Successful IPO for METabolic EXplorer Fruitful Partnership between Venture Capital and a Talented Start-up

METabolic EXplorer, a French biotechnology company specialising in the bio-production of bulk chemical intermediates using “Green Chemistry”, was admitted to trading on Eurolist B of Euronext Paris on 12 April 2007.

Benjamin Gonzalez, CEO of METabolic EXplorer, commented: “The success of METabolic EXplorer’s recent IPO is the result of many years of development work on our exciting science on which we then formed a company. I have not forgotten that this journey would not have started without the vision of Professor Michel Renaud, and I would like to pay tribute to his memory. I would also like to praise the unrelenting support of our financial investors, which has been vital to our success, beginning with Cécile Thébaut (SOFIMAC Ventures), who made the initial investment and was involved in our subsequent private equity fund raisings.

In 2002, the participation of Crédit Agricole Private Equity, which acted as the lead manager for our last two private financing rounds and has reinvested significantly in our IPO fund raising, marked a major step in our development. The vast scientific and managerial experience of Dr Philippe Guinot, has enabled him to play a key role in helping devise our strategy and in opening up of a network of high quality contacts. I have no doubt that his very active support over the last five years has been a key factor in developing METabolic EXplorer into the successful company it is today.”

Dr Philippe Guinot, senior partner at Crédit Agricole Private Equity in charge of investment in life sciences venture capital, who headed the internal supervision committee during the IPO, commented: “When we made our initial investment in METabolic EXplorer, I was attracted by the unusual positioning of this industrial biotechnology company and its rational approach to the analysis of metabolic flows, which had already been substantiated in the market for amino acids by an industrial partnership agreement. I believe that METabolic EXplorer represents a French model of value creation: world leading technology and excellent financial discipline driven by a management team with strong human values. Since our partnership began, we have maintained a constructive dialogue with the CEO and founder and developed a mutual respect over the last five years. METabolic EXplorer’s success is the result of a collective effort and an exceptional determination from everyone involved.”