Groupe Danone

What Groupe Danone does

Groupe Danone is a Paris-headquartered global food and beverage company organized around three core categories: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based Products (yogurts, fermented milks, and plant-based alternatives under brands such as Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Silk, Danonino, International Delight, and YoPRO), Waters (premium and packaged water brands including Evian, Volvic, Aqua, Mizone, Salus, and Żywiec Zdrój), and Specialized Nutrition (infant formula, follow-on milk, and medical nutrition under Aptamil, Cow & Gate, and Nutricia). Founded in 1919 in Barcelona by Isaac Carasso as a pharmacy-sold probiotic yogurt business, the company now operates in 120+ countries with approximately 90,000 employees and reported €27.6 billion in 2023 sales, making it one of the largest branded nutrition platforms globally.

Underlying technology and science centers on gut microbiome and microbiota research, with dedicated Danone Research centers supporting probiotic strain development, clinical nutrition, and infant formula science. The product platform spans fermented dairy, plant-based proteins (soy, oat, almond, coconut, hazelnut, rice), packaged mineral and functional water, and clinical nutrition for disease-state management. Manufacturing and sourcing are vertically integrated through programs such as Pequeno Productor in Mexico, where Danone is part of a multi-buyer coalition that has trained 32,000+ smallholder farmers and converted 66,000+ hectares to regenerative practices.

The business model is a B2B/B2C branded consumer goods model: products are sold via direct sales teams, distributors, retail partnerships, traditional trade channels, healthcare distribution, and e-commerce at market-determined retail prices. Revenue is diversified across three categories, two principal operating geographies (Europe and North America plus growing Asia Pacific exposure), and millions of end consumers. The Renew Danone strategic plan launched in 2022 has guided portfolio pruning (Russia exit 2024, Horizon Organic divestiture 2024) and reinvestment into higher-growth segments, evidenced by the announced 2025 acquisitions of MADE Group (Asia Pacific healthy nutrition) and Huel (Functional Nutrition), and the Yakult India 50:50 joint venture pursuing double-digit growth in the Indian probiotics market.

Name

Groupe Danone

Legal name

Danone S.A.

Website

https://danone.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Groupe Danone is a Paris-headquartered global food and beverage company operating in 120+ countries across Essential Dairy & Plant-Based Products, Waters, and Specialized Nutrition, serving mass-market consumers, infants, and medical nutrition patients through brands such as Evian, Activia, Alpro, and Aptamil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Food and Beverages

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Packaged Foods (Gluten-Free, Keto, Organic, Medical/Allergen-Friendly) (CRADAAAI)

Keywords

• Dairy and yogurt products
• Plant-based foods
• Bottled mineral water
• Infant formula
• Medical nutrition

Headquarters

HQ city

Blaenavon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Essential Dairy & Plant-Based Products: Dairy products and plant-based alternatives including yogurts, fermented products, and dairy alternatives sold under brands such as Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Danette, Danone, Danonino, International Delight, Silk, and YoPRO.
2. Waters: Bottled water products including Evian, Volvic, Aqua, Mizone, Salus, and Żywiec Zdrój. Premium and mainstream water brands distributed globally.
3. Specialized Nutrition: Early Life Nutrition (infant formula, baby food) and Medical Nutrition products for patients with specific nutritional needs, including Aptamil, Cow & Gate, and Nutricia brands.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Groupe Danone manufactures, markets, and distributes packaged food and beverage products organized into three global business lines: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products (yogurts, fermented milks, plant-based alternatives like Alpro and Silk), Waters (natural mineral and bottled water brands such as Evian, Volvic, and Aqua), and Specialized Nutrition (infant formula brands Aptamil and Cow & Gate, plus medical nutrition products under Nutricia). It sells these own-manufactured products in 120+ countries through retail stores, e-commerce, healthcare channels, and traditional trade networks, with 89% of its portfolio classified as healthy products.

