BURLINGTON, MASS. — Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc. has denied reports from Bloomberg stating the company was in talks to purchase Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Weston, Fla., the maker of Bang Energy.
“We are not pursuing a partnership with Vital Pharmaceuticals for the Bang brand,” said a spokesperson for Keurig Dr Pepper in a statement on Aug. 19.
According to the Bloomberg report, sources within Keurig Dr Pepper valued VPX somewhere between $2 billion to $3 billion.
The news of a possible deal comes shortly after Bang Energy dissolved its distribution deal with PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY, in June 2022 following nearly two years of legal disputes. Including energy drinks, energy shots, and pre-workout supplements, Bang’s line of performance-enhancing beverages is now being distributed by direct-store delivery partners.
Despite denying the Bang acquisition report, the spokesperson from Keurig Dr Pepper did reemphasize the company’s focus in acquisitions in Friday’s statement.
“As we have shared previously, our top capital allocation priority is growing our business through M&A and brand/distribution partnerships,” the spokesperson said.
Most recently, Keurig Dr Pepper acquired the global rights to Atypique, a Quebec-based manufacturer of non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink cocktails.