Astorg spins off Thermo Fisher’s microbiology arm

Under the deal, Thermo Fisher’s microbiology business will become an independent, privately owned company backed by Astorg. The unit recorded around US$645m in revenue in 2025, supplying culture media, susceptibility testing reagents and diagnostic solutions. It has approximately 2,400 employees and operates 13 manufacturing and R&D sites globally.

“Thermo Fisher’s microbiology business, through its Remel and Oxoid brands, sits at the core of testing workflows in life sciences and plays an important role in global food safety,” said Olivier Lieven, Partner, and Paul Arhanchiague, Managing Director at Astorg. “Its consumables‑driven model provides key products in markets supported by strong, long‑term structural growth.”

For Astorg, the transaction deepens its presence in healthcare and life‑sciences services, continuing a pattern of building focused, cash‑generative platforms in diagnostics and specialty‑science services. The firm plans to bring operational and commercial expertise to the new platform, aiming to accelerate growth in microbiology‑driven diagnostics and antimicrobial‑resistance monitoring.

Thermo Fisher says the divestiture reflects active portfolio management and will allow it to reinvest capital in higher‑growth areas such as genomics, cell and gene therapy, and advanced analytical instrumentation. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, and will be slightly dilutive to Thermo Fisher’s adjusted earnings per share in the first full year after completion.