Nordic Life Science 1
Business deals – Acquisitions – Agreements – Coll
aborations T E X T B Y M AL IN O T M ANI Maria Forss, President and CEO, BICO A CQU I S I T I ON KKR makes SEK 11.6 billion bid for Biotage RWK BidCo AB, a newly formed company indirectly wholly owned by KKR Funds, has announced a recommended B U S I NES S D E AL BICO DIVESTS MATTEK, TO BE ACQUIRED BY SARTORIUS The company has entered into an agreement to divest MatTek and Visikol, which will be acquired by Sartorius Lab Holding for USD 80 million. FOLLOWING THE DIVESTMENT, the remaining assets in BICO’s Bioprinting business area, CELLINK and Advanced BioMatrix, will be transferred to its Life Science Solutions business area. “This divestment fulfils three key priorities: focusing on our core business, strengthening our balance sheet, and improving our ability to accelerate BICO’s growth agenda,” says Maria Forss, President and CEO, BICO. In February 2025, BICO announced the repurchase of convertible bonds, to a total nominal amount of SEK 276 million. This reduces the total outstanding convertible bond amount to SEK 1,106 million and, with all else remaining equal, reduces the remaining cash position to SEK 699 million. The net cash proceeds from the divestment will be used to resolve the outstanding convertible bond, which matures in March 2026, and support the acceleration of BICO’s growth agenda. The combined business of MatTek and Visikol has more than 85 employees and is headquartered in Ashland, Massachusetts, USA. NLS public tender offer to the shareholders of Biotage to transfer all of the ordinary shares of Biotage to RWK BidCo for SEK 145 in cash per ordinary share. KKR HAS FOLLOWED Biotage ’s development with great interest and admiration for several years, particularly through Gamma Biosciences, which is controlled by KKR Funds and is Biotage’s largest shareholder, they state. KKR is convinced that Biotage’s full potential can best be realized in a private environment and that the offering represents the primary opportunity for shareholders to realize value and release liquidity, for several important reasons. The Board of Directors of Biotage has evaluated the offer and decided to recommend that Biotage shareholders accept the offer. NLS A CQU I S I T I ON Paxman bids to take over Dignitana The offer values the shares in Dignitana at approximately SEK 153 million. “THERE IS A clear synergistic value and strength to be gained from the merger of these two fine companies, and we look forward to having a stronger position as we enter a period of exciting changes in the reimbursement landscape in the USA. Change is, of course, inevitable but for the better, ensuring that we have the right resources for the next chapter in our growth story,” says Richard Paxman, CEO, Paxman. Dignitana’s Board has unanimously recommended thr shareholders accept the offer. Paxman had 105 employees, mainly in the UK and the US, and Dignitana had 26 employees, mostly in Sweden and the US. NLS NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG | 9 USD 5.2 MILLION … … has been secured by Fuse Vectors in pre-seed financing led by HCVC.