Lesaffre announces the completion of its take-over of NattoPharma, a Norwegian nutraceutical company specializing in research and marketing of vitamin K2. With this acquisition, Gnosis by Lesaffre, the business unit of Lesaffre dedicated to human care, is strengthening its presence in the global human nutrition and health market and confirms its commitment to accelerate its research and development activities.
This announcement completes the friendly public offer launched in February to acquire all outstanding shares of NattoPharma, a company listed on Euronext Expand Oslo. Given that Lesaffre now holds more than 90% of the share capital of NattoPharma, a delisting and compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares will be carried out in due course.
Lesaffre pursues its investments and development in human nutrition and health sector
As a global player in the field of fermentation and micro-organisms, Lesaffre has been expanding its capabilities in human nutrition and health for more than 15 years. With the acquisition of NattoPharma, a company headquartered in Norway and specializing in vitamin K2, Lesaffre confirms its commitment to becoming a key player in this double-digit-growth market.
Through its business unit Gnosis by Lesaffre, Lesaffre is already an established supplier of Vitamin K2, an ingredient used in dietary supplements, with benefits in bone health and cardiovascular health. Joining forces with NattoPharma will help Gnosis by Lesaffre expand the awareness about and access to the benefits of Vitamin K2 to support the health capital of consumers.
“This acquisition is perfectly in line with our strategy of development in human nutrition and health. We are very happy to welcome the NattoPharma team within our group. Lesaffre and NattoPharma share a common goal of answering the needs for food, health and naturalness while providing safe and trustworthy ingredients to their clients and end customers”, says Antoine Baule, CEO of Lesaffre.
Gnosis by Lesaffre wishes to strengthen its presence and offering
Gnosis by Lesaffre has been developing products for human nutrition and health for more than 15 years and currently employs over 400 people in its various sites (France, Italy, Switzerland, USA, China and Singapore). This operation will enable the business unit to strengthen its presence in the global human nutrition and health market and to further develop the access to natural vitamin K2.
“By joining our forces and combining our expertises, we will accelerate our investments in clinical trials to research and demonstrate vitamin K2 effects for the benefit of consumers, and thus further increase science-based differentiation levers for our customers,” adds Marc Philouze, Managing Director of Gnosis By Lesaffre.
NattoPharma is a nutraceutical company founded in 2004 and headquartered in Oslo. Since its inception, the company has played a leading role in building the clinical science to substantiate the health benefits of vitamin K2 with more than 20 published clinical trials. It sells K2 under its brand MenaQ7® and via a global sales organization with salespeople located in Europe, USA and Asia.
“I am proud of the entrepreneurial journey accomplished by the NattoPharma team to build the Vitamin K2 market and supporting science over the past decade. Lesaffre is recognized as a worldwide key player in the fermentation industry, leveraging innovation and industrial platforms to produce fermentation products; this, paired with NattoPharma’s expertise on the various forms of Vitamin K2, makes us confident that we together will accelerate research and further explore K2 benefits as the true global leader in Vitamin K2 with a full range of products meeting all customer needs,“ says Kjetil Ramsoy, CEO of NattoPharma.
Rothschild acted as financial advisor to Lesaffre. Thommessen AS acted as the Norwegian legal advisor, and Linklaters as the French legal advisor to Lesaffre. ABG Sundal Collier ASA acted as financial advisor and CLP DA as Norwegian legal advisor to NattoPharma.