BICO completes sale of Nanoscribe to LAB14

The Swedish technology group BICO Group AB has completed the sale of its subsidiary Nanoscribe to the German company LAB14 GmbH. With this step, BICO is implementing its strategy announced in September called BICO 2.0, which aims to focus more strongly on its core business in the life science sector. Nanoscribe, a developer of microscale 3D printing technologies, mainly had customers outside the life science segment and was therefore no longer considered central to BICO’s future portfolio following the new alignment.

The sale was first announced on November 21, 2024 and has now been finalized. According to the company, the agreed equity value is around 26 million euros (approximately 294 million Swedish kronor), taking into account adjustments for net debt and working capital. According to BICO, the transaction is expected to generate a capital gain of around 10 percent on the book value at the end of the third quarter of 2024, although the exact value may depend on exchange rates and the timing of closing. The company intends to publish more detailed information in the upcoming report for the fourth quarter of 2024.

BICO plans to use the net proceeds from the sale to reduce long-term debt. In addition, Nanoscribe’s results will be reported as discontinued operations in BICO’s financial reporting from the fourth quarter of 2024. The divestment of Nanoscribe is intended to enable the company to focus even more specifically on growth and innovation in its own life science sector.

“The divestment of Nanoscribe is an important step in the implementation of our updated strategy, which we presented at our Capital Markets Day in September,” said Maria Forss, President and CEO of BICO Group AB. “Although Nanoscribe has a stable and profitable business, the company has achieved its greatest successes outside the life science sector and therefore no longer fits optimally with our long-term goals.”