Energy drink maker Celsius Holdings Inc. closed on its acquisition of Alani Nutrition LLC for $1.8 billion, including $150 million in tax assets for a net purchase price of $1.65 billion, the company said on Tuesday.
Brands within Celsius Holdings, which include Celsius Live Fit energy drinks, Celsius Essentials, Celsius On-the-Go and Celsius Hydration, represent about 16% of market share in the energy drink category, the Boca Raton, Florida-based company told CSP Daily News.
Louisville, Kentucky-based Alani Nu is a health and wellness brand focused on providing low-calorie products with unique flavors. It offers a range of products including energy drinks, daily essentials, snacks and more, and is sold at retailers including Walmart, Target, GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, Kroger, Costco and Amazon.
While Celsius has a nearly even split between male and female customers, Alani Nu’s customer base is predominately female, at about 90%. There is less than 14% crossover in household penetration between the two brands, Celsius said.
“The closing of this transaction further strengthens our ability to grow the energy drink category and reach new consumers who seek better-for-you, functional beverages as a healthier alternative to traditional, sugary energy drinks,” said Celsius Chairman and CEO John Fieldly. “The Alani Nu founders and team have built a leading portfolio of health and wellness lifestyle products enjoyed by a large and loyal consumer base. We expect to continue creating the same great-tasting products Alani Nu is known for and innovating even more great flavors and collaborations to reach more people, in more places, more often.”
Alani Nu, part of Congo Brands, will operate within Celsius, and key leadership team members of Alani Nu’s prior owners are continuing as advisors to Celsius to help ensure continued business momentum, Celsius said.
“Alani Nu has built a strong brand and a differentiated consumer base, which we believe will thrive and grow within the Celsius family,” said Alani Nu co-founder Max Clemons. “Thank you to the many Alani Nu employees and partners who have helped inspire and support our customers in their pursuit of active, wellness lifestyles. I look forward to working with the Celsius team to make Alani Nu products available to many more people and to continue creating great-tasting, functional products aligned with today’s wellness lifestyles.”
Celsius energy drinks grew 26.3% in dollar sales and were up 22.6% in unit sales in convenience stores in 2024, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm Circana. Alani Nu also saw double-digit growth in c-stores during that period, up 67.9% in dollar sales and 73.1% in unit sales.
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