So-called “insurgent brands,” such as better-for-you brands like LesserEvil, Chomps and Kodiak, were responsible for one-quarter of food industry growth in 2025, according to a new report from Bain & Company.
“We’ve now seen a decade of sustained momentum from insurgent brands driving exceptional growth and disruptive innovation in the consumer products sector, and this year is no exception,” said Charlotte Apps, executive VP of Bain’s Consumer Products practice, in a press release. “In a market where overall growth remains muted, insurgents are increasingly attractive investments for established consumer products players and investors seeking footholds into areas of growth.
“Looking ahead, we expect insurgents will continue to outgrow the market as health and wellness trends, retail dynamics and technology further disrupt the industry.”
Bain & Company’s Insurgent Brands list identified 113 insurgent brands and found these brands captured nearly 36% of growth in NielsenIQ-tracked channels across all FMCG categories in 2025 – a significant increase from 23% in 2024. Bain & Company found these companies grew volumes by close to 55% year-over-year, while the overall market volumes remained flat.
Bain’s research suggests that past and present insurgent brands could capture as much as half of the industry’s growth over the next five years.
What is Considered an “Insurgent Brand?”
Bain defines insurgent brands as those that have generated more than $35 million of annual revenue in NielsenIQ- tracked channels, have grown more than 10 times their category’s average growth rate over the past five years, and have maintained positive growth over the past two years.
To qualify for Bain’s list, insurgent brands must be independent, or have been acquired by a large consumer packaged goods company within the past two years.
What’s Driving Growth?
The growth of insurgent brands is largely attributed to consumer demand for clean and natural offerings, according to an article by Food Dive. Bain & Company highlighted the fact that 44% of the insurgent brands in the report featured natural or organic claims.
Rather than compete directly, many larger players in the F&B industry are acquiring insurgent brands. According to Food Dive, larger companies are shedding some of their slower, non-core assets and purchasing faster-growing assets with products in high demand, such as these insurgent brands.
Examples of this are LesserEvil and Bachan’s barbeque sauce, which have both been acquired the past year. In the past decade, approximately 25% of insurgents have been acquired by leading consumer products companies, with 11 major transactions occurring in 2025 alone.
All things considered, insurgent brands have become a major force in the F&B industry, as they continue to meet consumers’ demands. As a result, larger companies must find a way to compete – even if it means investing fairly heavily in an acquisition.
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