Montagu Private Equity takes majority stake in Arkopharma

Structured as a leveraged buyout transaction, this cross-border acquisition orchestrates the transfer of majority control of Arkopharma from the founding Rombi family to the private equity firm Montagu. Officially announced in March 2014, the agreement secures the acquisition of a controlling interest in the French phytotherapy group, with the Rombi family liquidating its historical 98.5 percent equity stake. The ownership transition concludes a foundational cycle initiated under founder Max Rombi, formalizing a corporate handover under the leadership of directoire chairman Philippe Rombi. Financially, the financial sponsor backs the enterprise to pursue sector consolidation within an expanding European nutraceutical market comprising over four hundred active operators. Arkopharma enters the transaction following a financial exercise generating an annual turnover of €150–250M. The strategic thesis articulated by the incoming controlling shareholder centers on deploying institutional capital to accelerate cross-border scale across the fragmented European OTC market, actively leveraging rising structural consumer demand for plant-based alternatives and natural geriatric treatments. The definitive agreement initiates a private equity ownership phase intended to support add-on acquisitions and expand distribution beyond historical domestic borders. To orchestrate this mid-market transaction, specialized investment banking teams provided M&A advisory support throughout negotiations: the buyer was advised by Lazard, while the selling Rombi family mandated Rothschild to manage sell-side corporate finance execution.