American private equity firm Bain Capital has agreed to acquire Vitabiotics, a leading British vitamin company, in a deal valued at around £900 million to £1 billion. The transaction marks the end of more than 50 years of family ownership under the Lalvani family, who founded and built the business into the UK’s largest vitamin company by sales.

Vitabiotics was established in 1971 by Professor Kartar Lalvani, a scientist and entrepreneur who migrated to London in the 1950s. The company produces a range of well-known supplements, including Pregnacare, Wellman, Wellwoman, and the beauty supplement Perfectil, with celebrity endorsements from figures such as Tess Daly, Davina McCall, and David Gandy. Vitabiotics has expanded internationally and sells its products in more than 70 countries, with notable markets including India, China, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Tej Lalvani, the group’s chief executive and former investor on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, has run the business since 2015 and has been involved for over three decades. Under his leadership, the company’s annual global sales reportedly increased from around £101 million to nearly £196 million. Lalvani described the deal as a “defining moment” for Vitabiotics and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to build on his father’s vision of leveraging science and nutrition to improve everyday health. He also emphasized that the sale presents a significant opportunity to accelerate international growth and innovation.

Professor Kartar Lalvani, now 94, is set to take on an honorary role as chairman emeritus under Bain’s ownership. The family, estimated to have a net worth of approximately £525 million, will benefit from the sale after five decades of leadership without outside investors or bank loans.

Bain Capital, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, said the UK would remain central to the business and that there would be no immediate changes to its day-to-day operations. The firm, known for previous acquisitions and takeover attempts in the UK market, plans to invest in growing Vitabiotics’ international footprint further. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval.

This acquisition is part of a broader trend of increased US investment in UK companies, with several FTSE 100 firms recently accepting takeover offers from American private equity and investment trusts. Other notable takeovers this year include Segro, Intertek, Beazley, Schroders, and DCC, raising discussions about the future of UK business ownership amid growing foreign interest.

Financial advisory firms Houlihan Lokey and Rothschild reportedly advised Vitabiotics and Bain Capital, respectively, on the transaction. Ridgeview, another US private equity firm, also recently made a takeover offer for UK software company Pinewood Technologies, signaling sustained American appetite for UK-based businesses.