Key Takeaways
- • Stride Consumer Partners, a private equity firm that invests in disruptive consumer brands, has acquired Clio Snacks, maker of refrigerated Greek yogurt bars, for an undisclosed amount, according to Food Dive.
- • Clio has more than quadrupled revenue since CEO John McGuckin took the helm in 2021, and estimates it will produce more than 150 million bars this year at its New Jersey facility.
- • McGuckin told Food Dive in 2024 that 2024 sales were estimated at $60 million, up from $9 million in 2019, and he saw a path to nearing $500 million with greater consumption and household penetration.
- • Clio is sold in roughly 60,000 U.S. stores and is expanding beyond single-serve bars into new flavors, varieties and packaging formats.
- • Stride previously backed Yasso, which Unilever acquired in 2023, and also invests in Chomps and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.
Summary
Stride Consumer Partners has acquired Clio Snacks, the refrigerated Greek yogurt bar brand, for an undisclosed sum, according to Food Dive. The 11-year-old brand is expected to use the investment to expand its reach, strengthen operational capabilities and accelerate innovation. Publisher materials describe Stride as a growth-equity firm.
Clio has grown rapidly under CEO John McGuckin, who has led the company since 2021. The company said revenue has more than quadrupled since that time. Clio expects to produce more than 150 million bars in 2026 at its New Jersey manufacturing facility. In a 2024 interview with Food Dive, McGuckin said sales that year were estimated at $60 million, up from $9 million in 2019, and expressed optimism the brand could eventually approach $500 million if it meaningfully boosted consumption and household penetration.
Clio is currently sold in roughly 60,000 stores nationwide. The company is widening its portfolio from single-serve bars into new flavors, varieties and packaging formats. Food Dive notes that the brand's growth stands out in a slow-growth consumer environment, and that private equity has become a common route for acquiring younger food brands.
Stride's Juan Marcos Hill, partner at the firm, said in a statement: "We have been trying to partner with Clio for years, admiring the brand's vision and how the team has truly built a differentiated brand in the rapidly growing better-for-you 'permissive indulgence' snacking space." Stride has previously backed Yasso, which Unilever acquired in 2023, and is an investor in Chomps and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.
Clio has grown rapidly under CEO John McGuckin, who has led the company since 2021. The company said revenue has more than quadrupled since that time. Clio expects to produce more than 150 million bars in 2026 at its New Jersey manufacturing facility. In a 2024 interview with Food Dive, McGuckin said sales that year were estimated at $60 million, up from $9 million in 2019, and expressed optimism the brand could eventually approach $500 million if it meaningfully boosted consumption and household penetration.
Clio is currently sold in roughly 60,000 stores nationwide. The company is widening its portfolio from single-serve bars into new flavors, varieties and packaging formats. Food Dive notes that the brand's growth stands out in a slow-growth consumer environment, and that private equity has become a common route for acquiring younger food brands.
Stride's Juan Marcos Hill, partner at the firm, said in a statement: "We have been trying to partner with Clio for years, admiring the brand's vision and how the team has truly built a differentiated brand in the rapidly growing better-for-you 'permissive indulgence' snacking space." Stride has previously backed Yasso, which Unilever acquired in 2023, and is an investor in Chomps and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.
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