Private equity investor buys fish health company STIM
Farmed fish health products and services company STIM has been acquired by Sweden-headquartered investor Summa Equity, which has bought around 75% of the company.
STIM is perhaps best known for its SuperSmolt FeedOnly innovation and is a leading player in the supply of everything from pharmaceuticals and fish health products to fish health services, environmental surveys, and consulting services.
The Norwegian company was put up for sale by owner Jim Roger-Nordly in October last year. He was keen to find the right partner to intensify STIM’s product development and expand its service offering in aquaculture worldwide.
Unlocking potential
Martin Gjølme, partner at Summa, said: “Aquaculture is one of the key building blocks in the sustainable food system of the future due to its low carbon footprint, scalability, and high feed efficiency. But as a young industry it faces challenges related to fish welfare and mortality.
“Solving these challenges through disease prevention, sound production protocols, genetics and nutrition will be key to unlock the industry's full potential. STIM is ideally positioned to take the lead role in that transformation.”
STIM is said to be well-positioned in several markets through its knowledgeable teams and unique cross-disciplinary competence. The gross revenue of the company was north of €150 million in 2023.
The right partner
“I am convinced that Summa is the right strategic and long-term partner for us,” Nordly said in a press release. “They recognise that our employees' expertise and efforts is the bedrock of this company.
“With Summa on our side, I am confident that STIM can become the world leader within sustainability and health, not just within the salmon industry, but for the seafood industry as a whole. There is a huge demand for advisory services within this sector, and that is something we have our eyes on.”
Founded in 2016, Summa is an impact investor focusing on three thematic areas: resource efficiency, changing demographics, and tech-enabled transformation. It has around €5 billion of assets under management and investments in 18 companies. These include salmon processor Milarex, which has operations in Norway, Poland, Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and Norwegian recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) provider Nofitech.
Summa has offices in Stockholm, Oslo, and Munich.
