North East nutrition start-up eyes expansion into US market

A North East sports nutrition and ecommerce business has received private investment to fuel US growth plans.

Youth Sport Nutrition (YSN) has been advised on the deal by law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, through its start-up support offering, WBD Accelerate.

YSN was set up by two former Newcastle United coaches and provides nutritional advice and app-based content relevant for young athletes, while also offering supplements, meal replacements and snack bars.

YSN is known for the development of PRO-TEEN – the world’s first fortified recovery shake specifically developed for young athletes.

As it looks to expand into the US market, the company has been advised by WBD Accelerate which was launched in 2019 to help fast growing businesses navigate the legal issues they are faced with.

It is a package of streamlined services which includes access to a number of commonly needed and focused legal documents that can be produced on a self-service basis through the firm’s platforms.

The WBD team advising YSN was led by associate Oliver Rickett, supported by paralegal Laura Brumwell and US attorney Matar Diouf.

The team’s work on the investment will assist YSN develop its offering in the US, which is a key target market for the business as it continues its expansion plans.

Oliver Rickett of WBD said: “We are delighted to have guided the YSN team through the investment process and to help Lou and his team deliver this new investment to support future growth plans.

“Starting, growing and scaling up a successful business comes with a set of challenges and the legal considerations are only part of that complex jigsaw, and are often an afterthought.

“Our WBD Accelerate offering, coupled with our strong corporate expertise, has provided an efficient solution in ensuring that the “legals” are right from the start.”

Lou Matera, founder and CEO at YSN added: “We’re very grateful to Oliver and the wider WBD team for their support during this process.

“Oliver’s ability to cut-through legal issues in a “start-up friendly way” was invaluable and the WBD Accelerate platform has helped form the legal foundations of our business in a seamless and user-friendly way.

“Being able to rely on a local team of North East lawyers, who have the ability to draw on US expertise, has also been key for us as, with the help of this investment, we look to expand to markets across the Atlantic.”