News & Insights

Aqua Capital, announces the sale of Yes, a Brazilian biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of animal feed additives to Olmix, a French company specialized in natural solutions for livestock and crop farming.

• Yes Sinergy (“Yes”), a portfolio company of Aqua Capital, is a Brazilian biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of animal feed additives to enhance food safety, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.
• Olmix Group (“Olmix”), a French company specialized in developing, producing, and distributing bio sourced solutions to reinforce the natural functionalities of animals, soils and plants, to acquire a majority position in Yes.
• Through Aqua Capital’s tenure, Yes became one of the largest export companies in its segment in Brazil, achieving almost 50% of total sales as international sales.
• This transaction will take Yes to its next phase of growth leveraging on Olmix’s operational and innovation capabilities and global distribution network.

São Paulo, BRAZIL, July 11th, 2023 – Aqua Capital, a private equity fund focused on innovative and sustainable investments in the agribusiness and food sectors, announced today the sale of Yes, a Brazilian biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of animal feed additives to Olmix, a French company specialized in natural solutions for livestock and crop farming.

Founded in 2008, Yes is dedicated to the development and commercialization of animal feed additives to enhance food safety, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. Yes’ product portfolio includes natural and antibiotic-free products derived from sugarcane yeast and chelated organic minerals.

Yes was acquired by Aqua Capital in 2016, adding a professionalized approach and a value creation philosophy. Since the acquisition, Yes has achieved organic growth of 24% p.a. in net revenue and 25% p.a. in Ebitda. Currently, Yes is one of the top-three players in Brazil in its category, exporting to over 40 countries.

Leveraging its sustainability, Aqua Capital has delivered transformational initiatives to create value through impact, burnishing top-tier sustainability and ESG credentials:

• Environmentally sustainable: through innovative solutions, Yes has had significant impact by avoiding the use of 78 tons of antibiotics and saving 9,000 tons of feed consumption in 2022. Furthermore, since 2019 Yes has converted its by-products and wastewater to produce biofertilizers, further reducing its carbon footprint.
• High governance: Yes has implemented robust governance practices, monitoring over 40 ESG indicators since 2016. It was recognized as a top-three ESG case by the Latin American Private Equity Association (LAVCA) in 2020 and has become adherent to the highest global standards of quality through top international certifications such as Ecovadis, Feed & Food and GMP+.
• Socially responsible: the company has created over 100 net jobs in economically challenging markets, a 61% increase since Aqua Capital’s acquisition.

“From the outset, the business strategy demonstrated Aqua Capital’s resilience and ability to create value through the application of our PGTI approach (Professionalize, Grow, Transform and Impact) amidst a challenging macroeconomic context. The sale of Yes reinforces Aqua Capital’s commitment to deliver liquidity to its investors by proactively developing multiple exit paths for our portfolio companies,” said Sebastian Popik, founding partner of Aqua Capital.

The partnership with Olmix will enable Yes to sustain its continued growth by creating a global leader in natural feed additives through strong product and commercial synergies and it will further commit to innovation and the growth of bio-sourced solutions. This transaction will allow the acceleration of further geographic expansion into Asia and Europe, the diversification of natural product sourcing, and the development of new complementary technology product portfolio.

Yes marks Olmix’s first acquisition in Brazil reinforcing their Latin American expansion, one of the most dynamic agricultural markets. “The association or sale of relevant industry assets to global players that are positioned among leaders in their segments demonstrates our ability to build world-class companies”, says Gustavo Eiben, partner of Aqua Capital.

About Aqua Capital
Aqua Capital is a private equity firm that manages investments in innovative and sustainable businesses throughout the Agribusiness & Food value chain. The firm is driven by a team of experts who focus on investing in fragmented markets that offer substantial growth opportunities and strategic value. Aqua Capital’s investment strategy revolves around identifying and supporting themes and opportunities that are revolutionizing the industry through technology, innovation, sustainability, and globalization. For further information please contact investor.relations@aqua.capital.

About Olmix
Olmix is a global company specialized in developing, producing, and distributing high value bio sourced solutions for livestock and crop farming. Its Animal Care division develops innovative technologies in more than 50 countries to improve animal welfare and hygiene, reduce mycotoxin risks, improve digestive efficiency, and boost animals’ natural defenses while combining economic and environmental performance. Founded in central Brittany, Olmix employees 650 personnel, and operates seven industrial plants, including a biorefinery specialized in algae processing.