Investment firm Actis has taken a “significant minority stake” in Chinese biscuit group Jiashili Food Group.

Jiashili chairman Xianming Huang will remain the firm’s largest shareholder. Huang purchased Jiashili in 2007 and, under his ownership, revenues have increased fourfold, Actis said.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

According to Actis, the company is China’s largest domestic biscuit maker, with the second-largest market share in the plain biscuit market.

The group operates three production bases in Guangdong, Jiangsu and Hebei provinces, with a total capacity of 130,000 tons. Jiashili’s core products include plain biscuits, crackers, sandwich biscuits and wafer biscuits.

Andreas von Paleske, head of consumer at Actis, said the fund, which is focused on emerging markets, hopes to accelerate Jiashili’s expansion in the growing Chinese snack food sector.

“We have identified significant growth potential for Jiashili, based upon leveraging the company’s strong brand and product strength. We have great confidence in Mr Huang and the management team at Jiashili, who have driven the company forward over the past seven years,” he said.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Huang added he was attracted to Actis because of its track record of Chinese investments and “expertise in the global consumer food sector”. Huang added the move would see Jiashili move into its “next stage of growth”.

Actis will take one board seat, which will be held by Max Lin, the deal lead and a director in Actis’s China office. Further details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Last year, Actis acquired a 30% stake in Egypt-based snack food group Edita Food Industries.