RFI Ingredients Accelerates Global Growth Through Strategic Partnership with Astanor

Astanor acquires a minority interest in RFI that will support international expansion, innovation, and acquisitions. RFI continues under the leadership of founder and CEO Jeff Wuagneux and the U.S.-based team.

ORANGEBURG, N.Y. & PARIS, France – July 29, 2026 – RFI Ingredients, a leading vertically integrated supplier of botanical extracts, whole food ingredients, specialty nutritional ingredients, and advanced delivery technologies, today announced a strategic growth partnership with global agrifood investment firm Astanor.

The investment positions RFI to accelerate expansion in Europe and Asia-Pacific, strengthen its science-based ingredient portfolio, conduct more clinical research, and pursue strategic acquisitions that strengthen its capabilities for customers across the food, beverage, and dietary supplement markets. All future acquisitions will be integrated under the RFI brand.

During this next phase of expansion, RFI founder and CEO Jeff Wuagneux will retain majority ownership and continue to lead the company and its operations. Additionally, its existing team will remain in place, ensuring continuity for customers, suppliers, and employees while leveraging Astanor’s expertise to expand internationally and strengthen the company’s position as a global, vertically integrated supplier and manufacturer.

Importantly, this partnership will also enable RFI to expand its sustainability efforts throughout its supply chain and manufacturing, focusing on bigger and broader organic, regenerative, upcycled, ecological, and social initiatives.

The investment in RFI is the second one of the Astanor Growth strategy, focused on profitable, category-leading companies delivering measurable impact across the agrifood value chain. The operation was realized alongside two French investors, Aurae and La Maison Partners. Aurae is a Paris-based European impact investment fund that offers deep expertise in regenerative agriculture and natural ingredient supply chains, and La Maison Partners brings patient, aligned capital and the cross-border industrial and financial network built by its shareholder families, reinforcing RFI's ambitions for international expansion.

RFI was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Orangeburg, New York. The company primarily serves the $130Bn US dietary supplement and functional food and beverage markets, providing customers with high-quality whole-food ingredients, botanical extracts, superfoods, custom ingredient solutions, and advanced delivery technology platforms backed by decades of sourcing, manufacturing, and formulation expertise.

“For 37 years, we have built RFI Ingredients on a simple conviction: quality starts in the field,” said Jeff Wuagneux, Founder & CEO of RFI Ingredients. “Nutraceutical, functional food, and beverage brands increasingly want a global partner with the scale, science, and supply integrity. In Astanor, we found a partner who understands our industry deeply, shares our from field to formula philosophy, and brings the experience to help us grow in Europe and APAC as well as develop science and clinically-backed ingredients.”

“The partnership is the perfect example of what Astanor Growth additivity is in the low mid-market private equity: building trust with founders and management years before any transaction happens and showing that capital flexibility and industry expertise unlock bilateral win-win situations,” said Eric Archambeau, Founder & Senior Managing Partner at Astanor. “We are excited to close our second deal, once again proprietary, on this fast-growing, though resilient and recession-proof dietary supplement industry, with RFI positioned in one of its most attractive segments with the right impact-generating position in the value chain.”

“We’ve been impressed by RFI’s growth trajectory, outpacing market rate consistently over the cycles while being self-financed to date. We’re looking forward to backing RFI’s management team to further enhance its leading position as a vertically integrated turnkey solution provider and continue to deliver differentiated science, while controlling supply and scale profitably,” added Benoit Boisseuil, Partner at Astanor.

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About RFI Ingredients

RFI Ingredients is a leader in vertically integrated whole food ingredient solutions for the dietary supplement, functional food, and nutritional beverage industries. With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and transparency, RFI offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary ingredients, specialty fruit and vegetable powders, botanical extracts, and advanced delivery systems. The company provides comprehensive support—from sourcing and R&D to custom formulation—helping brand partners bring high-quality, differentiated products to market. Learn more: rfiingredients.com

About Astanor

Astanor is a global impact investment firm focused on companies advancing human and planetary health through agrifood innovation. Founded in 2017, the firm invests in category-leading businesses that are transforming food systems through regenerative agriculture, sustainable production, resilient supply chains, and nutrition innovation. Learn more: astanor.com