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- WM Partners Fund I raised $307 mln in 2017
- WM Partners Fund II seeking $400 mln
- WM Partners sold Nutranext for $700 mln in 2018
WM Partners clinched a nearly $200 million first close for its second fund, a source said.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, private equity firm is out marketing for Fund II, which has a $400 million target. The hard cap for the pool is $500 million, Buyouts reported in May.
The fundraising comes a year after WM Partners scored a major exit. The firm in April 2018 sold its entire portfolio holding when Clorox closed its $700 million buy of Nutranext. Included in the Nutranext deal were brands Rainbow Light, Champion Performance, Natural Vitality and NeoCell.
WM Partners invests in lower-middle-market health-and-wellness companies. Its first fund closed on more than $307 million in July 2017, Buyouts said.
Two entrepreneurs, Alejandro Weinstein and Jose Minski, founded WM Partners in 2015. The PE firm makes buyout investments in companies with revenue of $20 million to $60 million, taking controlling stakes. Categories include natural personal care, functional foods (superfoods), natural remedies and natural OTC.
WM Partners, a U.S.-based private equity firm focused on the health and wellness sector, has announced it is halfway to its $400 million target for Fund II, marking a significant milestone in a challenging fundraising environment. The achievement reflects growing investor confidence in WM Partners’ strategic vision and the resilience of the health and wellness industry — even amid broader market uncertainty.
A Focused Investment Strategy
WM Partners specializes in lower middle-market investments in health and wellness consumer brands. Founded in 2015, the firm has developed a niche by acquiring and scaling businesses in areas such as nutritional supplements, personal care, functional foods, and natural household products.
What sets WM Partners apart is its hands-on, operational approach. The firm doesn’t just provide capital — it works closely with portfolio companies to improve supply chains, expand distribution, and enhance brand positioning. This value-add strategy has delivered strong returns for Fund I and is now being leveraged to attract new capital for Fund II.
The firm’s Fund I, which closed in 2018, raised $307 million and was fully deployed across a select number of wellness brands. That fund saw notable success with its “buy-and-build” strategy, combining complementary businesses to drive growth and scale. WM Partners is now applying that same playbook with its second fund, with some early investments already underway.
Health & Wellness: A Resilient Sector
The strong investor interest in Fund II reflects the continued appeal of health and wellness as an investment theme. Even as broader consumer spending fluctuates, health-consciousness remains a priority for many. The global wellness economy, valued at over $5 trillion, is expected to grow steadily over the coming years — driven by trends like:
Rising demand for natural and organic products
Increasing awareness of mental and physical well-being
Growing interest in plant-based diets and supplements
Heightened focus on immune health and preventive care
These macro trends have helped keep WM Partners’ portfolio performance relatively strong, even during periods of economic volatility. Investors see the firm as well-positioned to capitalize on long-term secular growth while avoiding overexposure to more cyclical sectors.
Fund II’s Objectives and Outlook
WM Partners’ Fund II is targeting $400 million in total commitments, with half of that now secured through a mix of institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. While details on specific investors have not been disclosed, the fund is understood to have drawn support from several limited partners who participated in Fund I.
Fund II aims to build a concentrated portfolio of health and wellness companies, with an emphasis on:
Sustainable sourcing
Clean-label formulations
Digitally native and omnichannel brands
Scalable platforms for growth through acquisition
So far, the fund has already made at least one investment — in a U.S.-based supplements company — and has several others in the pipeline. The firm’s leadership, including Managing Partners Jose Minski and Laura Nieto, has indicated that the fund will continue to pursue a buy-and-build strategy, seeking to create larger, more competitive platforms from smaller, well-positioned niche brands.
Fundraising in a Tough Market
WM Partners’ progress is notable given the current private equity fundraising climate, which remains highly competitive and somewhat cautious. Many limited partners are overallocated to private equity, and economic uncertainty has led some investors to pull back. In this context, WM Partners reaching the halfway mark is both a validation of its strategy and a sign of sustained investor appetite for sector-specialist funds with proven track records.
Final Thoughts
As WM Partners moves closer to its $400 million goal, the firm is reinforcing its position as a leading private equity player in the health and wellness space. With a focused investment thesis, a disciplined strategy, and a proven team, the outlook for Fund II appears strong — and investors are taking notice.
Whether WM Partners can hit or exceed its full fundraising target remains to be seen, but the halfway mark is a promising signal in an otherwise uncertain market.
Action Item: Contact Ernesto Carrizosa, executive managing director, at +1 754-260-6500