• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Jessica Alba’s Honest Company Is Reportedly In Talks to Sell to Unilever

By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 15, 2016, 9:59 PM ET

The Honest Company, the consumer packaged goods company co-founded by actress Jessica Alba, could soon be joining Unilever.

The five-year-old company, which focuses on “green” and “organic” products, is in talks to be acquired by Unilever (UL), which makes Dove soaps and Axe body sprays, among many other products, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal that cites anonymous sources. The deal is reportedly valued at more than $1 billion, but below the $1.7 billion that valuation the Honest Company achieved in a previous funding round. Tech news site Recode first reported that the company was looking to be acquired last week.

Going public also remains an option that the Honest Company hasn’t entirely dismissed, according to the Journal.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The Honest Company has raised more than $200 million from investors, including General Catalyst Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Fidelity. It generations about $300 million in annual revenue, according to media reports, selling both through retailers like Target, and via its own websites.

Earlier this year, the Honest Company was hit with multiple lawsuits claiming its products contain chemicals the company says it avoids. Alba has repeatedly denied the reports, calling the lawsuits “baseless” and aimed at her company because it’s an “easy target.”

Acquiring the Honest Company would be Unilever’s second $1 billion-plus purchase of an online consumer startup this summer. In July, it acquired the Dollar Shave Club, which sends customers disposable razors for a monthly fee, for $1 billion. Then in August, Wal-Mart paid $3 billion for Jet.com, a competitor to Amazon’s e-commerce business, further signaling that selling to a large company may be the best option for e-commerce startups and their survival.

Fortune has contacted the Honest Company and will update this story if we hear back.

About the Author
By Kia Kokalitcheva
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

sony
InnovationRobots
Meet ‘Ace,’ the paddle-wielding robot who just beat humans at ping pong in AI breakthrough
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressApril 22, 2026
11 hours ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AITech
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
11 hours ago
David’s Bridal exec has a warning for every CEO obsessed with AI’s return-on-investment
Retailinvestments
David’s Bridal exec has a warning for every CEO obsessed with AI’s return-on-investment
By Alex Vuocolo and Retail BrewApril 22, 2026
12 hours ago
frank
CommentaryVisa
Visa CMO: AI agents are your new customers — here’s how to sell to them
By Frank Cooper IIIApril 22, 2026
12 hours ago
President Donald Trump
AITariffs
The AI boom is single-handedly carrying the U.S. import market—and adding $200 billion to the trade deficit, Fed study finds
By Tristan BoveApril 22, 2026
14 hours ago
shlomit
Commentarycyber
The Mythos meeting focused on the wrong AI risk to banks. Here’s the one nobody is talking about
By Shlomit WagmanApril 22, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
21 hours ago
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
Real Estate
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
By Sydney LakeApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
C-Suite
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
AI
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
24 hours ago
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
Law
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
By Sasha RogelbergApril 20, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.