Ocimum Biosolutions, a leading provider of laboratory information management systems (LIMS), bioinformatics solutions, Microarrays and contract research based in Hyderabad, has acquired the BioMolecules synthesis business of Isogen Life Science based in Netherlands.
Anuradha Acharya, CEO of Ocimum Biosolutions said "We are very pleased to have taken the significant step towards becoming a global oligo player with the Isogen acquisition. We will continue looking for targets in related areas to scale up our oligo production capability. This acquisition will also help us become a more integrated genomics services provider with three delivery points in Indianapolis, IJsselstein and Hyderabad."
Hans Beijersbergen van Henegouwen, MD of Isogen Life Science said, "It is an excellent opportunity for the Biomolecules Division of Isogen Life Science to become a global player in this competitive business. The new business configuration will be much more flexible and will be able to play an important role in the vast growing demand for oligo nucleotides all over the world. Ocimum is the perfect partner for fulfilling a broad platform of needs in this market segment."
Avendus Advisors was the sole financial advisor to Ocimum for the deal. Commenting on the transaction, Shiraz Bugwadia, AVP, Avendus Advisors "Ocimum is one of the few Indian players within the BioIT and microarrays space to have scaled up successfully over the last couple of years. Ocimum has also been successful at using the inorganic route to scale rapidly by acquiring niche good quality companies in Europe such as MWG Biotech's division and now Isogen Life Science."
Isogen Life Science a leading supplier of products for the life science sector. The company provides a wide range of instruments, reagents and consumables in the areas of cell biology, molecular biology and biochemistry.
Isogen Life Science is a merger between B&L Systems (1987), the Benelux distributor for scientific instrument companies, and Isogen Bioscience (1988), a leading producer of DNA, RNA, peptides and related products, which are used around the world by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and leading research institutes.
Ocimum is a life sciences R&D enabling company with three main focus areas, BioIT, Microarrays and Contract research services. The US operation of the company focuses on custom contract research services in the molecular biology area while the Indian operations provide BioIT services and Microarrays. Ocimum has more than 300 prestigious clients worldwide including the centres for disease control, University of Toronto HIV clinic, National Research Council of Canada, Max Planck Institute etc.
Ocimum has adopted an inorganic strategy to ramp up the business fast and has demonstrated its capability to execute this strategy in the past. As a part of its strategy, Ocimum acquired a division of MWG Biotech, Germany in 2005.
The company has recently received the IT Innovation award by NASSCOM, presented by the president of India. Also, Red Herring magazine picked Ocimum as one of the eight companies to watch in India. Deloitte ranked the company as fourth fastest growing Technology company in India and the fastest growing Life Sciences Company in India.