Apheon, a pan-European mid-market private equity investor, is pleased to announce that it has acquired a majority stake in Longwood (“Longwood”, or the “Group”), a renowned Spanish distributor and provider of high value-added In-Vitro Diagnostics (“IVD”) equipment, solutions and services for public and private hospitals and laboratories. Mr. Antonio Raichs, the founder and Chairman, will remain invested in the business and support the continued acceleration of Longwood’s development under the leadership of CEO Mr. Miguel Giralt.
Founded in 1992 by Mr. Raichs and headquartered in Zaragoza, Spain, Longwood has grown into a distributor of reference and a key player within the most innovative IVD technologies, partnering with a high-quality base of OEMs. Longwood’s solutions are primarily structured around “Next Generation Sequencing” technology, covering various core therapeutic areas, including transplant, genetics, oncology, and forensic genetics, among others. The Group’s unique business model is further rounded with specific divisions manufacturing niche proprietary products and providing in-house value-added services addressing a diversified and recurrent client base of public and private hospital laboratories primarily in Spain and Portugal. Under the vision and leadership of Mr. Raichs and Mr. Giralt, CEO since 2020, Longwood has built a reputation of combining a high value add portfolio of solutions together with an outstanding team of qualified professionals committed to providing excellent service.
Apheon has a longstanding track record of backing entrepreneurial founders and families across Europe, successfully scaling their companies internationally. Leveraging its experience of having done so in similar industries in the past, Apheon will provide Longwood with strategic guidance and capital for growth, with the goal to further expand its product offering and solutions within key therapeutic areas, also pursuing meaningful M&A to build a strong platform in Spain and abroad. Mr. Raichs and Mr. Giralt will both significantly reinvest into the Group, remaining fully committed for this new chapter of growth alongside Apheon.
Mr. Antonio Raichs, Founder and Chairman, commented, “In Apheon, I believe we found the best partner to further unlock our ambitions to grow our group and presence. We particularly appreciate their track record of partnering with founders, including having already successfully done so in similar industries in the past. We are aligned on the vision and with their partnership and expertise, we will accelerate Longwood’s growth and international development”.
Mr. Miguel Giralt, CEO, said, “We see significant potential to scale and position Longwood to meet the evolving needs of our clients, sustaining our strong focus on customer care and service quality. Through the many interactions and conversations over the past year, we believe Apheon will be a great partner, and I am delighted to have their support”.
Mr. Pablo Álvarez Couso, Partner at Apheon, added: “As entrepreneurs ourselves, we recognized Longwood’s focus on innovation and excellence, and have been impressed by its strong historical development and management team. It is a privilege to have the trust of Antonio and Miguel and the opportunity to work alongside them to bring their vision forward. The Group has evolved significantly in the past years through exceptional service and innovations, and I am confident that we can achieve our plan together”.
About Longwood:
Longwood is a reference high value-added distribution platform of IVD solutions and services for both public and private hospital laboratories. Headquartered in Zaragoza (Spain), the Group creates solutions for its clients by combining a broad range of third-party IVD equipment and test kits sourced from blue-chip international OEMs through its main operating company: Diagnóstica Longwood. The Group’s offering is centred around Next Generation Sequencing but complemented by a broad range of diagnostic technologies used across several therapeutic areas. The Group rounds its value proposition with the manufacture of niche proprietary products through BDR and in-house value-added laboratory services provided through Citogen. For more information, please visit www.dlongwood.com.
About Apheon:
Apheon is a pan-European mid-market private equity investment company managing ~€3 billion of assets from select global institutional investors and families. Apheon is characterized by its partnership approach, providing “patient and friendly capital” and industrial know-how to entrepreneurs and management teams, preparing their companies for the future. Through its pan-European footprint, the firm acts as a gateway into Europe for companies in the mid-market. Since its founding in 2005, Apheon has raised more than €3.5 billion in capital, invested in ~40 companies across Europe and completed ~200 add-on acquisitions for a total aggregate transaction value in excess of €7 billion. Apheon’s current portfolio consists of 21 companies across its target sectors, representing ~€3 billion sales and 22,000 employees. Apheon is advised by Apheon Advisors which has offices in Brussels, Milan, Madrid, Paris, Munich and Amsterdam. For more information, please visit www.apheon.com.
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For more information, please contact:
John Mansvelt, COO, Apheon
jm@apheon.com
T: +32 2 213 60 90
Natalia Yek, Head of Investor Relations, Apheon
ny@apheon.com
T: +39 340 18 29 313
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