Danone to double stake in Epigamia: report

French multinational firm Danone is planning to double its shareholding in popular dairy brand Epigamia by buying Belgian investment firm Verlinvest’s stake, The Economic Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Currently, Danone and Verlinvest hold around 30% shares each in Drums Food International, the parent firm of Epigamia.

The talks are in initial stages, and no final decision has been made on whether Verlinvest will fully divest or partially dilute its share, the ET report sid.

Meanwhile, Verlinvest’s stake has drawn attention from other parties, increasing competition for Danone, according to the report.

Founded in 2013, Epigamia is a seller of variety of products including yoghurts, smoothies, shakes, and desserts.

As of December 2023, the brand was valued at Rs1,250 crore.

Its shareholders includes investors such as actress Deepika Padukone’s KA Enterprises, actor John Abraham, Cipla’s Samina Vaziralli, Kanwaljit Singh of Fireside Ventures, and Manu Chandra of Sauce VC.