Acquisition of a majority stake of Solabia by Astorg, with management team and TA Associates both reinvesting in the company
FR
Sycomore Corporate Finance acted as financial advisor to Solabia’s management team in the context of the acquisition of the company by Astorg alongside TA Associates.
Astorg, through their Astorg VIII fund, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Solabia Group (“Solabia” or “the Company”), a global biotechnology ingredient solutions provider, from TA Associates (“TA”), a leading global private equity firm, who will reinvest in the business.
Rationale
Founded in 1972, Solabia specializes in natural active ingredients for the cosmetics, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, as well as food and clinical testing industries. Leveraging advanced biotechnology capabilities – including fermentation, enzymatic synthesis, plant extraction, and green chemistry – Solabia develops high-performance ingredients that support precise formulation needs and enable differentiated product outcomes for its customers.
The Company holds leading positions across its market segments, driven by technological differentiation. Solabia’s active ingredients play a critical role in its customer formulations and end-products quality, contributing to high customer retention and long-term supplier integration. Solabia is positioned in dynamic and resilient end-markets and benefits from the continued penetration of natural ingredients in substitution to synthetic compounds.
Headquartered in Paris, Solabia operates 11 manufacturing sites and 8 R&D labs worldwide and employs over 900 staff. It is one of the few independent natural active ingredients platforms at scale combining deep technological expertise with strong global distribution capabilities.
Building on Solabia’s strong track record, marked by double-digit growth in the past five years, Astorg, TA and Solabia’s management team will focus on further accelerating international expansion – particularly in the US and Asia – and advancing the Company’s innovation roadmap, while continuing to benefit from strong market tailwinds.
Solabia is a vertically integrated manufacturer of natural active and functional ingredients for cosmetics, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Solabia is also a producer of culture media and detection kits for food testing, clinical, pharmaceutical and microbiology laboratories. With multiple production facilities and R&D centres, Solabia is a major player in the global cosmetics, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredient markets, as well as food and clinical testing industries.
Bridgepoint is one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, specialising in mid-market private equity, infrastructure and private credit. With over $75 bn of assets under management and a strong local presence in Europe, North America and Asia, Bridgepoint combines global scale with local market insight and sector expertise.
Prior Bridgepoint investments in technology-enabled services and specialist consultancy businesses include Alpha FMC, Analysys Mason, Achilles and Prescient.
Bridgepoint is one of the world’s leading quoted private asset growth investors, specialising in mid-market private equity, infrastructure and private credit. With over $75 bn of assets under management and a strong local presence in Europe, North America and Asia, Bridgepoint combines global scale with local market insight and sector expertise.
Prior Bridgepoint investments in technology-enabled services and specialist consultancy businesses include Alpha FMC, Analysys Mason, Achilles and Prescient.