Italian plant-based dairy pioneer The Bridge has been acquired by asset manager Ambienta, with the founding Negro Marcigaglia family reinvesting in the 32-year-old company.
One of Italy’s most well-established plant-based food companies is gearing up for its next phase after welcoming investment from its founders and a new majority shareholder.
Investment manager Ambienta has acquired a controlling stake in The Bridge, a producer of non-dairy milks, yoghurts and creams, as well as vegan eggs.
The financials of the deal remain undisclosed, but Ambienta’s funding was complemented by a reinvestment from the Negro Marcigaglia family, which founded the company over three decades ago.
“Food production is one of the most critical areas in the transition to a more sustainable economy, and plant-based alternatives play a key role in reducing the environmental footprint of the agrifood value chain,” said Francesco Lodrini, partner at Ambienta.
The Bridge set to expand both organically and through aquisitions
Having been around since 1994, The Bridge is one of the pioneers of Italy’s plant-based industry, offering a wide array of non-dairy products, as well as one of Europe’s only vegan liquid egg SKUs.
Its entire range is organic and focused on clean labels, an increasingly important attribute for Europeans. This contributes to the positive health perception of the brand’s offerings, which is critical for consumer uptake in Italy, where health remains the biggest driver of plant-based intake.
One recent survey shows that over 73% of Italians find plant-based products healthy, recognising them as a rich source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein, with a low fat and cholesterol content.
Based in Vicenza, The Bridge benefits from a fully integrated in-house production model, spanning everything from raw material extraction, to UHT treatment, to final packaging. This gives the brand strong operational flexibility and allows it to meet the needs of its diverse customer base.
The company’s products are distributed internationally – in fact, 80% of its sales come from outside Italy, both via its own brand and through private-label partnerships. Following the acquisition, Ambienta suggests The Bridge is well-positioned to further expand its domestic and overseas business, both organically and via select acquisitions.
The asset manager has five offices across Europe and manages over €4B in assets. The aim of the transaction is to make The Bridge one of the industry’s leading players by leveraging Ambienta’s experience in partnering with entrepreneurial families to accelerate growth.
Speaking of which, with its decision to reinvest, the Negro Marcigaglia family remains involved in the business, and is set to play a key role in its growth, according to Ambienta.
“Over the years, we have built a company rooted in quality, innovation and respect for the environment,” said Paolo Negro Marcigaglia, a shareholder in The Bridge. “In Ambienta, we found a like-minded partner to support and accelerate our expansion, strengthen our organisation, and continue investing in innovation to capture the significant opportunities ahead in the plant-based sector.”
Italian are all-in on plant-based food
The deal marks the second investment for Ambienta’s €500M Small Cap Fund, which was launched last year – the debut deal was an acquisition of Italian water treatment and recycling company Pieco in March.
“This second investment for Ambienta Small Cap in just a few weeks embodies what this strategy stands for: deploying our capabilities and network to support companies also on the smaller end of our investment range to seize growth opportunities in markets driven by environmental trends,” said Lodrini.
Its decision to purchase controlling stock in The Bridge comes as the appetite for plant-based food grows in Italy. Nearly half of Italians (46%) now eat plant-based products two to three times a month, and the share of consumers who consume meat and dairy alternatives has increased by 10.6% since 2023.
Around a third of the country’s citizens consume non-dairy milk (34%) and yoghurts (32%), sales of which grew by 3% and 2% from 2023-24, respectively.
Parma-based dairy-free brand Dreamfarm, known for its clean-label vegan mozzarella, saw its revenues double in 2025, and is now aiming to repeat the feat this year. Meanwhile, in 2024, as a signal of the category’s potential, Gruppo Tonazzo closed its meat operations after 136 years in business, putting its entire focus on plant-based proteins via its Kioene brand.
The Bridge’s acquisition is part of an accelerated wave of M&As and consolidation in the alternative protein sector. In the last 18 months, over 70 companies have either been acquired, merged, declared insolvency, or closed.
It comes weeks after research revealed that a transition to alternative proteins could boost Italy’s self-sufficiency by reducing the reliance on imports, adding €10B in gross value annually by 2040.
End products could represent a domestic market of nearly €6B – that’s twice the size of Italy’s domestic olive oil market. And when considering the full value chain, the total market opportunity could rise to €8B. Trade opportunities, meanwhile, could reach €3B in 2040, on par with Italy’s pasta exports in 2022. Plus, the industry could help create 31,000 jobs across the value chain.
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