German company AlphaPet Ventures has added to its growing portfolio of brands with the acquisition of UK business JR Pet Products. It already owns Arden Grange, Wolfsblut, Wildes Land and Herrmann’s Manufaktur.

JR Pet Products was founded in 2012 by Jonathan and Rebecca Davies with seed investment from Stephen Tandy, a close friend of Jonathan. Today the JR brand is a leading premium dog treat brand, offering a wide range of high-quality, natural dog chews and treats. 

With a strong focus on top-quality raw materials and products, JR has built a loyal and strong customer base. The brand distributes its products over its own D2C shop and via B2B partners.

Marco Hierling, founder and CEO of AlphaPet, said: “Jonathan and Rebecca have built a fantastic brand. JR is an excellent addition to AlphaPet’s brand portfolio, aligning with our commitment to healthy and premium pet food, while offering a highly complementary product range.”

By partnering with AlphaPet, JR will gain access to AlphaPet’s resources and European distribution network, unlocking substantial potential for future growth.

Jonathan and Rebecca Davies said: “Our partnership with the AlphaPet team marks an exciting new chapter for JR. Together, we look forward to building on the strength of the brand, supported by our trusted suppliers and customers, to achieve our growth goals in the years ahead."

The whole team (pictured above at PATS) last year will stay on board and Jonathan (third from right) and Rebecca Davies (second from right) will continue as managing directors of JR.

The acquisition of JR is AlphaPet’s fourth acquisition since 2020 and the next step to strengthen its position as the leading European premium pet food and treats platform.

The acquisition was financed through a combination of equity and debt. Patria Investments, an existing capiton LP, acted as lead investor, alongside Venture Stars and existing AlphaPet shareholders. 

Mark Nicolson, Partner and Head of Primary Investments at Patria: “We are excited to enable the next chapter of value creation for AlphaPet and very much look forward to continuing our successful partnership with AlphaPet’s exceptional management team and capiton, one of the top performing managers in European private equity today.”

Debt financing was provided by CVC, demonstrating their ongoing support of AlphaPet’s buy and build strategy.