Months after roping in capital from private equity firm Baird, Blue Matter Consulting has acquired AIM, a boutique Dutch firm providing supply chain consultancy and interim management services to life science companies.
Founded in 2012 in the US, Blue Matter Consulting is a specialised management consulting firm that helps organisations in the life sciences and the biopharmaceutical industry. The consultancy provides services across the entire value chain, from innovation and new product development to commercialisation, launch strategies, product and portfolio strategy, operational excellence, and lifecycle value management.
The San Francisco-headquartered firm operates with two offices in the US, and three in Europe – in London, Zurich and Berlin – and differentiates itself in a crowded market through its deep expertise in therapeutic areas including dermatology, infectious diseases, respiratory, cardiovascular, hematology, immunology, ophthalmology, with a focus on oncology and rare diseases.
The acquisition of AIM bolsters its capabilities in Europe, and in particular, deepens its market entry offering. George Schmidt, a Managing Partner at Blue Matter in London explained: “We typically lead strategy work, but clients often have specialised needs when it comes to establishing operations in Europe, such as building and running flawless supply chains. AIM directly addresses that need.”
The joining of forces comes on the back of a successful working relationship over the past years said Dutchman Richard de Bakker, who founded AIM twelve years ago following a career at Sanofi Genzyme and speciality materials supplier Ashland. “Blue Matter and AIM have a long, positive relationship. We often serve the same clients, with needs that intersect the capabilities of both firms.”
The integration will according to him “boost the value of each firm while providing enhanced services to clients”, and provide additional career opportunities for the firm’s 10-strong consulting team and network of associates.
Investor-backed growth strategy
The deal comes within six months of Baird Capital’s investment in Blue Matter Consulting. Commenting on the transaction at the time, Baird Capital’s President Gordon Pan said, “Co-Founders and Managing Partners Ashwin Dandekar and Emily Hua have decades of experience in the life sciences and pharmaceutical consulting, with proven track records advising many of the industry’s leading companies.”
Part of the joint ambition was to “drive faster organic growth” and “expand our ability to consider strategic acquisitions” said Dandekar, with Blue Matter’s Dutch deal now the first materialisation of the collaboration.
Sourced from Consultancy.eu