The Quality Group

The Quality Group GmbH (TQG) is a German corporate group in the food and food-supplement industry, headquartered in Hamburg-Altona. It operates as a holding company for consumer brands in nutrition, lifestyle and wellbeing, with a strong European core and growing international presence. Its portfolio comprises ESN (founded 2007), More Nutrition (2017), RAW Nutrition (2019) and BUM Energy (2023). The group describes itself as community-led and quality-driven, combining community insights, a creator and athlete network, in-house production and quality assurance with an omnichannel distribution model. The group's origins lie in the founding of the sports-nutrition brand ESN (Elite Sports Nutrition) in 2007, initially focused on performance and strength sports in German-speaking markets. More Nutrition was added in 2017 as a lifestyle-oriented brand centred on calorie-reduced food alternatives. The current corporate structure was initiated at the end of 2020 through the legal merger of the entities behind the two brands, combining ESN's production capacity with More Nutrition's marketing structures. The Quality Group GmbH was entered in the commercial register in January 2021. In September 2021 the group acquired snack manufacturer GOT7 Nutrition. In May 2022, the financial investor CVC Capital Partners acquired a majority stake of more than 80%, while several founders, including Murat Yasar, Michael Weigl, Benjamin Burkhardt and Christian Wolf, retained minority interests. The group subsequently expanded into the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, and broadened its product portfolio and distribution channels. In March 2023 it acquired Foodist to widen recipe development. In April 2025 it entered the United States through a strategic partnership with RAW Nutrition and BUM Energy, with RAW founders Dom Iacovone and Chris Bumstead taking minority stakes in TQG. In October 2025 it acquired the Bremen start-up Bettergy, which was integrated under the More Nutrition brand as "More Fizi". TQG's main product categories are protein powders and bars, zerups (zero-sugar syrups), flavour powders, vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS). Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the group's own online shops, increasingly complemented by stationary grocery retail (such as Edeka and Rewe) and drugstores. Marketing relies heavily on social commerce, with a network of more than 600 influencers acting as brand ambassadors. The group reports strong revenue growth: pro-forma revenue of around €198 million in 2021 rose to around €800 million in the 2024 financial year, exceeded €1 billion in 2025, and reached €850 million in the first half of 2026, roughly 40% above the prior-year period. The group states it operates in 18 markets with around 1,600 employees.

The Quality Group's history begins with its core brands rather than with the holding company itself. In 2007, ESN (Elite Sports Nutrition) was founded, focusing on the development and production of sports nutrition for performance and strength sports in German-speaking markets. A decade later, in 2017, More Nutrition was established as a complementary, lifestyle-oriented brand centred on calorie-reduced food alternatives and the "Smart Swap" concept of replacing everyday foods with nutritionally optimised versions. The current group structure was initiated at the end of 2020 through the legal merger of the entities behind ESN and More Nutrition. The aim was to combine ESN's production capacities with More Nutrition's marketing structures. In January 2021, The Quality Group GmbH was officially entered in the commercial register. In September 2021, the group expanded its portfolio by acquiring snack manufacturer GOT7 Nutrition. A decisive turning point came in May 2022, when the financial investor CVC Capital Partners acquired a majority stake of more than 80% in the group. This was accompanied by an increasing institutionalisation of the holding structures. Several founders, including Murat Yasar, Michael Weigl, Benjamin Burkhardt and Christian Wolf, remained invested in the company. In the period that followed, the group expanded through further acquisitions and cooperations, entering markets including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, while broadening its product portfolio and distribution channels. In March 2023, the group acquired Foodist to widen its recipe development capabilities. In April 2025, it initiated its entry into the United States through a strategic partnership with the brands RAW Nutrition and BUM Energy; in this context, RAW founders Dom Iacovone and Chris Bumstead took minority stakes in The Quality Group. In October 2025, the group acquired the Bremen start-up Bettergy, which was subsequently integrated under the More Nutrition brand and positioned as "More Fizi". Operationally, the group has built a high degree of vertical integration, producing around 80% of its range in its own plants. Its central production facilities are in Elmshorn, Schleswig-Holstein, with logistics in Elsdorf and international offices in London and Amsterdam. At the end of 2025, the former logistics site near Kaltenkirchen was closed and logistics relocated to Lower Saxony, while the Elmshorn production site was further expanded; an additional hall of around 23,500 square metres near the existing production is planned for early 2027. Leadership has also evolved: Heikki Takala became CEO in 2024, succeeding Stefan Smalla, who had led the group for the previous two years, with Douglas Gilbert as CFO and Selim Tansuğ as COO. In 2024, dedicated leadership roles were created for the core brands, with Philipp Markmann as General Manager of ESN and Patrycja Nowakowska as General Manager of More Nutrition. Financially, the group has grown rapidly. Pro-forma revenue of around €198 million in 2021 rose to around €800 million in the 2024 financial year. For 2025, the company reported revenue of more than €1 billion, a level observers had anticipated. In the first half of 2026, revenue reached €850 million, around 40% above the prior-year period. The group states it operates in 18 markets with around 1,600 employees.

• ESN (Elite Sports Nutrition) founded, focusing on sports nutrition for performance and strength sports in German-speaking markets.

• More Nutrition founded as a lifestyle-oriented brand focused on calorie-reduced food alternatives.

• Legal merger of the entities behind ESN and More Nutrition initiates the current group structure.

• The Quality Group GmbH officially entered in the commercial register.

• Acquisition of snack manufacturer GOT7 Nutrition.

• CVC Capital Partners acquires a majority stake of over 80%; founders retain minority interests.

• Acquisition of Foodist to broaden recipe development.

• Heikki Takala becomes CEO, succeeding Stefan Smalla; dedicated General Manager roles created for ESN and More Nutrition.

• Entry into the United States via strategic partnership with RAW Nutrition and BUM Energy; RAW founders take minority stakes.

• Acquisition of Bremen start-up Bettergy, integrated as 'More Fizi' under More Nutrition.

• Logistics site near Kaltenkirchen closed; logistics relocated to Lower Saxony; Elmshorn production expanded.

• Planned takeover of an additional ~23,500 sqm hall near the existing Elmshorn production site.

Community-led, quality-driven consumer brand platform in nutrition, performance and wellbeing, combining in-house production with an omnichannel, social-commerce-heavy distribution model.

• ESN (Elite Sports Nutrition)

  Sports nutrition brand founded in 2007, focused on performance and strength sports.

• More Nutrition

  Lifestyle brand founded in 2017, centred on calorie-reduced food alternatives and the Smart Swap concept.

• RAW Nutrition

  Brand founded in 2019, part of the US market entry via strategic partnership.

• BUM Energy

  Energy drink brand founded in 2023, part of the US market entry via strategic partnership.

• More Fizi

  Positioning under More Nutrition following the acquisition of Bettergy in 2025.

• Smart Swap
• Creator & athlete network
• Social commerce influencer programme

1. 1The Quality Group – Supplements, Nutrition & Performance Brandstqgg.com
2. 2Über Uns - The Quality Grouptqgg.com
3. 3The Quality Groupwikidata.org
4. 4The Quality Groupde.wikipedia.org