REG - Hilton Food Grp Plc - Strategic External Investment

Hilton FoodAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 0079R  Hilton Food Group PLC  15 July 2025

 

15(th) July 2025

 

Hilton Food Group plc

 

Apax Global Impact Fund to make strategic investment in Foods Connected -
accelerating future growth

 

Hilton Food Group plc ("Hilton Foods" or the "Group"), the leading
international multi-protein food business, is pleased to announce that it has
secured a strategic external investment into Foods Connected, its supplier
management platform, from the Apax Global Impact Fund, advised by Apax
Partners LLP ("Apax").

 

As part of the transaction, Hilton Foods will receive cash consideration of
£22m for the sale of its shares. Upon completion, Hilton Foods will hold 26%
of the business.

 

This investment builds on Foods Connected's success to date, bringing in
additional capital and Apax's technology expertise to accelerate its next
phase of growth.

The Board of Hilton believes that partnering with an experienced technology
investor will accelerate growth in Foods Connected, which serves as an enabler
for the Group's end-to-end supply chain management approach. Foods Connected's
bespoke technology provides real-time data to optimise supply chains and
enhance cost efficiency, quality standards, risk visibility and
sustainability.

 

The Apax Global Impact Fund has a strong track record of supporting software
and services businesses tackling key social and environmental challenges, and
sees Foods Connected as well-positioned to scale globally while advancing
safer, more transparent, and sustainable food supply chains.

 

Steve Murrells, CEO of Hilton Foods, said:

"We're delighted to be partnering with Apax Global Impact team, who have the
right experience, capabilities and infrastructure to help us realise, at pace,
the full scale of the opportunities ahead for Foods Connected.

 

This partnership positions Foods Connected to deliver greater value to
customers and remains central to our strategy. This strategic investment
strengthens our ability to meet clients' evolving needs, underscores the
platform we've built and enables us to sharpen our focus on our core food
business. I look forward to working with the Apax team as we strengthen and
grow Foods Connected, for the benefit of Hilton Foods and our international
customer base."

 

Edward Donkor, Partner, Apax Global Impact, added:

"We've been closely following the food safety sector worldwide, and Foods
Connected stood out as a strong platform to invest behind. Many food
businesses still use outdated tools like spreadsheets and paper, creating a
clear opportunity for Foods Connected to modernise operations. We're excited
to partner with Hilton Foods and Roger McCracken, Co-founder and CEO of Foods
Connected, to accelerate the business's expansion. Together, we'll invest in
new markets, strengthen sales and marketing, pursue strategic acquisitions,
and increase value for existing customers through expanded capabilities and
resources. We look forward to the journey ahead and the impact we can achieve
together."

 

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

 

 

-END-

 

For further information please contact:

 

 Hilton Food Group plc                             Tel: +44 (0) 1480 387214
 Steve Murrells, Chief Executive Officer

 Matt Osborne, Chief Financial Officer

 Hannah Surtees, IR & Communication Director

 Headland Consultancy                              Tel: +44 (0) 20 3805 4822
 Susanna Voyle                                     hiltonfood@headlandconsultancy.com (mailto:hiltonfood@headlandconsultancy.com)

 Will Smith

 Joanna Clark

 

About Hilton Foods

Hilton Foods is a leading international multi-protein producer, serving
customers and retail partners across the world with high quality meat,
seafood, vegan and vegetarian foods and meals. We are a business with more
than 7,500 employees, operating from 24 technologically advanced food
processing, packing and logistics facilities across 20 markets in Europe,
Asia Pacific and North America. For almost thirty years, our business has been
built on dedicated partnerships with our customers and suppliers, many forged
over several decades, and together we target long-term, sustainable growth and
shared value. We supply our customers with high quality, traceable, and
assured food products, with high standards of technical excellence and
expertise.

 

About Foods Connected

Foods Connected is an award-winning cloud-based software platform that
simplifies the food industry supply chain, optimising spend and unlocking the
data businesses need to excel. Fast to roll out and even easier to use, the
Foods Connected tools help customers manage and report on traceability,
product lifecycle management, procurement, quality control and sustainability.

 

About Apax Global Impact

Apax Partners LLP is a leading global private equity advisory firm. For over
50 years, Apax has worked to inspire growth and transform businesses. The firm
has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of c.$80 billion. Apax
Funds invest in companies across three global sectors: Tech, Services, and
Internet/Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and
strengthen world-class companies. For further information, visit www.apax.com
(http://www.apax.com) . Apax is authorised and regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority in the UK.

 

Apax Global Impact seeks out opportunities to support companies which deliver
tangible societal and/or environmental impact. The strategy revolves around
themes including Health & Wellness, Environment & Resources, Social
& Economic Mobility, and Digital Impact Enablers. Apax Global Impact
leverages the deep expertise of the Apax sector teams, the strength and global
scale of the Apax platform globally, and the value creation potential of
Apax's Operational Excellence Practice.

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