Herbalife to acquire U.K.-based Bioniq

Herbalife (HLF) announced an agreement to acquire certain assets from Bioniq, a UK-based personalized supplements company. Bioniq develops personalized supplement formulas using its patented product personalization engine, an individual’s health background, and a proprietary database of biomarkers. Bioniq’s personalized supplement formulations are designed for a broad range of individuals, from everyday wellness consumers to elite athletes. Bioniq will complement Herbalife’s prior acquisitions of Pro2col and Link BioSciences by enabling Herbalife to offer a broader range of personalized nutritional supplements across multiple delivery formats. The transaction is expected to close in Q2, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The $55M purchase price will be paid over five years, including an initial payment of $10M at closing. In addition, the transaction value includes up to $95M of contingent payments based on future performance. As part of the transaction, Herbalife also obtained a call option to acquire Bioniq LAB, a separate platform focused on small molecules and peptides. Bioniq’s personalized nutritional supplements are expected to be offered later this year through Herbalife independent distributors for customers in select countries in Europe and the U.S., with additional markets to follow.