The LIVEKINDLY co. acquires Swedish plant-based meat brand, Oumph!

17-Jun-2020 - Last updated on 17-Jun-2020 at 21:04 GMT

Photo Credit: Oumph!

The LIVEKINDLY co., which launched in March with the ambition of becoming one of the largest plant-based food companies, has acquired Swedish plant-based meat brand, Oumph!, known for its soy-based burgers, strips, and pulled meat products.

The LIVEKINDLY co. launched in March 2020 acquiring plant-based brands, LikeMeat and The Fry Family Food Co., as well as content startup LIVEKINDLY Media.

“Bringing Oumph! into the LIVEKINDLY co. family was a natural next step for us. Their commitment to plant-based food quality and protecting the planet mirrors our own as we accelerate our mission to make plant-based eating the new normal,” said Kees Kruythoff, CEO and chairman of the LIVEKINDLY co.

Launched in Sweden in 2015, Oumph! products are currently available across the Nordic countries, the UK, and the Netherlands, with launches in other global markets to come later this year. The brand reported a 40% growth for the first quarter 2020 across all markets.

Plant-based food sales on the rise

According to recent data from the Plant Based Foods Association and SPINS, retail sales of plant-based foods were up 90% for the 16 weeks up to April 19, 2020 compared to the same period last year.

Plant-based meat retail sales were up 148% compared to last year and 50% higher than animal-based meat sales during peak panic buying this year. For the four weeks following peak panic buying, plant-based meat sales grew at a rate of 61% while animal-based meat sales continued to decline over the same period.

“Our data shows the plant based meat boom of last year continues and as reports of animal-based meat shortages increase, we can expect plant-based meat to gain even more traction," said Tony Olson, owner and CEO of SPINS.