GREENWICH, Conn. — Forward Consumer Partners today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Welly Health PBC, a leading first-aid and bandage brand, from Unilever.
Welly marks Forward’s eighth investment since its inception in 2023. The firm was created to help build enduring consumer businesses, providing each portfolio company with the partnership, resources, experience, and ambition to make progress toward its potential. Forward manages $925 million of committed capital, and its portfolio includes Kodiak, Justin’s, Firehook, Xochitl, Bar Keeper’s Friend, PAPATUI, and Via Carota Craft Cocktails.
“Welly is a textbook Forward asset: a powerful brand that makes beloved products, with an enduring track record of success and significant untapped potential,” says Matt Leeds, Forward’s founder and managing partner. “This investment also expands Forward’s reach into new sectors of the fast-moving consumer goods landscape, marking our first consumer health investment.”
Welly was created in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Eric Ryan as a disruptive consumer healthcare brand built on the premise that cuts and scrapes are proof of a life well-lived. Today, Welly offers a full range of first aid products designed to clean, protect, and heal a variety of everyday injuries.
Forward says it expects the transaction to close by the end of 2026, subject to certain closing conditions.
