ArchiMed buys lab analysis company Carso

Selling shareholders include private equity firms EMZ Partners, Etoile ID, Unigrains, Raise and Siparex.

Capza is the largest minority shareholder in the company, while Siparex is an existing shareholder that has reinvested. Together they will aim to double Carso's current annual revenues of around EUR 200m over the next five years, according to a press release.

The retirement of CEO Bruno Schnepp triggered this proprietary deal; Schnepp holds a minority stake in Carso, according to a press release. Debt financing was carried out by Tikehau Capital and Carso's commercial bankers, Crédit du Nord, Arkéa, Banque Populaire, LCL and Crédit Agricole.

ArchiMed acquired its stake via its USD 1bn Med Platform I fund, which held a final close on USD 1bn in August 2020 surpassing its USD 800m target. The fund focuses on healthcare mid-cap companies with enterprise values of at least USD 100m. It focuses on Europe-based companies related to medical technology, biopharmaceuticals and care services. It invests USD 50m-500m per company, and it seeks to back around six companies, according to Unquote Data.

Previous investments in Carso include a minority stake of 40% held by 3i's global healthcare team between 2005 and 2011. The stake was sold by CDC and Siparex for an undisclosed amount, according to a press release in 2005. It also carried out six add-on acquisitions, generating a return in excess of three times 3i's investment, according to a press release.

MED Platform I's healthcare portfolio includes: Suanfarma, a Madrid-based manufacturer of ingredients for the pharmaceutical, veterinary, and nutritional sectors; Bomi Group, an Italy-based healthcare logistics provider; Namsa, a US-based research organisation for medical technology; DHG, a UK-based provider of hospital equipment; and Stragen, generic drugs manufacturer in Switzerland. Thus far, the platform has deployed more than 70% of its USD 1bn in funds raised.

Company
Carso is headquartered in France and was founded in 1992. It provides environmental, health, forensic and agrifood analytical services, including purity testing and chemical analysis. It has 2,500 employees and generates revenues of around EUR 200m.

People
ArchiMed – Antoine Faguer, Vincent Guillaumot, Denis Ribon (partners).
Carso – Bruno Schnepp (CEO).

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Buyouts
• Support services
• France
• France
• Archimed