At 21 Invest control of supplement bigwig Omega Pharma

21 Invest is betting on Omega Pharma. The investment group founded and led by Alessandro Benetton, with offices in Italy, France and Poland, has acquired a majority stake in the Italian food supplements, medical devices and cosmetics operator. Founded by Emilio Tomaselli in 1995 in Cantù, in the province of Como, and today led by Gianantonio Tomaselli, Omega Pharma specialises in several therapeutic areas, such as angiology, gastroenterology, urology, gynaecology, ophthalmology and paediatrics.

"Building new industrial champions is our main challenge," comments Alessandro Benetton, chairman and founder of 21 Invest, who continues: "In Omega Pharma we have identified an entrepreneurial reality of excellence, focused on technological research and development and strong in high professional profiles. With them we aim to develop an ambitious project to consolidate the sustainable food supplements sector'.

The company's sales force has over 130 sales representatives throughout the country and generates a turnover of over 20 million euro, with an average annual growth rate of 15% over the last 10 years.

"The partnership with a European investment group such as 21 Invest will allow us to pursue with even greater conviction the revenue and market share development goals that have always guided Omega Pharma's management, with a particular focus on growth in international markets," comments Gianantonio Tomaselli, CEO of Omega Pharma, who will continue to lead the company's development path and will retain a 35% stake in the company. The company's future growth strategy aims on the one hand to strengthen organic growth by improving performance in Italy and expanding into international markets, and on the other hand to create a platform for market consolidation.

There are 22 companies in 21 Invest's portfolio, with a consolidated turnover of €1.5 billion and a total of 7,500 employees. The capital invested in the last two years amounts to 113 million allocated to four companies: Energreen and Trime in the Italian market, Agorastore and Conex in France. In the last 24 months the capital distributed amounts to more than 500 million following 7 divestments: Carton Pack and Viabizzuno in Italy, LV Overseas, Impact Field and MaxiCoffee in France, VGL and Reesco in Poland. In over 30 years of activity, 21 Invest has raised and managed 13 funds in 3 countries, for more than 2.5 billion capital, from Italian and foreign institutional investors. Over the last 10 years, the companies 21 Invest has worked with have recorded a +66% increase in turnover.