Emergence client, Delta, BC-based Mazza Innovation Limited. has let us know that it has been acquired by Sensient Technologies, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The acquisition is effective immediately. The full terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but the Mazza plant extraction facility at the company’s BC headquarters location will remain in place.
See also: Mazza Innovation – another successful exit from the Emergence portfolio… and “BC Exit Highlights PEI Bio-Ecosystem”: Entrevestor
Mazza is a Canadian startup with a novel method of extracting plant-based ingredients for the food & beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. In September 2017, Mazza raised $3 million in new funding from several institutional and individual investors, including Natural Products Canada (NPC). You can read that story here!
Mazza, which was founded in 2011, has developed an environmentally-responsible method for extracting bioactive compounds including polyphenols, alkaloids, glycosides, and specialty carbohydrates. Dubbed the “PhytoClean Method” it uses only water and no solvents and Mazza says it enables its clients to “offer consumers a declaration of clean ingredients.”
“We’re very pleased to join Sensient Technologies, a world leader in the production of colours, flavours and fragrances,” said Mazza Innovation CEO, Benjamin Lightburn.
“The acquisition by Sensient provides Mazza with a large new customer base, and a wide variety of new opportunities for our environmentally friendly extraction technology. It also provides a strong financial base for our rapid growth plans while also enabling our founders to benefit from their many years spent working to develop and commercialize this world-leading technology.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv4x3-nAiv0
Sensient Technologies is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors, and fragrances. Sensient employs advanced technologies at facilities around the world to develop specialty food and beverage systems, cosmetic and pharmaceutical systems, inkjet and specialty inks and colors, and other specialty and fine chemicals. The Company’s customers include major international manufacturers representing most of the world’s best-known brands. Sensient is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin..
The addition of Mazza Innovation is seen as a major step in the evolution of Sensient’s ‘seed to shelf’ strategy to innovate across the value chain for natural and organic ingredients.
Mazza’s leading edge plant extraction technology better enables Sensient to meet customer demand for pure ingredients in their food and beverage, nutraceutical, and personal care products.
Paul Manning, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Sensient Technologies told us: “This acquisition is extremely significant for Sensient and our customers. The combination of our color and flavor expertise and Mazza’s revolutionary technology will allow us to conduct extraction from natural plant sources using environmentally friendly extraction methods – including water only extractions – instead of traditional chemical solvents.”
“This technology will enable us to work with leading food, cosmetics, and nutraceutical brands to create cost effective, clean label products that deliver on consumer expectations for taste, color, and functionality.”
About the PhytoClean™ Method
The PhytoClean™ Method water-based extraction process concentrates bioactives by pressurizing water at moderate temperatures; this greatly increases the water’s ability to solubilize bioactive compounds. In effect, this extraction process generally provides better yields and purities than industrial solvents. This environmentally friendly, clean process can be applied to extract a wide range of compounds for use in nutraceuticals, cosmetics, flavourings, colourings, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods and beverages. Mazza is working with a number of leading companies, among them Naturex, which has exclusively contracted Mazza’s award-winning cranberry extract production, and Chromadex, which is partnering in the expanded use of the PhytoClean™ Method. Read more here!