October 12th, 2020
We are pleased to announce that IK Investment Partners (“IK”), a leading private equity firm, announced that the IK IX Fund (“the Fund”) has entered into exclusive negotiations with Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, to acquire a majority stake in Kersia (“the Company”), a global leader in biosecurity and food safety. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
Kersia was formed as a new company in 2016 after Hypred acquired Antigerm, LCB Food Safety, G3, Kilco, Choisy Laboratories and Holchem, with each acquisition carefully chosen for their complementary technologies, leading market positions, and business expertise. The Company has tripled in size in less than four years.
Over the last four years, Kersia has grown to become a global leader in biosecurity and food safety. The Company, which has revenues in excess of €300 million, now operates in more than 120 countries with a workforce of over 1,500 people.
Sébastien Bossard, CEO of Kersia said: “We are delighted that IK, one of the most educated and experienced sponsors in our sectors of activity, has entered into negotiations to support us on our next stage of growth. Together, we will be able to pursue this extraordinary entrepreneurial adventure, of which we are proud. We will rely on our teams and innovative solutions, while continuing to serve farmers, food manufacturers and restaurant owners, as well as our customers in the health sector, who have placed their trust in us for many years. We would like to thank Ardian for their incredible contribution over the past four years.”
Dan Soudry, Managing Partner at IK and advisor to the IK IX Fund said: “We are very impressed by Kersia’s expertise and impressive track record of growth demonstrated over recent years. Kersia has built robust market positions globally, while keeping its customers at the centre of its strategy. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support Kersia and its management team in their growth strategy and consolidation of the biosecurity market.”
Thibault Basquin, Head of Americas Investments for Ardian Buyout and Managing Director added: “I would like to sincerely congratulate Sébastien Bossard and all the teams at Kersia for the tremendous adventure we have experienced in recent years. With the support of Ardian, Kersia has notably deployed a strong sustainability roadmap. Leading a responsible growth strategy and the integration of six companies in such a short period of time requires first-rate skills and discipline. We are proud to have contributed to this success.”
The transaction remains subject to the approval of antitrust authorities and to the information and consultation processes of the relevant employee representative bodies in accordance with applicable laws.
In the context of the transaction, Sycomore Corporate Finance acted as financial advisor to Ardian. The Sycomore transaction team comprised François Vigne, Tristan Dupont, Aurélien Singer, Quentin de Fréminville and Sébastien Richer. The Sycomore financing advisory team comprised Mofdi Gassoumi and Stanley Auvray.