Successful exit for High-Tech Gründerfonds: Fagron acquires HiperScan

April 27, 2022

• High-Tech Gründerfonds invested in technology company HiperScan, a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems, shortly after its founding in 2008
• Dresden-based HiperScan has established itself as the market leader for raw material identification in German pharmacies
• Becoming part of Fagron will help accelerate the international establishment of HiperScan’s technology and promote the adoption of personalized medicine

Bonn, 27 April 2022 – Fagron, a leading global company active in pharmaceutical compounding, announced on April 14^th the acquisition of HiperScan, the German market leader for reliable raw material identification in pharmacies. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is selling its stake after having closely supported the team led by Dr. Alexander Wolter and Michael Thoma since 2008.

HiperScan, a Dresden-based technology company, is a specialist in near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and emerged in 2006 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS), developing innovative analysis systems for pharmacies and other industries. With its Apo-Ident analysis system, which is specially designed for the identification of raw materials and is used in over 5,500 pharmacies, HiperScan has become the leader in this market segment in Germany and currently employs over 50 people.

Fagron is a leading global company active in pharmaceutical compounding, which is focused on delivering personalized medicine to hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and patients in 35 countries around the world. Founded in 1990, the company has more than 3,000 employees. By joining the Fagron family, new markets may open up for HiperScan’s technology to further increase safety in order to accelerate the future of personalizing medicine.

HTGF invested shortly after our foundation to help bring the scanning grating technology developed at the Fraunhofer IPMS in Dresden to market maturity. We then gradually evolved from a technology provider to an established industry solution provider that is now considered the gold standard in German pharmacies. As part of Fagron, we can now also contribute to accelerating the future of personalizing medicine.

Dr. Alexander Wolter, Managing Director of HiperScan

I have a special connection to HiperScan. The company was my first investment in 2008 – back when I was a young investment manager! HiperScan is also a textbook example of the seed financing of very deep technology companies. This is even more true in this case, as HiperScan was founded with MEMS technology from Fraunhofer IPMS. In Fagron, HiperScan has now found a perfect new owner. I wish the team all the best and continued success!

Dr. Andreas Olmes, Principal at High-Tech Gründerfonds

In 2004, we at Fraunhofer Venture first came into contact with the spin-off idea for HiperScan. The managing director Alexander Wolter was one of the first participants of a meanwhile well-established educational measure for prospective founders. At the same time, the spin-off idea HiperScan was supported by the predecessor program of today’s AHEAD program and received further internal support with the goal of management expansion after the foundation. HiperScan is a very good example of how thorough spin-off preparation, appropriate support from Fraunhofer and an unconditional will to succeed on the part of the management and employee team can turn into a very nice success story in the medium and long term.

Manfred Stöger, Investment Manager at Fraunhofer Venture

About HiperScan GmbH
HiperScan GmbH was founded in 2006 as a spin-off of the Dresdner Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS). The innovative scanning grating technology developed at the IPMS forms the basis for the near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer developed by HiperScan. The analytical systems make it possible to significantly reduce investment costs to make NIR-analytics affordable even to small companies. Today, the company HiperScan stands for high-quality technologies to quickly analyse nutrition facts of processed meat and fish and to reliably qualify pharmaceutical raw materials. So, the product Apo-Ident has been tailored for the safe and easy identification of compounding substances in pharmacies.

About Fagron
Fagron is a leading global company active in pharmaceutical compounding, focusing on delivering personalized medicine to hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, and patients in 35 countries around the world.
Belgian company Fagron NV has its registered office in Nazareth and is listed on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Amsterdam under the ticker symbol ‘FAGR’. Fagron’s operational activities are managed by the Dutch company Fagron BV, which is headquartered in Rotterdam.

About Fraunhofer Venture
Fraunhofer Venture is the central department for spin-offs and investment management of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and offers founders, start-ups, industry and investors access to the cutting-edge technologies of the 76 Fraunhofer Institutes, the Fraunhofer infrastructure and Fraunhofer know-how with over 7,600 patent families through a comprehensive support program. The range of services includes complete support and consulting from the idea to the founding of a company, active participation management of Fraunhofer participations, support with finding investors up to a possible sale of the company.

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven start-ups. With around EUR 900 million in total investment volume across three funds and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge more than 650 start-ups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and startup experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial technology, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected more than EUR 4 billion into the HTGF portfolio via more than 1,800 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 150 companies.
Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, BAYER, B.Braun, Boehringer Ingelheim, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, 1+1 AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, FOND OF, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.

Media Contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Stefanie Grüter, Head of Marketing & Communications
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 188
s.grueter@htgf.de

Investor Contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Andreas Olmes, Principal
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 108
a.olmes@htgf.de