RFI Ingredients Enters Strategic Growth Partnership with Astanor

RFI Ingredients, a vertically-integrated supplier of botanical extracts, whole food ingredients, specialty nutritional ingredients, and advanced delivery technologies, announced a strategic growth partnership with global agrifood investment firm Astanor.

The investment positions RFI to expand in Europe and Asia-Pacific, strengthen its science-based ingredient portfolio, conduct more clinical research, and pursue strategic acquisitions that strengthen its capabilities for customers across the food, beverage, and dietary supplement markets. All future acquisitions will be integrated under the RFI brand.

During this phase of expansion, Jeff Wuagneux, RFI’s founder and CEO, will retain majority ownership and continue to lead the company in its operations. The existing team will also remain in place, ensuring continuity to customers, suppliers, and employees; Astanor will provide expertise in international expansion and strengthen the company’s position globally.

The investment will also enable RFI to expand its sustainability efforts throughout its supply chain and manufacturing, focusing on broader organic, regenerative, upcycled, ecological, and social initiatives.

This is Astanor’s second investment in a company making an impact in the dietary supplement supply chain. Astanor’s investment was made in collaboration with Aurae and La Maison Partners; Aurae is a Paris-based European investment fund that offers deep expertise in regenerative agriculture and natural ingredient supply chains, and La Maison Partners is a capital investment firm specializing in cross-border industrial and financial networks.

“For 37 years, we have built RFI Ingredients on a simple conviction: quality starts in the field,” said Jeff Wuagneux, founder and CEO of RFI Ingredients. “Nutraceutical, functional food, and beverage brands increasingly want a global partner with the scale, science, and supply integrity. In Astanor, we found a partner who understands our industry deeply, shares our from-field-to-formula philosophy, and brings the experience to help us grow in Europe and APAC as well as develop science and clinically backed ingredients.”

“The partnership is the perfect example of what Astanor Growth additivity is in the low mid-market private equity: building trust with founders and management years before any transaction happens and showing that capital flexibility and industry expertise unlock bilateral win-win situations,” said Eric Archambeau, founder and senior managing partner at Astanor. “We are excited to close our second deal, once again proprietary, on this fast-growing, though resilient and recession-proof dietary supplement industry, with RFI positioned in one of the most attractive segments with the right impact-generating position in the value chain.”

“We’ve been impressed by RFI’s growth trajectory outpacing market rate consistently over the cycles, while being self-financed to date,” said Benoit Boisseuil, partner at Astanor. “We’re looking forward to backing RFI’s management team to further enhance its leading position as a vertically integrated turnkey solution provider and continue to deliver differentiated science, while controlling supply and scale profitably.”