and Marketplace Wholesale, promotions and Sweepstakes (acquisition-driven) and huel+ Loyalty and Referral Program.
Who are Huel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ka'Chava, Orgain, AG1 (Athletic Greens), Soylent, Ample and Jimmy Joy. Emerging players are Daily Harvest, Kate Farms, Owyn (Only What You Need) and Sprout Living.
Does Huel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Huel.
What industry is Huel in?
Huel's product category is Plant-Based Complete Nutrition. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAGAI, Functional Foods & Supplement Formats (Gummies, Chews, Powders, Shots), with a secondary code of AFAJAEAA, Natural Colorants (Plant/Algae/Microbial Extracts: Anthocyanins, Carotenoids, Chlorophyll, Spirulina). Its NAICS code is 3113 and its SIC code is 2000.