Quick Facts: KIND Bars / KIND Snacks
| Owner | Mars, Incorporated |
| Ownership Type | Private (subsidiary of Mars Inc.) |
| Founder | Daniel Lubetzky (2004) |
| Mars Acquisition | Full acquisition completed 2020 |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York, USA |
| Known For | Nut-and-fruit snack bars; clean-label ingredients |
| Parent Company | Mars, Incorporated (McLean, Virginia) |
| Publicly Traded | No (Mars is private) |
Who Owns KIND Bars?
KIND Bars (and the broader KIND Snacks brand) are owned by Mars, Incorporated, one of the world’s largest private food companies and the maker of brands like M&Ms, Snickers, Twix, and Pedigree pet food. Mars initially acquired a minority stake in KIND in 2017 and completed a full acquisition of the company in 2020. KIND was founded in 2004 by Daniel Lubetzky, the Mexican-American entrepreneur and later Shark Tank investor. Lubetzky built KIND into one of the most recognizable healthy snack brands in the United States before the Mars deal was concluded.
About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a privately held, family-owned global company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA. The Mars family — including members of the third and fourth generations of the founding family — retains full ownership and control of the company. Mars is one of the largest food companies on Earth, with annual revenues exceeding $45 billion. Its portfolio spans confectionery (M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way), pet care (Pedigree, Royal Canin, Whiskas), and food (Uncle Ben’s, now Ben’s Original). The KIND acquisition fits Mars’s strategy of diversifying into health-oriented snacking.
Key Ownership Highlights
- Mars, Incorporated acquired KIND Snacks fully in 2020, completing a process that began with a minority investment in 2017.
- Daniel Lubetzky founded KIND in 2004 and grew it from a single product to a billion-dollar snack empire before the Mars acquisition.
- Mars is one of the world’s largest privately held companies — the Mars family retains full ownership and the company does not trade publicly.
- KIND Bars remain headquartered in New York City and continue to operate under the KIND brand name as a subsidiary of Mars.
- The acquisition gave Mars a leading position in the fast-growing healthy snacking category alongside its traditional confectionery business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns KIND Bars?
KIND Bars are owned by Mars, Incorporated. Mars acquired full ownership of KIND Snacks in 2020, having initially purchased a minority stake in 2017.
Who founded KIND Bars?
Daniel Lubetzky founded KIND in 2004. He built the brand into a major healthy snacking company before Mars completed the full acquisition in 2020.
Is KIND Bars publicly traded?
No. KIND Snacks is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated, which is one of the world’s largest privately held family companies and is not publicly traded.
Does Mars own other food brands?
Yes. Mars, Incorporated owns many major food and confectionery brands, including M&Ms, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, Skittles, Ben’s Original (formerly Uncle Ben’s), and major pet care brands including Pedigree, Royal Canin, and Whiskas.