Proteros receives minority investment from private equity firm Inflexion

Martinsried/Munich, Germany – January 9, 2023 – Proteros biostructures GmbH, a leading German-based, founder-led contract research organization focused on early-stage drug discovery today announced that it has received a minority investment from Inflexion, a leading middle-market private equity firm investing in high-growth, entrepreneurial businesses, by way of partnership capital funding. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Q1 2023. Founder and CEO Dr. Torsten Neuefeind retains the majority shareholding in Proteros and will continue to lead the company.

Inflexion is a leading mid-market private equity firm which works in partnership with ambitious management teams of high growth, entrepreneurial businesses to accelerate sustainable growth. Inflexion’s flexible approach allows it to back both majority and minority investments, typically investing £10m to £400m of equity in each deal. Funds advised by Inflexion Private Equity Partners LLP have funds under management of c.£7.1bn.

With the support of Inflexion as a minority investor, Proteros aims to further strengthen the company’s footprint in the US both organically and through potential acquisitions, drive sustainable growth across all of its Business Units such as, Cryo-EM, fit for purpose Biologics and Proteins, as well as integrated Discovery Solutions services and further strengthen overall value propositions for its more than 200 Biotech and Pharma customers, as a premium discovery provider for complex projects and targets.

Dr. Torsten Neuefeind, founder and CEO of Proteros, said: "I am excited to have Inflexion on board as a partner. Their track record in backing innovative businesses combined with their operational experience within all areas of rapidly growing companies gives me great conviction they are well placed to support Proteros in its further growth trajectory."

David Whileman, Head of Partnership Capital at Inflexion, commented, “The founders are visionaries in their field, and we are delighted to marry our healthcare expertise and unique minority capital offering to support the further international growth and development of Proteros.”  

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to the company and assisted in marketing, structuring, and negotiating the transaction.

About Proteros biostructures GmbH

Proteros is a privately-held company with expertise in structure-based drug discovery powered by a cutting-edge discovery engine tailored to unlock even the most technically challenging disease-relevant drug targets. The company provides small molecule drug discovery services and its comprehensive enabling technology platforms, coupled with roots to Nobel Prize winning science and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, have enabled prominent contributions to several lead optimization programs and clinical-stage compounds.

Proteros’ scientific rigor can accelerate overall research timelines for clients by solving the “High-hanging-fruits” of the early drug discovery and development stages and the company is consistently seen as the go-to partner for Hit to Lead Optimisation services. Proteros supports many of the world’s top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies and more than 200 pharmaceutical and biotech partners in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

For more information please visit www.proteros.com.

About Inflexion

Inflexion is a leading mid-market private equity firm which works in partnership with ambitious management teams of high growth, entrepreneurial businesses to accelerate sustainable growth. Inflexion’s flexible approach allows it to back both majority and minority investments, typically investing £10m to £400m of equity in each deal.

With bespoke teams and dedicated capital, Inflexion’s funds invest across a variety of sectors from offices in London, Manchester and Amsterdam. Inflexion helps businesses achieve the next stage of growth through M&A, international expansion, digital enhancement, talent development, commercial strategy, sustainability focus and access to Inflexion’s global network. It also benefits from a local presence in Bangalore, Boston, São Paulo and Shanghai dedicated to portfolio development, enabling investee companies to benefit from privileged access to these fast-growth markets.

Contact Information

Inflexion
Sarah Gestetner
Phone: +44 20 7487 9820
Email: sarah.gestetner@inflexion.com