Sai Life Sciences Weighs Public Listing as Bain Deal Hangs Fire

 


IPO to give exit route to financial investors; Bain Capital said to be re-evaluating deal

Mumbai: A continuing public market rally despite high stock valuations has made the promoters of Hyderabad-based Sai Life Sciences explore an initial public offering as an alternative to their original plan of roping in a private equity investor, people in the know said.
 
A public listing would also give an exit route to existing financial investors including TPG Capital, the people said. The sole contender for the stake, Bain Capital, also has been reevaluating its plan, especially due to the $800 million to $1 billion (%6,500-8,300 crore) valuation that the promoters, the Kanu muri family, have been expecting for the pharmaceutical contract research, development and manufacturing organisation, they said.

 Bain is still engaged in discussions with the promoters, but the TPO option is gathering momentum, the people said. ‘The company's financial per for running the sale process. US, European Union and the UK, At present, PE investor TPG Capital holds about a 43.3% stake in Sai Life, while Swiss-healthcare fund HBM Private Equity India ownsanother6%. The Kanu muri family owns the rest of the stake. TPG took the stake in 2018 with a $135 million (about 900 crore at the time) investment. 

Sai Life is an integrated contract research & manufacturing services provider, and offers drug discovery, development, and manufacturing services to leading global pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies. The company is also engaged in generic active pharmaceutical ingredient and formulation supply upon a product going off-patent. It has manufacturing and research & development facilities in Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Sai Life reported 870 crore of revenue in fiscal 2022, and Ebitda of %120 crore (%160 crore in FY21) with a margin of 14.4% (21.5%), according to an India Ratings report. Sai Life expects Ebitda of %300 crore in FY24, said people in theknow. With a significant presence in regulatory markets such as the about90% of Sai Life's FY22revenue was generated from the global markets. 

It offers integrated services across the pharmaceutical life cycle from discovery services (29% of revenue in FY22) to development & manufacturing (71% revenue) of new chemical formulations for global innovator pharmaceutical and biotechnology company: Sai Life has worked on more than 100 molecules across different phases of the molecular lifecycle. 

In the pharma contract research, development and manufacturing industry, Advent International last Thursday announced the merger of privately held Cohance Life science with listed Suven Pharma to create the first private equity-led listed contract manufacturing company, making it one of the largest such homegrown platforms. The largest in the segment is Divi's Labs. Both Carlyle and PAG-CX Partners have similar platforms. Carlyle bought a 20% stake in Piramal Pharma Solutions, for 23500 crore.  

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