CDPQ to acquire significant minority stake in Sebia, a global leader in the medical diagnostics sector, from Astorg and Montagu

PARIS and MONTRÉAL, Aug. 10, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Astorg and Montagu, two leading pan-European private equity investors, today announced that they have entered into a binding agreement with Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a leading Canadian institutional asset manager, for the sale of a significant minority stake in Sebia.

Headquartered in Lisses (Paris, France), Sebia is a global multi-specialty in-vitro diagnostics company focusing on oncology, genetic haemoglobin and metabolic disorders. The company is one of the pioneers of clinical electrophoresis.

With the support of CDPQ, Sebia intends to pursue the successful strategy of the past years, based on the reinforcement of its undisputed leadership position in multiple myeloma diagnostics, the global expansion of its diabetes franchise, and the continued search for other highly-promising applications for its differentiated technology.

Benoît Adelus, CEO of Sebia said: "We welcome CDPQ's entry in Sebia's capital. Over the last years, Sebia has kept upgrading its technology and successfully applying it to attractive niche markets where it provides clear medical benefits. Having CDPQ as a long-term partner to the company will contribute to our development in line with this strategy."

"The accuracy, efficiency and speed of Sebia's tests, coupled with its proven technology, make them critical to the global medical community," said Stéphane Etroy, Executive Vice-President and Head of Private Equity at CDPQ. "The company's rapid growth and development into adjacent therapeutics areas is evidence not only of the strength of its management team, but also of its resilient business model. We will work with our partners to support the company as it expands into new opportunities in the diagnostics sector."

The proposed transaction is subject to customary clearance of regulatory authorities.

ABOUT CAISSE DE DÉPÔT ET PLACEMENT DU QUÉBEC
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2016, it held C$270.7 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

ABOUT MONTAGU PRIVATE EQUITY
Montagu Private Equity is one of Europe's leading private equity firms. Founded in 1968, Montagu can look back on more than 45 years' experience in investing in more than 400 transactions. Montagu has a strong track record of supporting portfolio companies, dedicating significant resource to management teams as well as providing additional capital expenditure to fund further growth. Montagu also has considerable expertise helping businesses to accelerate their growth in their home markets as well as to internationalise and expand their customer base. This approach has led to real growth across Montagu's portfolio. The firm currently has assets under management of just over EUR5 billion. Montagu invests in businesses that operate in stable markets across Europe with transaction values ranging from approximately EUR100 million to EUR1 billion. www.montagu.com

ABOUT ASTORG
Astorg is a European private equity firm with total funds under management of over EUR4 billion. Astorg seeks to partner with entrepreneurial management teams to acquire European companies and create value through the provision of strategic guidance, experienced governance and adequate capital. Astorg enjoys a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective, and a lean decision-making body enhancing its reactivity. Though not specialized, Astorg has gathered a valuable industry expertise in technology-based industrial companies, healthcare and business-to-business professional services. Astorg has offices in London, Paris and Luxembourg, plus Senior Advisors based in Zurich and Frankfurt. For further information about Astorg, please visit www.astorg.com

SOURCE Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec