The food & beverage sector is somewhat different from the sectors we have been analysing in recent posts, which have generally turned out to be emerging and innovative sectors. However, as mentioned in the previous post, the food & beverage sector is also a sector in constant growth, due to technology and the emergence of new business models.

A sign that the food & beverage sector is not, unlike other sectors analysed, an incipient sector is the number of IPOs observed, which means that this is a sector with a certain trajectory. 

NOT A NEW BUT GROWING SECTOR

We must remember that the "food & beverage" sector includes all those companies dedicated to the transportreception, storage, processing, preservation, and service of food and, thanks to technological progress, the development of this industry has accelerated in recent years.

Since 2010, the trend in the sector has been clearly upwards and in terms of funding, 2018 saw an all-time high, with an aggregate investment of USD 10.6 billion in just one year. In addition, several IPOs (Initial Public Offering) or global IPOs that were of vital relevance to the market.

IPOS IN THE FOOD & BEVERAGE SECTOR

One of the most talked about IPOs was that of HelloFresha multinational company with an innovative business model. HelloFresh is dedicated to the preparation and home delivery of complete week-long menus with pre-subscription. It launched an IPO of 31 million shares in November 2017, with an approximate value of €10.25 per share. Today it has a market value of around €1.7 billion.

Hidilao Hotpot is another company with an innovative business model that has recently gone public.  Hidilao Hotpot is a hot pot restaurant chain founded in Jianyang, China, which in September 2018 launched an IPO worth approximately USD 1 billion, priced at USD 2.27 per share. Today, the company has a market capitalisation of about USD 18.6 billion.

Finally, BlueApron, the US meal kit service with ingredients and recipes with a current market value of USD 202.3 million, launched, in June 2017, an IPO of 30 million new shares and an approximate price of USD 10 per share, raising USD 300 million in capital.

▶You may be interested in: We analyse investments in the Food & Berage sector.