Ponroy acquires Aragan, a designer and distributor of premium pharmaceutical food supplements.

3i Group plc (“3i”) today announces that Ponroy, a leading manufacturer of natural healthcare and cosmetics products in which 3i invested in January 2017, has acquired ERSA Group (“Aragan”), a designer and distributor of premium pharmaceutical food supplements. This acquisition will strengthen Ponroy’s presence in the pharmacy channel, which represents more than half of the food supplement market in France.

Under the leadership of Philippe Charrier, the combined group will be a leading player in the natural consumer healthcare industry in France with revenues in excess of €200m. Ponroy will benefit from Aragan’s innovative culture and Ponroy’s international presence will enable Aragan to penetrate new markets outside France.

Aragan, which employs approx. 100 staff, sells its food supplements through three brands: ARAGAN, SYNActifs and ERBALAB. The company has grown at 40% p.a. since 2012 into one of the leading players in the pharmacy channel in France, by using its innovation-led approach to develop a number of professional brands based on health and wellbeing. The combined business will become #4 in the pharmacy channel in France, with around €50m of revenues.

Remi Carnimolla, Partner & Managing Director 3i France, and Guillaume Basquin, Director 3i France, commented:

“3i is delighted to support Ponroy’s first acquisition since our investment which confirms Ponroy’s ambitious growth plans in line with the strategy we set out. Aragan is very complementary to Ponroy and we look forward to supporting the combined business to continue its international growth, further strengthen its position in the pharmacy channel in France and continue to take advantage of the rise of natural consumer healthcare which is a mega consumer trend in food and cosmetics.”

Nicolas Brodetsky, currently Aragan CEO since 2011, will lead the pharmacy business unit for the combined group. He said:

“I am delighted by this new partnership between Ponroy and Aragan and the future opportunities for both businesses. This is a key step in our development. New and exciting challenges are ahead of us and I am delighted to join Philippe Charrier and his team to establish a leader in the food supplement market with high potential for international growth. I would like to thank Calcium Capital for the last 4 years of partnership, which have enabled us to strengthen our development model.”

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For further information, contact:

3i Group plc
Silvia Santoro
Investor enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3258
Email: silvia.santoro@3i.com

Kathryn van der Kroft
Media enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7975 3021
Email: kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com

Notes to editors:

About Ponroy

Ponroy was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Boufféré, near Nantes, France. It manufactures a wide range of “natural healthcare and cosmetics products” from functional and natural food supplements (for stress control, energy and memory boosters, sleeping aids, slimming, probiotics, menopause etc.) to natural cosmetics and hygiene products for babies and women.

The business is well positioned due to its multi-distribution channel strategy which includes large retailers (hypermarkets and supermarkets), pharmacies and drugstores, specialised diet retailers, mail order and online sales. It owns several well-known brands, including Biolane, Yves Ponroy, Vitarmonyl, Manhae, Lecitone, Force G, Ultrabiotique, and Naturé Moi.

About 3i Group

3i is an investment company with two complementary businesses, Private Equity and Infrastructure, specialising in core investment markets in Northern Europe and North America.

3i’s Private Equity team provides investment solutions for growing companies, backing entrepreneurs and management teams of mid-market companies with an EV typically between €100m - €500m. We back international growth plans, providing access to our network and expertise to accelerate the growth of companies across the consumer, industrials and business and technology services industries.

For further information, please visit: www.3i.com