Announced 16 July 2026: Umios (formerly Maruha Nichiro), the Japanese seafood and pet-food conglomerate, will acquire a 51% controlling stake in Malaysia’s Pet World International (PWI) for approximately ¥11.4 billion (~$70.4M), with closing targeted for September 2026. PWI is #2 in Malaysia’s dog and cat pet-food market, with strength in dry food and a strong position across Southeast Asia.
The combined platform creates a full wet + dry offering — Umios brings wet food and marine-sourced ingredients, PWI brings dry-food scale. Asian pet food is forecast at 8% CAGR through 2032, the fastest of any region, and the deal signals SEA consolidation is underway, with more Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam transactions expected through 2026–2027.