News Article

French private equity firm Motion Equity Partners has acquired a majority stake in Polaris, a Brittany-based biotechnology specialist renowned for its high-concentration, microalgae-derived omega-3 nutritional lipids.

The transaction marks the exit of Demea Agro. Historical institutional backing remains strong as previous shareholders, including Cerea Partners, Seventure Partners, and Picama, have reinvested alongside the new majority owners to support the company through its next phase of industrialisation.

While specific transaction terms were not publicised, average healthcare and pharmaceutical enterprise multiples hovering around a mid teen multiple EV/EBITDA.

For healthcare operators and industry observers, this partnership signals a major strategic push towards rapid international expansion and industrial scaling. The joint strategy will look to significantly grow the business, driven primarily by establishing a dedicated production facility in the United States to serve the high-demand North American clinical nutrition and dietary supplement markets.

From a sector-wide perspective, this acquisition highlights the accelerating professionalisation and clinical integration of the global nutraceutical market. Polaris is a key player in preventative healthcare, specialising in lipid chemistry and utilising patented stabilisation technologies such as QualitySilver and GreenSilver to prevent oil oxidation.

As the medical community increasingly focuses on the cardiovascular and cognitive benefits of lipid chemistry, the demand for sustainable, plant-based alternatives like microalgae continues to rise.

This transaction underscores investor confidence in defensible, high-growth life sciences assets that are insulated from traditional regulatory shifts and reimbursement risks. Operators may expect Polaris to leverage this capital to expand its clinical product offerings and pursue strategic bolt-on acquisitions globally.