BiaVest

What BiaVest does

BiaVest is an Ireland-domiciled private equity investment company focused exclusively on the food and beverage sector. Founded in 2021 by former Valeo Foods Ireland and Aryzta Europe/APAC CEO Hilliard Lombard and Java Republic founder David McKernan, the firm operates as Ireland's first dedicated food investment vehicle, pursuing a buy-and-build strategy across European food companies with EBITDA above €5m. The firm provides growth capital, board representation, and operational expertise from a C-suite team drawn from food, drink, and food services backgrounds (Valeo Foods, Aryzta, Camile Thai, Cuisine de France, Kerrygold, Goodfella's).

The portfolio consists of four acquired or invested brands aggregating to roughly €80m in revenue under management and 350 employees: Nomadic Dairy (54% stake, Ireland/UK yogurt, acquired November 2021 for €29m with Development Capital), Riesa Nudeln (80% stake, German pasta, acquired October 2023), Offbeat Donuts (majority stake, Irish premium donut brand), and Nobó (strategic investor, Irish dairy-free ice cream). BiaVest does not build proprietary technology; its value proposition rests on operator-investor expertise, capital, and multi-channel distribution relationships across Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe.

The business model generates returns through majority equity investments in food companies, with revenue derived from management fees, investment income, and eventual exits on portfolio realizations. Deal sourcing combines direct founder outreach with intermediary channels (investment banks, corporate finance advisors), and the firm uses co-investment partners (Development Capital, Bank of Ireland) to underwrite larger platform acquisitions than standalone capital would permit.

Name

BiaVest

Legal name

BiaVest

Website

https://biavest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BiaVest is an Ireland-based private equity firm and the country's first dedicated food investment vehicle. It acquires majority stakes in European food and beverage companies with EBITDA above €5m, providing capital, operational expertise, and board representation under a buy-and-build strategy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Sector Private Equity

NAICS

Commercial Bakeries (311812)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy Drink & Energy Shot Production (AFAFABAG)

Keywords

• Food sector private equity
• Food brand investment
• Buy-and-build strategy
• Food company acquisitions
• SME growth capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment returns and portfolio company value creation: BiaVest generates returns through equity investments in food and beverage companies, taking ownership stakes and working to grow portfolio companies through strategic investment, operational support, and eventually exiting investments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BiaVest is Ireland's only dedicated food investment vehicle, providing equity capital, strategic partnership and board representation to high-quality food and beverage brands. It implements a buy-and-build strategy targeting European food companies, typically those with EBITDA greater than €5m, taking majority stakes and offering C-suite operational expertise to scale portfolio companies domestically and internationally.

Product overview

BiaVest is Ireland's only dedicated food investment vehicle, operating as a food-focused private equity company. Rather than offering a unified software product, BiaVest builds a diversified portfolio of food and food-related brands through strategic investment, acquiring majority stakes in established food companies. The current portfolio comprises four acquired brands: Riesa Nudeln (German pasta manufacturer), Nomadic Dairy (Irish yogurt producer), Offbeat Donuts (Irish premium donut brand), and Nobó (health food brand specializing in dairy-free products). BiaVest provides capital investment, operational expertise, and board-level participation to accelerate growth across its portfolio companies domestically and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nomadic Dairy Premium yogurt manufacturer acquired by BiaVest in November 2021 with majority stake; serves UK and Irish grocery and convenience retailers through 5 of the top 6 UK grocery multiples.
• Riesa Nudeln German pasta manufacturer acquired by BiaVest with 80% stake; serves key German retailers including ALDI, Lidl, Edeka, Rewe, Kaufland, Penny and Netto with €40m+ annual revenues.
• Offbeat Donuts Premium fresh donut brand with BiaVest as majority equity stakeholder; expansion-oriented brand targeting UK, USA and Middle East markets.
• Nobó Award-winning dairy-free ice cream and healthier chocolate brand with BiaVest as a strategic investor; sells across Ireland and Canada with mainland Europe expansion planned.

Quantifiable outcome

• €29m Nomadic Dairy acquisition completed November 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Freidler FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2023André and Oliver Freidler remain involved in advisory capacity and as 20% strategic shareholders. The Freidler brothers also operate their own food businesses ALB-GOLD, Spaichinger Nudelmacher (Swabia, Germany), and Al Dente (Detroit, USA). BiaVest and Freidler family share strong values and complementary growth ambitions for developing a leading ambient food branded business in Germany and continental Europe.
• Riesa Nudeln Management (Mike Hennig)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2023CEO Mike Hennig continues to lead Riesa Nudeln with BiaVest Co-Founder Hilliard Lombard and CFO Warren Codd joining the board. Riesa Nudeln has €40m+ revenues, 150 employees, and annual production capacity of 25,000 tonnes (doubling to 50,000 tonnes with current investment programme).
• Nomadic Dairy Management (Alan Cunningham)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2021Managing Director Alan Cunningham and team remain with the business to lead the next stage of development. BiaVest CEO Hilliard Lombard and CFO Warren Codd join the board. Nomadic is the #1 yogurt brand in UK convenience channel with 80 employees in Killygordon, Co. Donegal.
• Offbeat Donuts Founders (Brian and Sandra O'Casey)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2021BiaVest took majority equity stake in Offbeat Donuts alongside co-investor Noel Smith (MD of Fresh the Good Food Market). Founders Brian and Sandra O'Casey continue leading the business with expansion plans to UK, USA, and Middle East.
• Nobó Founders (Brian and Rachel Nolan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2021BiaVest is a significant strategic investor working alongside founders Brian and Rachel Nolan to scale Nobó. The award-winning dairy-free ice cream and chocolate brand launched from their kitchen in 2012, now selling across Ireland and Canada with mainland Europe expansion planned.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PAI Partners: Large European private equity firm with a meaningful food and consumer vertical (e.g., historical holdings in European food brands); comparable as a European food investor but operates across multiple sectors and at larger scale than BiaVest.
• Bridgepoint: Major European mid-market private equity firm with an established food and consumer portfolio; comparable in European mid-market food deal activity but with broader sector mandate and larger AUM than BiaVest.
• L Catterton: Global consumer-focused private equity firm (backed by LVMH) with significant food and beverage investments; comparable in food/consumer specialization but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint than BiaVest.

Direct peers

• Brynwood Partners: US-based private equity firm exclusively focused on the food and consumer products sector; comparable to BiaVest as a food-only PE platform pursuing buy-and-build in mid-market branded food companies.
• Bregal: European food sector specialist private equity firm investing in branded consumer food companies; directly comparable to BiaVest's thesis of building diversified food portfolios across European markets.
• Swander Pace Capital: Consumer products and food-focused private equity firm investing in branded CPG companies; directly comparable in food-only mandate and mid-market branded food focus.
• CapVest: European mid-market private equity firm with a dedicated food and consumer focus; comparable to BiaVest in target deal size (EBITDA-led), sector specialization, and buy-and-build approach in branded food businesses.
• McWin Capital Partners: European food sector specialist private equity firm with restaurant and branded food platform investments; comparable to BiaVest as a dedicated European food PE platform.

Regional players

• IK Partners: European mid-market private equity firm with a consumer and food sector presence across Northern Europe; comparable in European mid-market food investing but with a broader sector mandate and different geographic concentration than BiaVest.

Emerging players

• Sun European Partners: European private equity firm with active food and consumer products portfolio; comparable in European mid-market food deal focus though not exclusively food-specialist like BiaVest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biavest

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BiaVest