Kühne Holding AG has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire pharma contract development and manufacturing organization Aenova Group from leading international investment firm BC Partners. As part of the transaction, BC Partners’ advised funds will reinvest alongside Kühne Holding AG and continue to support Aenova as a minority shareholder. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The Aenova Group is one of the world's leading CDMOs (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations) in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. Headquartered in Starnberg, near Munich, and with approximately 4,000 employees in 14 manufacturing sites worldwide, the company is a one-stop service provider for the development, manufacturing, and packaging of drug products for pharma companies around the globe.
Under the ownership of BC Partners, the Aenova Group has developed into one of the ten largest CDMOs in the world. The company’s growth trajectory has accelerated under the leadership of CEO Jan Kengelbach, who has repositioned the company into differentiated and innovative growth platforms during his six-year tenure at the helm of the Group. In 2023 Aenova delivered record results with pro-forma revenue of €832m, an increase of 17% on the prior year.
The Kühne Holding AG, based in Schindellegi (Switzerland), combines Klaus-Michael Kühne’s business interests. With an entrepreneurial focus, it holds a majority stake in Kühne+Nagel International AG and is the largest single shareholder of Hapag-Lloyd AG, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Brenntag SE.