Verlinvest

Verlinvest was established in 1995.⁠[1]

In 2007, Verlinvest partnered with the founders of the coconut water brand Vita Coco to provide capital for expanded distribution in the US and international expansion, and helped launch the business in the UK and negotiate an agreement with a key distributor in China. As of October 2026, Vita Coco was still listed as an active investment.⁠[2][2][2][2]

In 2015, Verlinvest invested in the US pet supplies e-commerce company Chewy; when PetSmart acquired Chewy in 2017, Verlinvest sold its stake.⁠[3]

In 2016, Verlinvest and China Resources established a joint venture to invest in mid-sized, high-growth businesses in the healthy branded food and beverage and senior care sectors. The joint venture invested in the Swedish oat drink company Oatly in November 2016, and the deal was announced on December 2; the funds were to expand Oatly’s manufacturing footprint in Sweden and fund its entry into markets including China and the US. At the time, Verlinvest was a Belgian, family-owned investment company focused on international high-growth consumer businesses, with offices in Brussels, New York, and Singapore, and Frédéric de Mevius was Chairman of the Board.⁠[4][4][4][5][4][4]

In March 2020, Verlinvest invested in the Dutch chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely; Ben Black led the investment alongside JamJar Investments and joined the company’s Supervisory Board.⁠[6][6]

In 2021, Verlinvest invested in the New Zealand university admissions consulting company Crimson Education to support its growth and accelerate its expansion in the US market; the investment is classified under the North America region and the Lifestyle sector, and the Verlinvest contact is Alexander Rosenthal. As of October 2026, the investment was still marked as active.⁠[7][7][7][7]

On March 15, 2023, the Nasdaq-listed Oatly announced a $425 million capital raise, in which Verlinvest committed to anchoring a $300 million private convertible investment. Nativus Company Limited, Verlinvest, and Blackstone funds purchased an aggregate $200.1 million of Swedish Notes; in May of that year, Verlinvest agreed to sell $15 million of those notes to Hillhouse. Verlinvest CEO Roberto Italia said he was very confident in Oatly’s future.⁠[8][8][9][9][8]

In October 2025, Verlinvest marked its 30th anniversary with an event titled “Futurekind,” attended by representatives of portfolio companies including Oatly, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Purplle.⁠[10][10][10]

On February 2, 2026, Verlinvest announced that Boiron CEO Pascal Houdayer and retail executive Indira Thambiah had joined its Board of Directors; at the time, Stefan Descheemaeker was Chairman of the Board and Roberto Italia was CEO.⁠[11][11][11]

On September 15, 2026, the home swapping platform HomeExchange announced an investment from Verlinvest to expand its global platform, with a focus on North America and Western Europe; existing shareholder ISAI exited, and the two co-CEOs increased their stakes.⁠[1][1][1][1]

On October 6, 2026, Verlinvest and the Munich investment company Family Trust Investor joined five bouldering brands, The Climbing Hangar in the UK, Boulders in Denmark, and Urban Apes, Der Steinbock, and Café Kraft in Germany and Austria, to form The International Bouldering Alliance, with 39 gyms across four countries. Verlinvest was already an investor in The Climbing Hangar and Boulders.⁠[12][12][12]

Verlinvest’s evergreen capital has no fixed exit horizon; it invests across three strategies, Venture (via V3 Ventures), Growth, and Platform, typically investing €20 million to €200 million per deal. As of October 2026, it managed over €2.5 billion in assets, with a portfolio including Oatly, Vita Coco, Tony’s Chocolonely, Purplle, K1 Speed, Mutti, Who Gives A Crap, and Insomnia Cookies, and exited investments including Chewy, Sula, and Vitaminwater.⁠[13][14][13][12]

As of the end of 2025, CR Verlinvest Health Investment Limited (CRVV), a joint venture owned 50% by Verlinvest S.A. and 50% by a China Resources entity, together with its wholly owned subsidiary Nativus Company Limited, held approximately 43.5% of the voting power of Oatly, making it Oatly’s largest shareholder.⁠[9][9][9]

As of October 2026, Roberto Italia was Chief Executive Officer, Arjun Anand was Managing Director, Singapore and Head of Asia, and Ben Black was Managing Director, London; the team is based in Brussels, London, New York, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Singapore.⁠[15][15][10][15][13]

Verlinvest: Official website: https://www.verlinvest.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1]

LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verlinvest (opens in a new window)⁠[14]