Idris Elba was an early investor in Huel.

The British plant-based meal replacement company has sold more than 270 million meals since its 2015 founding, according to Food Dive. In 2022, to further its growth into the U.S., Highland Europe led a $24 million round. Participants in the round included Elba and his wife, Sabrina; British TV host Jonathan Ross; and Grace Beverley, CEO of activewear brand TALA, per the outlet.

In a video shared by Forbes Family Group, Elba talks about his decision to invest in the company through sweat equity. He says he took a liking to their product and its CEO, James McMaster, whom he described as a “smart guy” with a vision.

Elba and his wife were also focused on providing support for “healthy, low-carbon footprint diets, as well as agricultural development in Sierra Leone – Idris’ father’s native country,” a press release read, according to Food Dive.

Danone Acquired Huel

Fast forward to March, and Reuters reported that Danone would be acquiring Huel in a deal valued at nearly 1 billion euros, or about $1.15 billion USD.

“It was an opportunity to work with Huel in their very early stages, and they just wanted someone to help them put some eyeballs on Huel. I like the product. I like the CEO … So 4 years ago, I get this call. I said, ‘OK, let me take a look at it.’ And it was a very light lift for me from an investment perspective. For me, it was sweat equity. I feel very lucky to have been a part of that deal. I didn’t get massively rich, but it’s a very big, very big sale, and I got a small portion of that,” Elba said in a video shared on Instagram.

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