Novonesis to buy out MicroBioGen after 13 years and a 23% stake
What's the deal? Danish biotech NovonesisDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining shares of MicroBioGenDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an Australian company specialising in yeast strains for industrial uses such as bioethanol. Novonesis already holds a 23% stake, built from a 2013 investment, and will now take full ownership. Terms were not disclosed.
Why now? The move follows more than a decade of collaboration between the two, including co-developing the Innova yeast series for bioethanol production. Chief executive officer Ester Baiget said the deal "marks an additional step in our 2030 strategy."
What's the endgame? Novonesis positions itself as a pure-play biology company, investing roughly 10% of annual sales in innovation. Buying MicroBioGen deepens its yeast and research capabilities across industries ranging from baking and feed to energy and food applications.
MicroBioGen has spent 20 years building a library of elite yeast genetics, which it sells as "Yeast Innovation as a Service" to global industry leaders. Novonesis said it will continue to support MicroBioGen's existing partners.
What could go wrong? Completion is subject to customary regulatory approvals, including from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Geoffrey Bell, chief executive officer and co-founder of MicroBioGen, said: "After more than a decade of close collaboration, we could not think of a better home for the company."
The signal: The buyout reflects a broader push among biotech firms to lock in specialist microbial capabilities rather than license them. For Novonesis, converting a long-held minority stake into full control is a low-risk route to owning proven technology it already relies on.
Read more: MarketScreener
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