You love Native for its simple ingredients and indie vibe, but you suspect a corporate giant might be pulling the strings. You worry that your “natural” choice isn’t so independent anymore. To understand what you are putting on your body, you need to know who profits from your purchase.

The Native brand is owned by Procter & Gamble (P&G), one of the largest consumer goods corporations in the world. P&G acquired the independent direct-to-consumer (DTC) startup in November 2017 for approximately $100 million, strategically adding Native to its massive portfolio that includes Old Spice, Secret, and Gillette.

Who Is the Parent Company of Native Now?

The transition from a garage startup to a global household name happened quickly. Procter & Gamble (P&G) is the sole owner of Native, having purchased 100% of the company to dominate the natural personal care market.

This acquisition was a textbook move in modern business strategy. Native was founded by Moiz Ali in 2015. In just two years, it grew from nothing to a $100 million exit. At Nine Labs, we analyze how user experience drives valuation. Native didn’t just sell deodorant; they sold a seamless digital experience and a promise of health.

P&G recognized that they could not easily build this kind of authentic connection from scratch, so they bought it. This is not a partnership; it is full ownership. However, Native continues to operate somewhat autonomously out of San Francisco to maintain the startup culture that made it successful, distinct from P&G’s Cincinnati headquarters.

Why Did P&G Acquire a Niche DTC Brand?

This is the classic “Buy vs. Build” dilemma. P&G acquired Native because it was faster and more effective to buy a successful brand with a loyal following than to try and launch a new “natural” product under their existing legacy brands.

Large corporations like P&G are like cruise ships; they are powerful but turn slowly. Startups like Native are speedboats. In 2017, consumer preference was shifting rapidly toward aluminum-free, paraben-free products. P&G’s traditional brands (Secret and Old Spice) were seen as “chemical” and “old school” by younger millennials. If P&G had simply launched “Secret Natural,” consumers might have been skeptical. It wouldn’t have felt authentic. By acquiring Native, P&G instantly bought credibility in the “clean beauty” space.

Furthermore, they bought data. Native was a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) master. They knew exactly who their customers were, what scents they liked, and how much they would pay. P&G needed this digital DNA. They used the acquisition to learn how to speak to digital natives. It was a strategic “Commercial” move to secure future market share. They realized that the future of the shelf was not just about distribution power, but about brand affinity. By owning Native, P&G hedged its bets: they now profit whether you buy the chemical version (Secret) or the natural version (Native).

How Did the Acquisition Change the Product Strategy?

When a giant takes over, consumers get nervous. The acquisition changed the product strategy by shifting Native from an online-only exclusive to a mass-market retail staple found in Target, Walmart, and drugstores nationwide.

Before P&G, you had to order Native online and wait for shipping. Now, you can pick it up with your groceries. This is the power of P&G’s supply chain.

Did the Formula Change Under Corporate Ownership?

The biggest fear for any loyal user is that the new owner will cheapen the ingredients to save money. Generally, P&G has kept the core formula consistent because they understand that the ingredient list is the brand’s primary asset and value proposition.

From a User Experience (UX) and design perspective, changing the formula would be a disaster. Native’s entire brand promise is built on what is not in the stick (no aluminum, no parabens). If P&G added those things back in, they would destroy the $100 million asset they just bought. Therefore, the “Informational” content on the back of the label has remained largely the same—baking soda, tapioca starch, and shea butter.

However, what has changed is the scale of production and the variety of scents. P&G brought operational excellence. They improved the packaging mechanisms (so the dial doesn’t break as often) and expanded the product line into body wash, shampoo, and toothpaste. They leveraged their R&D labs to ensure stability and consistency across millions of units. While some hardcore naturalists argue that any association with a chemical giant ruins the “vibe,” the physical product remains true to its original design constraints. P&G is smart enough to know that you don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

What Happened to the Founder Moiz Ali?

Usually, founders stay on for a few years, but Ali’s exit was relatively quick. Moiz Ali stepped down from daily operations shortly after the acquisition was completed, having successfully achieved the entrepreneur’s dream of a massive exit.

He didn’t disappear, though. He took his payout and became a prolific angel investor. He now funds other startups, using the playbook he perfected with Native.

How Does This Exit Influence the Startup Ecosystem?

Native’s story is now a blueprint for other founders. The success of the Native sale proved that building a hyper-focused, single-product brand with a strong digital user experience is a viable path to a nine-figure exit.

This influences how new brands are built today. Founders are now designing companies specifically to be bought by giants like Unilever or P&G. They focus heavily on “branding” and “community” because they know these are the intangible assets that big corporations crave. At Nine Labs, we see this trend in our consulting work. Companies are prioritizing clean design, transparent messaging, and direct customer relationships not just to sell products, but to increase their valuation for a future sale.

Moiz Ali showed that you don’t need a revolutionary technology to win; you just need a better brand and a better understanding of the customer’s desire for simplicity. Native wasn’t the first natural deodorant, but it was the best branded one. This distinction is what made it worth $100 million. It validated the “DTC-to-Exit” pipeline and encouraged a wave of “clean” competitors hoping to replicate that same payday.

Conclusion

Native is no longer a small indie startup; it is a strategic arm of Procter & Gamble. By combining P&G’s massive distribution power with Native’s clean ingredients and modern branding, the company has successfully taken natural personal care from a niche online trend to a mainstream global standard.