Press release
Personal Care
April 8, 2016

Evonik acquires French biotech company

  • Evonik acquires strength in the area of sustainably developed ingredients for cosmetics
  • Alkion Biopharma SAS extracts cosmetic actives from plant biomass


On April 6, 2016, Evonik Industries concluded a purchase agreement to take over the start-up Alkion Biopharma SAS, headquartered in Evry (France). The transaction is due to be completed in April. Alkion specializes in the development of biotechnological active ingredients for the cosmetics industry and was founded as a spin-off of the Imperial College London in 2011. Evonik is purchasing this company to expand the portfolio of the Personal Care Business Line in the area of active ingredients. The purchase price has not been disclosed.

"Thanks to its formulation and application expertise, Evonik enjoys an excellent reputation in the cosmetics industry. We are resolutely continuing along this path with the acquisition of Alkion," said Dr. Tammo Boinowitz, head of the Personal Care Business Line at Evonik. By taking over the French biotech company, Evonik is strengthening its portfolio of specialty active ingredients. "This allows us to offer customers product concepts to set themselves apart from competitors," said Boinowitz. Evonik is now able to offer its customers highly effective customized plant-based active ingredients that live up to their product claims.

Alkion Biopharma SAS is one of the leading manufacturers of biotechnologically developed cosmetic active ingredients. The company has developed methods for cultivating plant biomass under laboratory conditions and obtaining extracts from this with an exceptionally high yield of complex ingredients. The entire process takes place without altering the plant genome. "We are simply reinforcing the strength of nature. This results in unique, innovative cosmetic actives," said Dr. Franck Michoux, founder and CEO of Alkion. He believes the affiliation with Evonik will provide outstanding opportunities for successful marketing of this technology.

Company information

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals, operating in the Nutrition & Care, Resource Efficiency and Performance Materials segments. The company benefits from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. In 2015 more than 33,500 employees generated sales of around €13.5 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €2.47 billion.

About Nutrition & Care

The Nutrition & Care segment is led by Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH and contributes to fulfilling basic human needs. That includes applications for everyday consumer goods as well as animal nutrition and health care. This segment employed about 7,000 employees, and generated sales of around
€4.9 billion in 2015.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.