Brands Briefing: The brands that are ripe for acquisition in 2026

There are already signs that it is poised to be another big year for already-hot categories like better-for-you food and beverage. Last week, protein bar startup Trubar was acquired by Turkish snacking company ETi Gıda for $173 million. And earlier this month, dog food startup Ollie was acquired by Spain-based food conglomerate Agrolimen.

According to investors and investment bankers, brands across beauty, wellness, pet and food, and beverage are likely to be the biggest targets for M&A in 2026.

Peter Horsley, who leads Bain’s EMEA Mergers & Acquisitions practice, said we’ll likely see smaller and more frequent deals that benefit emerging brands, compared to the large, concentrated ones that made headlines the past year or so.

According to Bain’s Consumer Products M&A report from January, sub-$2 billion deals now represent more than a third of all M&A. According to Horsley, “There are many insurgent brands that are growing at a faster rate” than mass conglomerates’ products. This also makes it more challenging for potential acquirers to seek out the best long-term buy. The biggest focus for strategics and investment firms, Horsley said, is “weeding out the fads from the non-fads” before acquiring a new brand. 

Horsley declined to name specific companies, but said emerging brands in vitamins, minerals and supplements are trending as top targets for acquisition. He also predicts that interest in wellness-focused products across beauty and food will drive dealmaking this year. This is especially true as premiumization continues to take hold of packaged goods, he said. “Beauty is particularly an area where, if you [as the acquirer] can add a brand on the premium end, you can justify [the acquisition] with large gross margins,” Horsley said.

Below are just a few examples of the types of brands that some investors believe are primed for a buyout.

Food and beverage

Genevieve Gilbreath is the founding partner at Springdale Ventures, which has backed brands like Goodles and Khloud. She said she expects health- and wellness-focused brands to continue to generate interest among conglomerates looking to overhaul or tweak their portfolios. 

Chomps is one fast-growing brand that comes to mind, Gilbreath said, as it’s in a hot category and on-trend with its protein and convenient snacking format. The meat stick brand now generates approximately $500 million in annual sales and recently invested in additional owned manufacturing to meet demand. “These are the types of brands primed for acquisition because it also appeals to pan-generational consumers,” she said.

Given that its biggest competitor, Poppi, sold to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion last year, many in the space are now watching to see if Olipop also sells this year. Olipop reportedly generated over $500 in sales in 2025, with a valuation of $1.85 billion after its last funding round last year. The beverage sector is saturated with countless hydration and energy brands. But Olipop’s consistent growth and on-trend better-for-you proposition keep it top of mind. 

Other food and beverage startups that could be tasty acquisition targets are those that are taking a more premium and modern approach to a category that has historically been overlooked, as Fishwife has done with tinned fish.

Beauty and wellness

In the beauty space, Saltair is shaping up to be a sought-after buy. The body care brand is best known for its line of body wash in scents like Santal Bloom and Salt Water Vanilla, which retail for $14. These accessibly-priced products have made the brand a favorite among Gen Z, making it a top-seller at retailers like Target and Ulta. Saltair is also one of the brands riding the body care boom, in which people build a skin care routine for the full body, including cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing. 

According to the Business of Fashion, the brand generated $100 million in sales in 2025 and is expected to reach $150 million this year. It also helps that the folks behind the scenes have a proven record. Saltair was launched by The Center in 2022, the same accelerator that helped drive Naturium to an E.l.f. acquisition in 2023. 

After smashing launch sales records at Ulta, Rare Beauty is once again in the spotlight for its ability to continuously attract young consumers to its products. The Selena Gomez-founded company is now valued at roughly $2.7 billion. Particularly after Rhode sold to E.l.f. Beauty last year, many in the space are watching to see if Rare Beauty will look to make a comparable exit this year. Another brand that’s being watched is Makeup by Mario, which has become a Sephora bestseller since launching in 2020.

That meteoric rise is also what’s making it a heavy lift for many beauty conglomerates to take on. Gilbreath said there is somewhat of a finite window for brands to sell, as they can become too big for a strategic player to absorb and support. “Once you get over the billion-dollar price point, you’ve got a limited pool of buyers out there,” Gilbreath said. 

That dilemma is partly why the types of parent companies looking to buy out high-growth brands are getting broader. Gilbreath said, with only so many North American players to acquire these brands, overseas players and investment firms will increasingly scoop up startups.

Indeed, there is a growing trend of private equity firms acquiring major stakes in packaged goods categories like beauty, wellness and food. In 2025, Bansk Group acquired a majority stake in the skin-care brand Byoma from another investment firm, Yellow Wood Partners. And last year, San Francisco-based private equity firm Gryphon Investors acquired sparkling water brand Spindrift in a deal valued at over $650 million.

No matter the category, Gilbreath said the biggest brand targets will be businesses that have a healthy top line and net revenue and good EBITDA. “Those are the deals that are gonna get done,” she said. 

“There was a slowdown for a little while,” Gilbreath said. “But the money is still out there, and these companies really still need growth, so the deals will continue.” 

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