Avista Healthcare Partners, a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on healthcare with over $10 billion invested in more than 50 healthcare businesses globally, has announced the launch of Birchwell Consumer Health, a new U.S. consumer healthcare platform formed to acquire differentiated, problem-solving over-the-counter and skincare brands. Birchwell’s first acquisition is Bag Balm, a Vermont-based therapeutic skincare brand founded in 1899, acquired from a seller group led by Gemini Investors.
Birchwell represents Avista’s eighth consumer healthcare platform globally and its fourth in North America. Bag Balm is distributed nationally across leading brick-and-mortar and e-commerce retailers and has expanded from its iconic Original Bag Balm tin into adjacent formats and use cases over its 125-plus-year heritage. The platform is designed to capitalize on growing demand for accessible, low-cost self-care solutions and the expanding role of trusted OTC products in supporting consumer health.
KEY QUOTES:
“The launch of Birchwell reflects our continued conviction in consumer healthcare as a compelling investment sector with attractive M&A opportunities and secular tailwinds, driven by growing consumer demand for accessible, low-cost self-care solutions. Birchwell, and its first investment in Bag Balm, reflects Avista’s strategy of acquiring trusted, differentiated brands and unlocking their growth potential.”
Alex Yu, Partner, Avista Healthcare Partners
“Bag Balm is the type of brand we seek to build around — defined by proven efficacy, deep consumer loyalty, and market leadership within an attractive therapeutic category. The acquisition provides a strong foundation for scaling Birchwell’s broader consumer healthcare platform.”
Fred Duchin, Strategic Executive, Avista Healthcare Partners and Chairman, Birchwell
“For more than 125 years, generations of people have trusted Bag Balm to work wonders on their families’ skin. Our new partnership with Avista allows us to further build on our heritage, invest in the future of the brand, and continue delivering the therapeutic skincare consumers rely on every day.”
Libby Parent, President, Bag Balm
