Grünwald/London, December 13, 2021 – AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8) today announces the sale of Wychem Limited (“Wychem”) to Ascensus Specialties LLC (“Ascensus”), a U.S. based provider of specialty chemicals. The transaction resulted in a money-over-money multiple of 10.6x for AURELIUS.

Founded more than 50 years ago and becoming part of the AURELIUS portfolio in 2016, Wychem has been part of the AURELIUS’ chemical activities in the UK and became a leading independent manufacturer of fine chemicals for pharmaceuticals and specialty applications in the local market.

The company offers a comprehensive range of more than 1,000 aromatics which are highly valued by more than 50 global customers across different industries. A team of more than 25 experts and a “kilo lab to plant full scale” capability allow for short innovation cycles. Backed by a comprehensive repositioning including investments in site expansion and capacity improvements carried out by AURELIUS, Wychem is now in excellent shape generating a high margin and strong cash flow.

On the back of this strong position in the European market, Wychem will play a vital role in Ascensus’ Expansion. With foundations strongly rooted in chemistry and process, Wychem has been able to differentiate itself within the European market as a leader in process optimization without the cost burden of FDA regulation.

“Since being part of AURELIUS’ portfolio, we have supported Wychem in its positioning and expansion in its markets and saw a consistently positive development of the company. Latest growth initiatives put the company at the forefront of a new phase of growth in the industry,” said Matthias Täubl, CEO of AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA. “I am pleased to see Wychem become an integral part of Ascensus’ strategic expansion into the European market. On the back of a very successful year for AURELIUS and with a solidly filled transaction pipeline, we are confident to execute further deals in the near future.”

“Wychem is a nimble, highly customer-centric organization with deep relationships across its global customer base of CDMO, pharmaceutical, and other specialty customers. The company’s consistent growth and reliable supply to customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic reflects its excellent reputation for service and quality. Wychem is an exciting addition to Ascensus and aligns with our commitment to servicing the pharmaceutical space”, said Mike Huff, Chief Executive Officer of Ascensus.

AURELIUS was advised on the transaction by Opus Corporate Finance LLP (Financial) and DWF LLP (Legal).

A telephone conference with the AURELIUS Management Team will be held at 2pm CET on Monday, December 13, 2021 in English for interested investors and journalists. Please send an email to investor@aureliusinvest.de to register.