Lesaffre strengthens its RD&I with the acquisition of Altar

Lesaffre, a key global player in the field of fermentation and microorganisms, announces the acquisition of Altar, a French start-up specializing in Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE). Created in 2017, Altar will complement Lesaffre's existing know-how and technologies to boost the Group's capacity of innovation in fermentation and microorganisms.

Altar is a French biotech company founded in 2017, specialized in Adaptive Laboratory Evolution. The company developed in the last years a technology enabling the continuous, uninterrupted cultivation of microorganisms' cultures under controlled conditions to select strains with specific properties, for as long as required. The start-up offers access to its technology, platform and associated know-how through collaborative projects or research services. Thanks to the high maturity of their approach of ALE, Altar has a high degree of precision and control over their technology, which is directly linked to the team's know-how and the R&D assets they developed.

"At Lesaffre, we are driven by an unwavering belief in the infinite possibilities of fermentation," says Brice-Audren Riché, chief executive officer of Lesaffre. "Powered by the incredible potential of microorganisms, we see fermentation as a transformative solution to nourish a growing global population in a safer, healthier, and more sustainable way. As a leader in bioengineering and bioprocesses, we naturally place research, development, and innovation at the heart of our success. Our strong commitment to R&D reflects our mission to better nourish and protect our planet. In recent years, this dedication has only intensified, as evidenced by our strategic investments. First, we established the Lesaffre Campus — a state-of-the-art hub designed to accelerate innovation leveraging the latest architectural and technological advancements. Additionally, we have bolstered our R&D capabilities through the strategic acquisition of three companies specializing in fermentation research over the past three years."

This deal includes Lesaffre's integration of Altar's team, its know-how and the machines designed and used by the teams daily. This technology, mastered by its users for years now, is a real asset for Lesaffre, complementing its existing range of technologies. The deal has been closed at the end of September 2024.

A state-of-the-art technology that complements Lesaffre's know-how

This acquisition of skills and know-how complements the existing technologies of the Lesaffre Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and is part of its strategy to invest more and more in its RD&I equipment to best meet the needs of the Group's customers. Thanks to this technology, Lesaffre will be able to offer its clients more complex strains and improve the high quality of their products.

"At Lesaffre, we are convinced that today's RD&I are the products of tomorrow. By investing today in our innovation capabilities, we give our research and development experts the means to develop healthier, more sustainable products that best meet the needs of our customers. We are very pleased to welcome the Altar team to Lesaffre and to be able to join forces to build the solutions of tomorrow together," says Christine M'Rini, chief RD&I officer at Lesaffre.

Based in Evry (Ile-de-France) within Genopole, the first French Biocluster dedicated to biotechnology, Altar's 14 employees are integrated within Lesaffre Institute of Science and Technology, the RD&I department of Lesaffre. They constitute a real force for the Group, which relies on their knowledge and expertise of this technology to push the boundaries of innovation further.

"Lesaffre's acquisition of Altar, our French subsidiary, allows Ginkgo to refocus strategically, while enabling Lesaffre to go even further in innovating and responding to the major challenges of tomorrow. We are excited to maintain our access to this powerful technology, developed and scaled by the Altar team on Ginkgo's platform, which nicely complements Lesaffre's know-how in the field of microorganisms. We are very grateful to our employees joining Lesaffre and look forward to continuing working with them for long into the future," says Ena Cratsenburg, chief business officer at Ginkgo Bioworks.