M&A Awards Belgium: these are the nominees

The M&A Community has kept the Belgian M&A Awards jury busy this year. It has been a remarkable year for the Belgian market, with numerous impressive deals submitted. From this extensive pool of candidates, each jury member compiled their personal top three, from which the three best deals per category were selected through careful deliberation.

In the major deals, prominent themes of the time resonate. For instance, ELG’s acquisition by Aperam strengthens the vertical chain integration of high-tech metal recycling.

In the Best Mid Cap Corporate Deal category, ambition extends far beyond Belgium’s borders. Biobest entered the American market with the acquisition of Beneficial Insectary, making the combined group the largest supplier of ‘bio control,’ alternatives to chemical pesticides, in the U.S. Destiny Group acquired three Scandinavian players, becoming a European player in B2B cloud software.

It’s noteworthy that clear connections transcend the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. The acquisition of Cohedron by House of HR is a significant move for the service provider in the Dutch market. This deal is nominated for the Award in Belgium and garnered attention from the Dutch jury for the Dutch awards.

The transaction involving DPG Media/Groupe Rossel and RTL Belgium is also closely tied to the broader strategy of DPG and RTL in the Benelux, responding to the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, causing interesting developments in the television market. This closer integration between the two markets is particularly visible ‘under the hood’ of the deal process, with many of the same advisory firms and dealmakers appearing on both sides of the border.

When one mentions Belgian M&A, life sciences inevitably comes to mind. As always, the community’s focus is on emerging innovative growth companies in the region where the collaboration between universities, funds, and companies has led to numerous successes. Deals have been selected in organ regeneration and epigenetics, demonstrating Belgium’s commitment to developing the medicines of tomorrow. The miDiagnostics deal, securing funding for PCR tests on a chip, underscores the vital link between this sector and the current context of the COVID-19 crisis.

Additionally, there are a few interesting potential unicorns in the list, and Private Equity activity in the Belgian market has once again increased, resulting in notable deals with major (foreign) funds, such as Blackstone’s acquisition of Desotec.

View the press release with the complete overview of nominations here. The winners will be announced on November 25, 2021, during the gala evening. For more information and the latest available dinner tables, visit MAawards.be or contact Daphné Debaenst, Community Manager Belgium.