Private equity

Ambienta acquires Spain's Agronova Biotech

To sell Magnum Industrial Partners, a private equity firm on the Iberian Peninsula, and the Casanova family, who founded the company

by R.Fi.

22 July 2025

2' min read

Key points

The company acquired
The sector

2' min read

Ambienta acquired Agronova Biotech from Magnum Industrial Partners, a private equity firm in the Iberian Peninsula, and the founding Casanova family. The transaction marks Ambienta's entry into the sustainable agriculture sector and the Spanish market, consolidating its pan-European expansion.

The company acquired

Based in Spain and with a history of 50 years, Agronova has pioneered biotech technologies to support farmers by offering biological solutions for crops, including biostimulants and bio-control products. With over 800 registered products, the company offers solutions to counter biotic (insects, fungi) and abiotic (drought, flooding) stresses throughout the plant life cycle, optimising yields and sustainability by reducing the use of fertilisers and pesticides. Thanks to the integration of historical companies in the sector, the group has extended its operational and commercial presence to the main European markets and the Americas, supported by a structure of 5 laboratories and 6 state-of-the-art production plants located in strategic agricultural areas.

The sector

The organic agricultural products sector is worth around USD 21 billion, with an annual growth rate of 11%, which is three times that of conventional products and is supported by multiple factors. Climate change is having an increasing impact on agricultural yields; in Spain alone, for example, rainfall has reduced by 8% per year since 2018, while heat waves have increased by 26%. At the same time, regulators and consumers are pressing for the replacement of chemicals with organic alternatives in order to maximise yields without contaminating soil and water resources.

Agriculture is responsible for about 15 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Overuse of chemicals causes erosion, soil acidification and loss of organic carbon, compromising soil fertility and biodiversity in the long run.

"Agronova's offering responds to these challenges: bio-control products replace pesticides with microbial-based solutions, organic fertilisers provide nutrients from sustainable sources, and biostimulants increase nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers. Ambienta has closely followed the evolution of the sector, consolidating expertise and connectivity that it will put to use in the further development of the platform," reads Ambienta's statement.

Mauro Roversi, founding partner & chief investment officer commented: "This transaction has a twofold significance for Ambienta: on the one hand, it marks our entry into a sector that we know well and in which we see important growth prospects driven by sustainability; on the other, it further strengthens our geographical presence through the acquisition of a much sought-after asset in the Spanish market. A result made possible thanks to the skills of our team and our ability to operate effectively in new geographies."

"We see significant development opportunities ahead of us," commented Olivier Lavaud, CEO of Agronova, "and we are convinced that Ambienta is the ideal partner to support our growth. We share a strong commitment to support farmers in their journey towards more sustainable farming practices. I sincerely thank the entire Agronova team for their fundamental contribution over the years and I am excited to open this new chapter together with Ambienta."

Ambienta was supported in the transaction by Alantra, Latham & Watkins, Roland Berger and KPMG.