Evonik acquires sustainable botanicals pioneer Botanica as the next step towards leading the active cosmetic ingredients market

• Grows portfolio of unique, highly customizable botanical system solutions
• Leverages synergies between recent acquisitions to transform Care Solutions into a leading actives provider
• Reinforces position as a sustainable specialties partner

The acquisition of Botanica is the next logical step for the Care Solutions business line as it transforms into the leading actives partner for the personal care industry.  Recent acquisitions include the cosmetic delivery company Infinitec Activos (2021), the biotech company innoHealth (2020), Wilshire Technologies (2020) and ALKION Biopharma (2016).  By leveraging the synergies between these strong and complementary technology platforms, Evonik is enhancing its entire product portfolio, opening new markets, accelerating growth and creating significant value.

By drawing on Botanica’s plant know-how and extraction competence, Evonik will innovate a wide range of sustainable base extracts in order to strengthen its broad portfolio of actives.  Evonik will lead the active ingredient market, of which 40-50 percent is botanicals.  Furthermore, Botanica’s highly customizable extracts will boost the portfolio of unique system solutions offered by the Care Solutions business line.  The division Nutrition & Care aims to increase its share of system solutions from 20 percent today to more than 50 percent by 2030.

“Botanica’s outstanding track record in customization, in sustainable sourcing and production aligns perfectly with our goals to become the sustainable specialties partner,” says Yann d'Hervé, head of Evonik's Care Solutions business line.

The sustainable and fair-trade practices underlying Botanica’s philosophy are renowned worldwide.  This outstanding ethical profile matches the strategy of Nutrition & Care, which has made sustainability its guiding business principle.

“Finding a strong partner with a trusted sustainability record can be challenging.  With Evonik we feel confident that Botanica can continue to operate according to our philosophy, while bringing our high-quality plant extracts to a wider customer base,” says Andreas Wälti, Managing Director of Botanica.

Botanica employs 43 people and was founded by the Wälti family in 1998.  With a portfolio of over 1,000 different plants available for extraction, Botanica offers customers an unrivalled level of expertise and power for innovation for their cosmetic formulations.  The plant extracts are used for cosmetic formulations and are certified according to Swiss Organic Produce Regulation, ISO 9001 and CSE sustainability standard, including ISO 14001. Plant extracts are even traceable back to the field.

Company information

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €12.2 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.91 billion in 2020. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. More than 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.

Asia Pacific is a strong driving force of the global economy and an important source of innovation.  Consequently Evonik endeavors to further grow its business in the region.  Sales reached €2.84 billion in 2020 and the company employs over 5,000 people at more than 50 production sites in Asia Pacific.  In Taiwan, we now employ over 200 employees which including 1 office based in Taipei and 1 production site based in Taoyuan.

About Nutrition & Care

The focus of the business of the Nutrition & Care division is on health and quality of life. It develops differentiated solutions for active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical devices, nutrition for humans and animals, personal care, cosmetics, and household cleaning. In these resilient end markets, the division generated sales of around three billion euros in 2020 with about 5,300 employees.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties.  Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment.  Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.