Inspired Pet Nutrition to purchase Sopral

LONDON and PARIS — Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN), a growing pet food company controlled by CapVest Partners LLP and investment firm Parquest, has agreed to terms on the acquisition of Sopral, a pet food platform serving the European market, with manufacturing operations based in France. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Based in Pléchâtel, Brittany, France, Sopral is a manufacturer of branded premium dry pet food with a range of nutritional solutions, including brands Pro-Nutrition Prestige, Pure Life and Protect. According to IPN, Sopral has a strong reputation in France and a fast growing online and international market presence in more than 50 countries around the world. Employing more than 130 people, the company operates a 13,400-square-meter (44,000-square-feet) state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that is known for its advanced in-house R&D capabilities.

“Sopral is an excellent and growing business, with a great team, leading brands and outstanding capabilities as a manufacturer of superior-quality pet food,” said Arthur van Benthem, chief executive officer of IPN. “This highly complementary strategic combination marks a significant milestone for IPN and provides us with a state-of-the-art manufacturing, logistics and sales platform to grow and realize our ambitious growth plans in the European market. We look forward to working with the Sopral team to build on their significant successes to date.”

Headquartered in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, IPN offers the European market natural dog meals and pet treats under the brands Harringtons, Butcher’s and Wagg. The firm was acquired by international investment firm and buy-and-build specialist CapVest in 2020 and subsequently acquired Pet Food UK in 2021 along with its premium dog and cat pet food brands Aatu, Barking Heads and Meowing Heads. In August 2024, IPN acquired UK-based wet pet food manufacturer Butcher’s Pet Care.

“Following on from the acquisition of Butcher’s last year, Sopral is another great addition to the IPN platform, creating significant capability and scale to underpin IPN’s growth in Europe,” said Matthew Fargie of CapVest. “The acquisition will unlock a number of new opportunities for organic and acquisition-lead growth and is a great example of CapVest’s passion for building strong, differentiated global companies through significant investment in people, technology, innovation and capabilities.”

Thomas Babinet, partner at Parquest added, “When we invested in Sopral in 2018, our ambition was to unlock the company’s full potential together with the management team led by Yannick Guého. Collectively, we have transformed a quality-focused manufacturer into a premium brand, firmly positioned in high-growth markets. We revamped the flagship brands, strengthened the distribution network, launched an e-commerce platform and doubled production capacity. We would like to warmly thank Yannick and his team for their unwavering commitment throughout this journey.”

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