Product overview

Groupe Danone is a global food and beverage company organized around three core product categories: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products (yogurts, fermented milks, and plant-based alternatives under brands such as Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Danette, Danone, Danonino, International Delight, Silk, and YoPRO), Waters (natural mineral and packaged waters under Evian, Volvic, Żywiec Zdrój, Aqua, Mizone, and Salus), and Specialized Nutrition (infant formulas and medical nutrition under Aptamil, Cow & Gate, and Nutricia). The company has recently expanded through acquisitions including MADE Group (Asia-Pacific healthy nutrition) and Huel (functional nutrition). Danone also holds B Corp certification and operates sustainability programs across its portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Actimel: Probiotic fermented milk drink
• Activia
• Alpro
• Danette
• Danonino
• International Delight
• Silk
• YoPRO
• Aqua
• Evian
• Mizone
• Volvic
• Żywiec Zdrój
• Salus
• Aptamil
• Cow & Gate
• Nutricia
• Danone Skyr
• GetPRO
• Light & Free
• Oykos
• Harrogate Spring Water

Products and services

• Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products A broad product category of dairy yogurts, fermented milk drinks, and plant-based alternatives (soy, oat, almond, coconut) sold under brands including Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Danette, Danone, Danonino, International Delight, Silk, and YoPRO, for health-conscious consumers seeking daily nutrition and digestive-health support.
• Waters A portfolio of packaged water brands including natural mineral water (Evian, Volvic, Żywiec Zdrój), functional/spring waters (Aqua, Mizone), and spa/mineral waters (Salus), sold across global markets for hydration and premium mineral-water consumption.
• Specialized Nutrition Medical and early-life nutrition products serving infants, young children, and individuals with specific medical nutritional needs, including infant formulas, follow-on milks, and specialized clinical nutrition under brands Aptamil, Cow & Gate, and Nutricia.
• Actimel A probiotic fermented milk drink marketed for immune system support, containing Lactobacillus casei cultures, sold as a daily functional dairy product.
• Activia A probiotic yogurt brand marketed for digestive health benefits, containing Bifidobacterium cultures, available as yogurts, drinkable formats, and on-the-go pots.
• Alpro A plant-based food and beverage brand offering soy, oat, almond, coconut, hazelnut, and rice-based dairy alternatives including milks, yogurts, desserts, and creamers; a major brand in the dairy-alternatives market.
• Danette A brand of stirred and fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts sold primarily in European markets in multiple flavors and formats.
• Danone yogurt The company's namesake brand of yogurt and dairy products originally founded in 1919, including a range of plain and flavored yogurts sold globally.
• Danonino A children's yogurt brand offering fruit-flavored yogurt pots and drinkable formats targeted at young children, often with added vitamins and calcium.
• International Delight A coffee creamer and non-dairy cream substitute brand popular in the United States, offering flavored liquid creamers.
• Silk A leading plant-based beverage and dairy alternative brand in North America, offering oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, and coconut-based products including yogurts and creamers.
• YoPRO A high-protein yogurt and fermented milk drink brand targeting fitness and active-lifestyle consumers, with flavors and protein-enriched formulations.
• Aqua A bottled water brand sold primarily in Indonesia and select Asian markets, sourced from local springs and packaged in various sizes.
• Evian A premium natural mineral water brand sourced from the French Alps near Évian-les-Bains, sold globally in glass and plastic bottles across still and sparkling variants.
• Mizone A functional bottled water and beverage brand distributed across Asia-Pacific markets, positioned as a hydration brand with mineral additions.
• Salus A mineral and spa water brand, including products such as La Salvetat, sold in European and international markets.
• Volvic A natural mineral water sourced from the Auvergne region of France, sold globally in still and flavored variants and used as a base for Danone's hydration products.
• Żywiec Zdrój A Polish mineral water brand sourced from the Beskid Żywiecki mountains, sold across Poland and Central/Eastern European markets in still and sparkling formats.
• Aptamil A premium infant and follow-on formula brand, developed with scientific research and targeted at babies and toddlers, sold across Europe, Asia, and other international markets.
• Cow & Gate A UK-based infant formula and baby food brand offering a range of milks, cereals, and pouches for babies and toddlers from birth onwards.
• Nutricia A specialized medical nutrition brand offering clinically validated nutritional products for patients with disease-related malnutrition, metabolic disorders, and other medical conditions, operating across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions.
• Dairy and Plant Milk Powder Blend for Infants A new dairy-and-plant infant formula combining 60% dairy protein with 40% non-GMO soy protein, fortified with iron, zinc, folate, and vitamins, for parents seeking iron-fortified plant-containing infant nutrition.
• Huel A functional nutrition brand offering complete food products (powders, ready-to-drink, and bars) with balanced macronutrient profiles, integrated into Danone's portfolio through an acquisition announced in 2025.
• MADE Group An Asia-Pacific healthy nutrition company acquired by Danone to expand the group's presence in the fast-growing healthy nutrition space in the Asia-Pacific region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of products sold belong to healthy categories
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Yakult HonshamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYakult India is a 50:50 joint venture between Yakult Honsha of Japan and Groupe Danone. The JV pursues double-digit growth in the Indian probiotics market, which nearly doubled from Rs 1,016 crore in 2021 to Rs 2,070 crore in 2025, growing at around 22 percent annually. Yakult India operates through proprietary chilled distribution infrastructure spanning 35 distribution centers.
• TechnoServecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnoServe, with support from the Walmart Foundation Mexico, launched the 'Pequeno Productor' program thirteen years ago to connect smallholder farmers in Mexico to formal markets through regenerative agriculture practices. The initiative has trained over 32,000 farmers, generated $170 million in fruit and vegetable sales across 25 states, and transformed more than 66,000 hectares to regenerative land management.
• NestléminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé is part of a multi-buyer coalition that includes Danone, PepsiCo, Walmart, and eleven other food companies that directly source from Pequeno Productor farmers in Mexico, reducing intermediaries and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
• PepsiCominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPepsiCo is part of a multi-buyer coalition that includes Danone, Nestlé, Walmart, and eleven other food companies that directly source from Pequeno Productor farmers in Mexico.
• WalmartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalmart is part of a multi-buyer coalition that includes Danone, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and eleven other food companies that directly source from Pequeno Productor farmers in Mexico.
• MADE GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanone announced acquisition of MADE Group to expand its presence in the fast-growing healthy nutrition space in Asia Pacific region.
• HuelmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanone announced acquisition of Huel to extend its portfolio in Functional Nutrition, adding to the company's offerings in this growing category.
• Danone Ecosystem PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanone Ecosystem has 92+ partners including NGOs, governments, and other organizations working on regenerative agriculture, watershed protection, inclusive plastic collection, and health missions. Since 2009, over 100 projects have been launched with €248 million sustainably co-invested, impacting 6.1 million people indirectly and empowering 83,400+ people professionally.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yakult Honsha: Japanese probiotic dairy beverage company and Danone's 50:50 JV partner in Yakult India. Direct overlap on probiotic fermented dairy products with shared scientific heritage in lactobacillus research; Yakult competes head-to-head with Actimel/Activia in many Asian markets.
• China Mengniu Dairy: Major Chinese dairy conglomerate with overlapping product range in yogurt (Mengniu Suanpailuo, Yoyi-C), infant formula, and ice cream. Mengniu's APAC scale and Bellamy's Organic acquisition create direct competition for Danone's Specialized Nutrition growth in Asia.
• Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group: China's largest dairy producer competing directly with Danone in infant formula (Yili's Mengniu and Yili brands) and dairy yogurt. Yili's deep APAC distribution and low-cost structure are direct competitive pressures on Danone's APAC expansion plans.
• Oatly Group: Plant-based oat milk specialist competing head-to-head with Alpro and Silk in retail and foodservice. While much smaller in scale, Oatly is the highest-profile emerging disruptive competitor in Danone's plant-based growth category.
• Hain Celestial Group: Specialty natural and organic food company with plant-based (Dream, WestSoy) and infant/toddler nutrition. Hain's recent infant formula portfolio divestiture (selling to JM Smucker) reduced overlap, but the company remains a smaller-scale direct peer in organic/plant-based packaged foods.

