PepsiCo agrees to acquire US probiotics drink company KeVita

PepsiCo has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire KeVita, which makes fermented probiotic and kombucha drinks.

The transaction will expand PepsiCo’s health and wellness offerings in the premium chilled beverage space, it said. It comes less than three months after the brand announced a bold new move to launch three ‘cleansing’ probiotic apple cider vinegar drinks.

“I am pleased to welcome KeVita into the PepsiCo family,” said Chris Lansing, general manager and vice-president of PepsiCo Premium Nutrition. “Under the leadership of CEO Bill Moses, KeVita has become an innovative, high–growth brand that is transforming the functional beverage space. This announcement is further evidence of PepsiCo’s focus on delivering performance with purpose by continuing to evolve our health and wellness offerings to meet consumers’ changing needs.”

KeVita is a leader in fermented probiotic and kombucha beverages with three product lines and live probiotics in every bottle. With over two dozen flavours of sparkling probiotic drinks, master brew kombucha and apple cider vinegar tonic, all KeVita drinks are certified organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan.

KeVita will continue to operate independently with its production and bottling facilities located in Oxnard, California.

“Joining the PepsiCo family will give us an opportunity to extend KeVita’s trend-forward beverages to a broader audience, while staying committed to our core values,” said Bill Moses, CEO and co-founder of KeVita. “We’re looking forward to more consumers experiencing the KeVita brand and to leveraging PepsiCo’s marketing and distribution capabilities.”

The financial details of the acquisition were not publicly disclosed.