Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) has acquired a majority stake in Vital Proteins, a Chicago-based collagen company that sells supplements, beverages, and food products. 

Vital Proteins has 150 SKUs across 35,000 retail doors in North America and Europe, including Whole Foods, Costco, Target, Walgreens and Kroger. It will continue to operate as a standalone business. 

Becoming a part of the Nestlé Health Science portfolio will equip Vital Proteins with a variety of resources to scale its reach and innovation in pursuit of global wellness, according to Nestlé.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Nestlé Health Science to enter a growing area of nutrition with a successful brand," said Greg Behar, CEO of NHSc. "Our companies share the belief that nothing is more important than health, and everything we do is focused on that belief. In combining our efforts to optimize health through nutrition, we can achieve even more to help our consumers live fuller, more vibrant lives."

Kurt Seidensticker, founder and CEO of Vital Proteins, will continue to lead the company. 

"We at Vital Proteins, alongside Nestlé Health Science, are committed to expanding our wellness platform to the world. We are partnering together to continue the evolution of the functional nutrition space through premium products and innovation that meet customers where they are in their wellness journey." said Seidensticker. "Joining NHSc allows us to take Vital Proteins to the next level by leveraging resources, scale and capabilities, and moving toward a future with an expanded offering of science-backed products." 

According to Nestlé, this will be the first acquisition of a collagen-based wellness company to date, proving that consumer mindsets are shifting toward bettering one's personal well-being. Collagen represents nearly 30% of all human protein content and 70% of the protein content found in the skin. 

Financial details of the sale are not being released, and the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.