Investments & Acquisitions

Jay&Joy Doubles Capacity With Acquisition of Les Nouveaux Affineurs and €2M Investment

Jay&Joy, a French company specializing in plant-based cheese alternatives, has announced the acquisition of its competitor, Les Nouveaux Affineurs, alongside a €2 million funding round. The acquisition, supported by a €2 million funding round, expands Jay&Joy’s production capacity and product range in France and across Europe.

“This merger will enable us to create a veritable industrial scale-up”

Since CEO César Augier assumed leadership in 2023, Jay&Joy has revitalized its production processes, reestablished distribution channels, and initiated market expansion both domestically and internationally. The recent acquisition adds a production facility in Ivry-sur-Seine, complementing the existing site in Lacroix-Saint-Ouen, and retains 10 jobs from Les Nouveaux Affineurs.

Augier stated, “Our ambition is clear: to offer exceptional plant-based alternatives while preserving our traditional know-how and accelerating our European expansion. This acquisition marks a crucial step in strengthening our leadership in a fast-growing market.”

Les Nouveaux Affineurs
© Les Nouveaux Affineurs

Nour Akbaraly, founder of Les Nouveaux Affineurs, will join Jay&Joy as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer, bringing expertise in industrial optimization and plant fermentation. The combined entity now holds six patents and benefits from 14 years of combined research and development.

Diversifying product offerings

The integration of product lines will see Jay&Joy’s seven existing products joined by items such as the “Affiné d’Albert” and new formats tailored for the food service industry. The expanded portfolio will offer approximately 15 products available in organic stores, supermarkets, and the hospitality sector.

Akbaraly commented, “This merger will enable us to create a veritable industrial scale-up, with extensive product and technology portfolios. This makes a lot of sense in terms of structuring our still emerging sector, while strengthening our credibility as a pure player in the market in the face of the historical cheese players who are also developing their plant-based offerings.”

Jay&Joy
© Jay&Joy

Investment to fuel growth

The €2 million funding, supported by existing investors, including the Demeter and Beyond Impact funds, will finance the integration of activities and accelerate international development. Entrepreneurs such as Cédric Meston (HappyVore), Jean-Baptiste Rudelle (Criteo), and Benjamin Blasco (Petit Bamboo) continue to back the project.

Meston noted, “This integration is a key step in our entrepreneurial ambition. With Les Nouveaux Affineurs, Jay&Joy is asserting its business ambitions to create a genuine French champion in the plant sector.”

Augier concluded, “Our ambition is to strengthen our presence in Europe and increase our impact with increasingly high-quality products that meet consumer expectations.”

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