AURELIUS exits Briar Chemicals to ChrysCapital-backed Safex

• Briar is expected to report revenues of over €70 million this year
• The sale is valued at approximately €83 million
• Briar has been an AURELIUS portfolio company since 2012

AURELIUS Equity Opportunities announced its exit from Briar Chemicals to ChrysCapital-backed Safex Chemicals India. The deal is valued at approximately €83 million.

Briar is a Norwich, UK-based agrochemical contract development and manufacturing business. There are strong growth prospects in the agrochemicals market, according to AURELIUS, with Briar expected to report revenues of over €70 million this year.

ChrysCapital made a $50 million investment in New Delhi-based crop protection product group Safex in March 2021.  Briar has been part of the AURELIUS portfolio since 2012, following a corporate carve-out transaction from Bayer CropScience. The company has a full contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) asset portfolio, from labs to large scale reactors. It employs around 250 people, making it the UK’s largest agrochemical CDMO, according to AURELIUS.

Grünwald, Germany-headquartered AURELIUS is a listed entity within the AURELIUS Group that focuses on investing in lower mid-market corporate carve-outs and platform build-ups.

ChrysCapital is a Mauritius-based private equity firm that looks to invest across a five to seven year cycle. It invests in minority and majority stakes ranging from $25 million to $250 million with the ability to syndicate larger deals. It invests across business services, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, consumer and manufacturing.