Courtesy of VIVES Partners
Acquisition of TAC’s gut microbiota product, with benefits for people at risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, will enable Danone to expand further into gut health
Deal marks significant achievement for early-stage fund VIVES Partners in successfully transforming research into strategic market value
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium – VIVES Partners, the managing company of VIVES Funds, today announces the acquisition by Danone of The Akkermansia Company (TAC), a specialist in biotics and one of VIVES Funds’ portfolio investments. Danone will obtain TAC’s state-of-the-art biotics strain, Akkermansia muciniphila MucT®, one of the world’s most innovative products in the microbiome field.
Akkermansia muciniphila MucT is a naturally occurring, patented bacterium in the human gut. It acts as a true guardian of the intestinal barrier, playing a key role in restoring gut barrier function, reducing inflammation and improving metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The world is entering a new era in biotics, with commensals at its core. TAC and its founders, Prof. Willem M. de Vos and Prof. Patrice D. Cani, have played a vital role in advancing this field by discovering, naming and characterizing Akkermansia, one of the most famous and well-studied commensal strains. Danone has also been a pioneer in the biotics space, producing fermented foods containing probiotics for nearly 100 years and, during this time, collecting and preserving thousands of strains of bacteria. It highlights TAC as a key asset in bringing Akkermansia to a much broader audience.
In 2021, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave approval to pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila for a food application in the EU, the result of two decades of TAC’s in-depth scientific research. Its use is indicative of the evolution in eating trends among consumers who are shifting towards food as medicine for healthier and preventive nutrition.
“The acquisition of TAC by Danone is a major success, particularly in today’s challenging M&A landscape,” said Philippe Durieux, managing partner at VIVES Partners. “TAC’s story perfectly illustrates our investment strategy at VIVES Partners, turning cutting-edge European academic research into thriving commercial ventures through the strategic creation and growth of pioneering spin-offs.”
VIVES Partners created The Akkermansia Company in 2016, from its outset bringing together a solid consortium of shareholders, including an €18M funding in 2018 with two key lead investors, Seventure and Innovation Industries, as well as VIVES Funds and Wallonie Entreprendre. The dedication of the founders and the strength of the management team greatly contributed to the growth and success of the company, progressively reinforcing protection of its intellectual property, optimizing production processes, opening new markets and conducting numerous scientific and clinical tests.
“This marks the beginning of a new chapter for our company. We are proud that our innovation will now contribute to improving the quality of life for many people around the world,” said Michael Oredsson, CEO of TAC. “We thank VIVES Partners for trusting in our vision and the Walloon Region and the European Investment Bank (EIB) for their support through key funding programs, which has significantly contributed to accelerating research and development in recent years.”
The sellers were advised by Piper Sandler Ltd (exclusive financial advisor) and Baker McKenzie (legal advisor).
About The Akkermansia Company (TAC)
A portfolio company of VIVES Funds managed by VIVES Partners, TAC was founded in 2016 by Professor Willem M. de Vos, from Wageningen University (NL) and Professor Patrice D. Cani, from UCLouvain (BE) as a spinoff company active in the microbiome field. TAC develops health products based on the unique properties of the Akkermansia muciniphila commensal bacterial species. The company has broad patents protecting the use of the Akkermansia species, including the use of the pasteurized version of the strain, MucT®, which is its most bio-efficacious form. TAC is successfully building a direct-to-consumer and business-to-business dietary supplement business in key markets in Europe, North America and Asia.
About Danone
Danone is a leading global food and beverage company operating in three health-focused, fast-growing and on-trend Categories: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. With a long-standing mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices while committing to achieve measurable nutritional, social, societal and environment impact. Danone has defined its Renew strategy to restore growth, competitiveness, and value creation for the long-term. With over 90,000 employees, and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated €27.4 billion in sales in 2024. Danone’s portfolio includes leading international brands (Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, among others) as well as strong local and regional brands (including AQUA, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate, Mizone, Oikos and Silk). Listed on Euronext Paris and present on the OTCQX platform via an ADR (American Depositary Receipt) program, Danone is a component stock of leading sustainability indexes including the ones managed by Moody’s and Sustainalytics, as well as MSCI ESG Indexes, FTSE4Good Index Series, Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and Access to Nutrition Index. Danone’s ambition is to be B CorpTM certified at global level in 2025.
About VIVES Partners
VIVES Partners is the independent management company of VIVES II and VIVES IUF, both initiated by UCLouvain. VIVES Partners plays a pivotal role in connecting academic research and innovative projects with public and private investors. Addressing the seed funding gap, VIVES IUF serves as a catalyst for transforming academic research and start-ups into viable, high-impact ventures. Notably, portfolio companies of the VIVES II fund, the predecessor to VIVES IUF, have raised approximately €1.5 billion ($1.6bn) in financing, demonstrating VIVES Partners’ ability to transform early-stage companies from pre-seed funding into series A/B and IPOs/trade sales. VIVES Partners also holds an impressive track record in employment creation, with VIVES II contributing to the creation of 600 full-time equivalent jobs.
