Brussels, Belgium, September 1, 2021

Merodis, an independent corporate finance advisory firm, is pleased to announce it has successfully advised the shareholders of ixX Pharma on the sale to France based Havea group. ixX Pharma’s strong presence and exquisite brand notoriety in the BeLux food supplements market attracted significant interest from local and international bidders following the competitive auction process run by Merodis. With the Havea group, ixX pharma has found the perfect fit regarding strategy, culture and ambitioned market expansion in Belgium and abroad. Havea plans to lead ixX Pharma into a new phase of growth by deploying its extensive resources and market knowledge.

ixX Pharma (www.ixx.be) is one of Belgium’s leading food supplements companies, combining a unique science-based marketing approach with a premium branding. Founded in 2005 by René Zagers and Danny Bral, ixX Pharma is perceived as a frontrunner, scientific initiator and innovator in the Belux food supplements market. Under their leadership the company experienced continuous organic sales and profit growth with 2020 sales amounting to EUR 11.9m and a pro forma EBITDA of EUR 3.6m. According to the 2020 IQVIA Public Price ranking, ixX Pharma ranked as 6th largest player in the Belgian food supplements market.

Havea Group (www.havea.group) is a leading player in the natural healthcare and cosmetic markets, manufacturing and distributing food supplements, natural cosmetics and hygiene products for babies and women. In 2020, Havea generated revenues of circa € 200m. Its strategic portfolio consists of the following 7 brands: Aragan, Biolane, Densmore, Dermovitamina, Naturé Moi, Vitavea and Yves Ponroy. Havea manufactures most of its products in its world class plant in France and exports to over 50 countries. In Belgium, Havea’s business is focused on the Vitavea and Densmore brands. Since 2017, 3i together with Cathay Capital as a minority shareholder, have been accompanying Havea management to carry out their development plan.

For more information, please contact:

Dirk Marckx
dma@merodis.com, +32 495 38 17 81
Rodolphe Blondiau
rbl@merodis.com, +32 488 81 45 07