We are happy to announce our follow-on investment in Youvit, a nutraceutical business targeting millennials across Southeast Asia, starting with the launch of a portfolio of gummy vitamins and supplements focused on the Indonesian consumer.

DSGCP first invested in Youvit in 2017. Since then, COVID-19 has reinforced what we had underwritten in our original investment thesis where there would be a transition from purely curative to preventive actions on the part of consumers. Despite the challenging operating environment with COVID-19, Youvit showed resilience and has delivered 7 consecutive quarters of revenue growth!

Vitamins and supplements are a fast-growing category supported by macro tailwinds, especially after COVID-19.

Even prior to the pandemic, Indonesia has unfortunately never been the healthiest of countries. The statistics below outline some of the multitude of issues plaguing Indonesians:

• 90% of Indonesians do not eat enough vegetables and fruits.¹
• 35% of Indonesians are overweight and obese.²
• 75% of deaths are related to cardiovascular, hypertension and lung diseases.³
• 65% of Indonesian adult men smoke daily.⁴
• Indonesia is the 9^th most polluted country in the world.⁵
• The average Indonesian can expect to lose 1.2 years of life expectancy due to air pollution.⁶
• The predicted life expectancy from birth as of 2020-2025 was 72.32 years-old, ranking 6^th in Southeast Asia.⁷

With all this in mind, the majority of Indonesians are still reliant on traditional home remedies (in the form of tonics, herbs, and oils) or low-end vitamins that are often used as cures instead of preventative supplements. High-quality nutraceutical supplements provided by global brands are priced far above the average Indonesian consumer’s acceptable price range. However, Indonesia, and the larger ASEAN region, have observed a general trend towards greater health consciousness with continued growth despite limited high-quality, accessible brand availability. Preventative health and vitamins are top of mind across emerging markets. The ASEAN supplements market size is expected to reach US$ 10.6 billion by 2026, fuelled by increasing health consciousness among the urban population.

Based on Deloitte Indonesia’s Consumer Insights Survey conducted in 2019, respondents prioritized high-quality vitamins & minerals first in their health considerations for consumption in food & beverage categories. In 2021, the Indonesian National Agency for Drug and Food (BPOM) quoted a Nielsen report which showed that when it came to promoting health benefits, 81% of Indonesians were likely to spend more on healthy foods and supplements. The pandemic accelerated a lifestyle change towards preventative health and millennials are often at the forefront of this shift. According to a report by Inventure Knowledge, 52% of Indonesians are consuming more vitamins since the pandemic. Furthermore, lockdowns and movement control measures have triggered a rapid shift towards online and direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales channels.

The category is ripe for disruption and presents a massive opportunity.

Within the vitamins and dietary supplements market in Indonesia, the vitamins category makes up the biggest share and was estimated to be valued at slightly over US$1 billion at the end of 2021, with a historical 5-year CAGR of 9%. Assuming the same CAGR moving forward, this market is expected to reach US$1.54 billion in 2026 (Source: Euromonitor). Yet, according to BPOM, US brands own 80% of the health and food supplements market in Indonesia. Furthermore, 90% of ingredients used in the Indonesian health and food supplement market are imported. We believe that this reality provides Youvit with an excellent opportunity to capture a significant market share. On a global scale, the industry has seen robust activity as the world pays more and more attention to health and wellness. Persona and The Bountiful Company were acquired by Nestle in 2019 and 2021 respectively, Care Of was acquired by Bayer in 2020, Olly and SmartyPants Vitamins were acquired by Unilever in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

A mission-driven team committed to improving lives

Youvit was founded in 2016 out of a passion for building consumer health ventures that serve consumers across Emerging Asia after observing the severe lack of affordable, high-quality supplements in the country. Their vision is to make Youvit Indonesia’s leading health and lifestyle-focused functional food business.

DSG Consumer Partners takes pride in working hand-in-hand with companies that not only create insurgent brands but also affect positive change in the world. Since its inception, the company has been providing frontline workers, hospital staff, and underprivileged people in society with vitamins to boost their immune systems. An example of such cooperation is its close teamwork with the Peduli Anak Foundation in Indonesia, which is committed to improving the lives of former street children. Youvit has donated tens of thousands of doses of Youvit vitamins in order to support the Foundation’s cause and will continue to create a healthier world for many more! On the social front, Youvit is proud to have a 60% female workforce and a management team that is 56% female.

Youvit is led by CEO, Wouter van der Kolk, alongside COO, Maarten Vrouenrats, who have grown the business from strength to strength. Despite the COVID-19 rollercoaster ride which locked down Indonesia’s retail industry and brought foot traffic to a standstill, Wouter and Maarten have now overseen 7 consecutive quarters of revenue growth. The duo has also successfully developed an impressive omnichannel sales funnel. If you’re in Indonesia, it will be hard to miss Youvit’s gummies, which now line the aisles ofover 20,000 stores. The delicious gummies are also sold on familiar online marketplaces and their own website.

Superior high-quality, fun, and absolutely delicious products

Youvit’s gummy multivitamins complement the often-one-sided diet of many millennial consumers, mainly comprised of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Their range of products answers the various needs and challenges of Indonesian consumers, such as immunity, beauty, energy, and child development. Furthermore (and very importantly), Youvit’s products are as delicious as they are healthy, with natural fruit flavours that provide a new, more enjoyable vitamin consumption experience! Currently, Youvit has 3 core categories of gummy vitamins: Health, Beauty, and Kids. The competition consists of incumbent vitamin brands that have seen little or no innovation for decades. Their pills are marketed with a medicinal positioning and for the traditional, reactive mindset towards supplements. Youvit provides consumers with a blend of essential nutrients in just one gummy, a new format for Indonesian consumers. The formulation has been tailored to suit local needs for example through Halal certification in Indonesia and Malaysia, vitamin dosages based on the local recommended intake values, and by using local ingredients like Curcuma. Youvit sources the best quality active ingredients (vitamins, minerals, omega-3, collagen, etc.) globally while producing the finished product in Indonesia. All products are lab-tested in Singapore to ensure a premium quality product. The packaging design has been developed to differentiate the product through a modern lifestyle positioning.

“Youvit was inspired by you – the Indonesian consumer who aspires to move forward motivated to unlock their potential. Youvit is here to help you start a journey of joy and health, toward a new you. Youvit is a premium-quality vitamin product that tastes absolutely fantastic. Youvit is loved by your spouse, children, and the whole family. Youvit will keep you healthy throughout your life, helping you to unlock your potential and focus on the things you enjoy doing most.”

This is the story of Youvit: a personification of the hopes and dreams of all Indonesians who want a healthy life to focus on the things that matter most. We at DSG Consumer Partners are delighted to deepen our partnership with the Youvit team as they create Indonesia’s largest nutraceutical venture that strives to improve the health and well-being of hundreds of millions across Asia.

Footnotes:

1. Indonesia Ministry of Health
2. Indonesia Department of Nutrition and Health
3. Indonesia Department of Nutrition and Health
4. Burnet Institute
5. IQAir
6. Air Quality Life Index
7. Statista