Render Capital announces that one of its Fund 1 portfolio companies, Louisville Vegan Jerky Company, has been successfully acquired by Louisville Brands, a growing house of consumer-packaged goods companies.

Louisville Vegan Jerky is the top-selling jerky brand, meat or non-meat, in Whole Foods stores nationwide. Now, as part of Louisville Brands, the company strengthens a diversified portfolio and reinforces the region's growing reputation as a national center for CPG innovation.

"Louisville Vegan Jerky has built a passionate following and a strong foundation in the plant-based sector," said Justin Delaney, CEO of Louisville Brands. "We are excited to bring the company into our portfolio and continue building from Louisville, where logistics, supply chain advantages, and a deep consumer ecosystem provide unmatched opportunities for scaling."

"Louisville Brands is about more than individual acquisitions; it's about building a sustainable platform of brands that reflect the entrepreneurial energy of this region," said Brook Smith, investor in Render Capital and longtime Louisville entrepreneur. "Louisville Vegan Jerky is an authentic brand with a national following, and its integration into Louisville Brands showcases the potential of growing and keeping consumer companies here in the Midwest and South."

"Render Capital continues to prove that early-stage investing in this region can deliver top-tier results," said Doug Grissom, investor in Render Capital, long-time managing director at Madison Dearborn and now chairman at Louisville Brands. "The acquisition of Louisville Vegan Jerky is another strong signal that Louisville and the broader Midwest/South ecosystem can attract talent, scale brands nationally, and create significant investor value."

With this acquisition, investors in Louisville Brands gain exposure to a larger, scalable brand platform, supported by one of the nation's strongest logistics and supply chain clusters. Louisville and the surrounding region serve as a national distribution hub, anchored by:

• UPS Worldport, UPS's global air hub located at Louisville International Airport, handling up to 416,000 packages per hour
• Amazon Air's major cargo hub, a $1.5 billion air-cargo facility at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
• FedEx's second-largest global air hub, based at Indianapolis International Airport
• One of Amazon's largest U.S.-owned warehouses, in Jeffersonville, Ind.

"Investors are increasingly recognizing the value of building brands in the Midwest and South," said Patrick Henshaw, founder and managing director of Render Capital. "This successful acquisition underscores how regional strengths — world-class logistics, a strong CPG heritage, and exceptional entrepreneurial talent — can create real investor value. We're proud to see Louisville Vegan Jerky enter its next phase of growth with Louisville Brands."

Source: Render Capital