kind (KIND), a healthy snacking leader, and mars, incorporated, a family-owned global pet care, confectionery and food business, have announced a strategic partnership, whereby Mars will take a minority stake in KIND. As part of the agreement, the two companies will partner to grow KIND’s product offerings and business globally, utilizing each other’s strengths.

The partnership will allow KIND to continue to drive positive change in the food industry while fulfilling its kind promise, a set of nutrition principles that have guided the company’s innovation since its founding. KIND will provide Mars with a pioneering and trusted brand to anchor a newly formed global health and wellness platform, while Mars will provide KIND with its proven international model to expand into new markets. KIND will continue to operate independently, led by its majority stakeholders, founder Daniel Lubetzky and the KIND team, with its existing headquarters in New York, NY. As part of the agreement, Mars will lead the growth of the business outside the U.S. and Canada, partnering with KIND in accordance with the KIND Promise.

The partnership will enable KIND to accelerate its dual mission to make its healthy and tasty foods available to more people across the globe and make the world a little kinder through meaningful social impact initiatives. It will also enable KIND to expand into new categories.

“When we introduced our first whole nut & fruit bar in 2004, we set out on an ambitious mission to do things differently and challenge false compromises by offering snacks that were healthy and tasty as well as wholesome and convenient. It’s been exciting to see the reach and impact of our mission, and with our partnership with Mars, we’re looking forward to continuing on this journey as we empower more people to make healthy eating decisions across the globe. We remain fully committed to our guiding principles, including our commitment to always use a nutritious food as the first and predominant ingredient in every food product,” said Daniel Lubetzky, founder and CEO of KIND. “We’re proud to partner with Mars, a family-owned, principles-driven company with a proven track record of holding a long-term view, and look forward to working with them to make this a better world for future generations.”

“This is a partnership built on mutual admiration and a shared vision for growth,” said Grant F. Reid, CEO and president of Mars. “We believe there is tremendous opportunity to build on the success of KIND’s product portfolio in new markets. As we continue to expand our business and broaden our portfolio to address evolving consumer needs, we’re delighted to partner with a respected leader in the health & wellness space.”

Every day millions of people do the KIND thing for their bodies by eating KIND’s snacks. As KIND continues to expand, it will fulfill its KIND Promise by:

• Always using a nutritious food as the first and predominant ingredient in every food product;
• Never using artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols;
• Using as little sugar as possible while achieving great taste;
• Creating foods that are both healthy and tasty;
• Being transparent about everything from ingredients to labeling;
• Crafting foods made with minimally processed, real ingredients; and
• Treating its foods and people with integrity.

The partnership will also empower KIND to scale its social mission and fulfill its vision to use business as a vehicle for social change. In that spirit, Daniel Lubetzky plans to donate $25 million to The KIND Foundation, a separate philanthropic entity that aims to foster kinder and more empathetic communities.

To learn more, visit www.kindsnacks.com/partnership.