The food giant takes over the majority of the Hamburg company. A rival of Nestle recently presented an acquisition.

Düsseldorf, Zurich Two years ago, Stefan Lemcke, founder of the Hamburg spice start-up Ankerkraut, was still dreaming of going public. That is now unnecessary. With Nestle, the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturer now has a majority stake in Ankerkraut, as both companies announced on Wednesday.

Details of the purchase price and shares were not given. According to media reports, the Swiss group will hold around 85 percent of Ankerkraut in the future – after approval by the antitrust authorities.

“For us, this step is a great opportunity because we want to continue to drive our growth and professionalization,” said Stefan and Anne Lemcke in a statement. Most recently, the founding couple held 51 percent of Ankerkraut. The Lemckes and the management will remain shareholders, the existing management team will continue to run the business independently. The founders, in their early 40s, remain on board as brand ambassadors.

The spice company, which was founded ten years ago, became known through its participation in the start-up TV show “Die Hhle der Lowen”. In 2016, juror Frank Thelen invested 300,000 euros and received 20 percent of the shares. For Thelen, whose investment company Freigeist Capital is now selling all its shares in Nestlé, it was probably one of his most lucrative deals.