Regional players

• Meiji Holdings: Japanese food and pharmaceutical company with major dairy, yogurt, and infant formula franchises. Comparable in product mix (fermented milk, probiotics, infant nutrition) though primarily serving Japan and Asia; directly competes with Danone in APAC infant formula.

Broad incumbents

• Unilever: Global consumer goods company with overlapping ice cream (now standalone), plant-based (Hellmann's vegan), and nutrition offerings. Comparable scale and emerging-markets distribution, though Unilever's food portfolio is less differentiated in functional nutrition than Danone's.
• General Mills: US-centric packaged food company with growing plant-based (Yoplait yogurt, Annie's, Häagen-Dazs) and pet food exposure. Comparable in packaged food scale and US grocery distribution, especially relevant given Danone's yogurt competition with Yoplait.
• Nestlé: World's largest food and beverage company with overlapping categories including dairy, bottled water (S. Pellegrino, Perrier), infant nutrition (NAN, Gerber), and plant-based products. Nestlé is the primary global comparable for Danone given its similar diversified nutrition portfolio and scale.
• PepsiCo: Global snacks and beverages giant with bottled water (Aquafina, LIFEWTR), probiotic partnerships (YoPRO licensee in some markets), and Quaker/plant-based adjacencies. Multi-buyer coalition partner with Danone on smallholder sourcing; competitor in functional beverages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/danone
• YouTubeyoutube.com/Danone
• Facebookfacebook.com/Danone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/danone
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeatdanone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 Groupe Danone