Larka is pleased and very proud to announce that it performed the Commercial Due-Diligence for Keensight Capital on its acquisition of Symeres. Larka's M&A unit and Keensight Capital have - intensively - worked as one team within a very short timeframe to make this fantastic deal happen.
“This Commercial Due-Diligence will go down in Larka’s history. We were able to provide the in-depth analysis that Keensight hired us to deliver, under an extremely tight deadline. With a high rate of successful deals overarching a long-running partnership, Larka and Keensight have a very collaborative relationship, which facilitates an especially effective outcome.
There is no doubt that Keensight’s highly talented and experienced team will empower Symeres to reach its ambitious target of becoming the best in class, most innovative, European mid-sized, small-molecule-focused, integrated drug discovery and development company.”
Pierre-Anthony Brioir, Director at Larka
"We are very pleased to be the new majority shareholders of Symeres, alongside management. The Larka team has been extremely helpful in our commercial diligence efforts, and we benefited greatly from their insight, understanding and expertise. We look forward to future projects together."
Pierre Remy, Managing Partner at Keensight Capital
Symeres Acquisition Press Release
Keensight Capital, one of the principal private equity managers dedicated to pan-European Growth Buyout investments, has reached an agreement to invest alongside management in Symeres, a leading European drug discovery Contract Research Organization (CRO) and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). According to the terms of the agreement, Keensight Capital will acquire a majority stake in Symeres from the Gilde Healthcare Private Equity fund, a leading European specialist healthcare investor.
Symeres is one of the largest European small molecule CRO & CDMOs, providing R&D services from preclinical drug discovery to Phase I and II clinical stage drug development and manufacturing to major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the globe. Its highly specialized services include: integrated small molecule optimization efforts, complex synthetic chemistry, route scouting & drug synthesis up to GMP production, solid state chemistry and ADME-Tox services.
Symeres, headquartered in the Netherlands, employs over 500 people, many of whom are PhD scientists, operating over 6 sites spread across the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden, along with a business development office in the USA. Over several decades, the company has enjoyed a strong growth trajectory, with revenues rising organically at a double-digit rate per annum, further complemented by strategic M&A. In 2021, the group expects to reach over €70m in sales.
Keensight Capital plans to support the management team – led by co-founders Eelco Ebbers, PhD and Frank Leemhuis, PhD, as well as CFO Guillaume Jetten – in pursuing and accelerating the organic and external growth of the company, while continuing to provide clients with the industry-leading service Symeres is known for.
About Larka
Larka is a management consulting firm, exclusively dedicated to the Biotech and Pharma industry. We assist all players that are somehow involved technically, commercially or financially into drug discovery, development and manufacturing, such as Biotech & Pharma companies, Contract Services Organizations, Equipment or Raw Materials Suppliers, Private Equity firms or Investment Banks.
Covering Technical, Operational, Commercial and Strategic activities, Larka has developed a unique combination of expertise – including TechOps, CMC & Outsourcing, Operational & Commercial excellence, Marketing & Sales, Corporate Strategy and M&A - giving Larka’s clients a full appreciation of their capabilities and a 360° view, full-potential vision, on the industry’s opportunities, synergies and risks.
For more information, please visit www.larka.com
About Symeres
Symeres is a leading mid-sized European Contract Research Organization for drug discovery and development needs. With over 500 employees at six locations - Groningen, Nijmegen, & Weert in the Netherlands, Prague in the Czech Republic, Oulu in Finland and Södertälje in Sweden - as well as a business development office in the US, the company offers best-in-class solutions for drug discovery and drug development for small molecules and beyond. Their services span from preclinical hit finding all the way to the delivery of early clinical phase drug substance API. Symeres blends a deep scientific knowledge base with creativity and problem-solving skills to deliver quality results that clients need.
For more information, please visit www.symeres.com
About Keensight Capital
Keensight Capital, one of the leading European Growth Buyout firms, is committed to supporting entrepreneurs as they implement their growth strategies. For 20 years, Keensight Capital’s team of seasoned professionals has leveraged their knowledge of investment and growth industries to invest for the long term in profitable companies with high growth potential and revenues in the range of € 10mn to € 300mn. Drawing on its expertise in the Technology and Healthcare sectors, Keensight identifies the best investment opportunities in Europe and works closely with management teams to develop and achieve their strategic vision.
For more information, please visit www.keensightcapital.com
About Gilde Healthcare
Gilde Healthcare is a specialized healthcare investor managing over €1.4 billion across two fund strategies: Private Equity and Venture & Growth. Gilde Healthcare Private Equity participates in profitable European lower mid-market healthcare companies with a prime focus on the Benelux and DACH region. The Private Equity fund targets healthcare providers, suppliers of medical products and service providers in the healthcare market. Gilde Healthcare Venture & Growth invests in medtech, healthtech and therapeutics in Europe and North America.
For more information, please visit www.gildehealthcare.com