Guardian Capital Partners ("Guardian"), an operationally focused private equity firm, today announced the acquisition of Nügredient Solutions ("Nügredient" or the "Company"), the fourth platform investment for Guardian Capital Partners Fund IV. Guardian has partnered with Bob Farinha, co-founder and CEO, who will retain a meaningful ownership stake and continue to lead the Company's executive team and operations following the acquisition. The transaction also marks Guardian's first platform investment within the Food & Beverage sector of its proprietary Guardian Priority Sector (“GPS”) Program, a thesis-driven strategy that channels the firm's focus, expertise, and relationships toward specific sectors of interest.

Headquartered in Modesto, California, Nügredient was co-founded by Bob Farinha in 2008 and established itself as a leading developer and manufacturer of specialty nut-based ingredient solutions and has since expanded into other plant-based ingredient categories. Nügredient primarily serves the consumer-packaged goods (“CPG”) and foodservice channels, partnering with several leading brands across North America to develop custom and innovative products. The Company’s differentiated, high-touch service model and vertically integrated sourcing and manufacturing capabilities enable it to serve as a critical innovation partner to its customer base.

As consumer preferences continue to shift toward better-for-you and functional food products, ingredient quality, nutrition profile, and versatility have become critical drivers of differentiation. Guardian believes Nügredient is well positioned to benefit from these macro trends through its specialized development and manufacturing capabilities, which enable it to collaborate closely with CPG brands, foodservice operators, and co-manufacturers to develop customized nut- and plant-based ingredient solutions. The Company’s focus on natural, minimally processed inputs aligns with the increasing demand for clean-label food products and ingredients, positioning Nügredient to expand its customer base, capture new product innovation opportunities, and strengthen its leadership within the nut- and plant-based ingredient category.

“Nügredient is directly aligned with the investment criteria we had outlined as part of Guardian’s Food & Beverage GPS program: a founder-built business with differentiated capabilities in a growing, on-trend ingredient category. We look forward to supporting the team as they continue to invest in their R&D and manufacturing capabilities to support their customers’ growth,” said Molly Borowski, Principal at Guardian. “We are excited to partner with Bob to continue building upon the impressive legacy and operation he has built over the past 20+ years,” added Ryan Northington, Managing Partner at Guardian.

“The partnership with Guardian represents an exciting milestone for Nügredient as we enter our next phase of growth,” said Bob Farinha, co-founder and CEO of Nügredient. “Through our partnership with Guardian, we can continue to deepen our relationships with existing customers, expand our customized capabilities to new customers, and further invest in the Company’s development and manufacturing capabilities, ensuring Nügredient continues to deliver the highest quality service and customized ingredient products our customers have grown to expect.”

Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal advisor to Guardian. BMO Capital Markets served as financial advisor to Nügredient.

About Guardian Capital Partners

Guardian (www.guardiancp.com) is an operationally focused private equity firm based in suburban Philadelphia that makes control investments in lower middle market companies. As a thematic investor, Guardian pursues opportunities through its proprietary Guardian Priority Sectors Program, a thesis-driven strategy that channels the firm's focus, expertise, and relationships toward specific sectors of interest. The firm partners with management teams to provide equity capital supporting the growth of privately held businesses, drawing on a unique combination of hands-on operational and transactional experience to help deliver execution and long-term value creation for its portfolio companies. Since its founding in 2008, Guardian has completed more than 80 transactions representing over $3.7 billion in total enterprise value (as of March 31, 2026).

Guardian Capital Partners is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security and should not be considered investment or other advice.

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“We are excited to partner with Bob to continue building upon the impressive legacy and operation he has built over the past 20+ years”