Amyris sells farnese manufacturing facility in Brazil to Royal DSM

Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials and Amyris, Inc., the industrial bioscience company, announced that they have enhanced their strategic alliance through the sale of Amyris Brasil Ltda to DSM and the establishment of a long-term manufacturing partnership for Amyris’ high-volume products.

Total consideration for Amyris Brasil Ltda (which owns and operates the Brotas 1 production facility), intellectual property related to farnesene (a bio-based key intermediate for many applications) and an additional value share arrangement over a three-year period amounts to USD 96 million. In addition to the consideration upfront there is potential for a future value share in line with Amyris’ business model.

DSM will continue existing supply-agreements to Amyris and other parties. DSM will also supply Amyris with specialty compounds until it realizes its Brotas 2 specialties production facility. Amyris is accelerating the construction of its second facility dedicated to specialty products while maintaining the manufacturing process development and business support capability located in Campinas, Brazil.

Subject to customary conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the next few months.

With the acquisition of the Brotas 1 facility, DSM adds a state-of-the-art biotechnology-based production site in Brazil to its global network, with abundant availability of sustainable raw materials (sugar cane), securing production capacity for its rich pipeline of sustainable and bio-based solutions. Having broad experience in operating large-scale fermentation plants, DSM will optimize the operational performance of the site.

The strategic alliance between DSM and Amyris started in May 2017 with an equity investment by DSM in Amyris, and has since been expanded with several significant product development collaborations.

The sale of the Brotas 1 facility, which was designed to produce high volumes of farnesene, together with the creation of a long-term production relationship for high-volume farnesene-based intermediates will enable Amyris to focus on its core strength of developing breakthrough bioscience technologies through a portfolio approach that continues to target key markets, as well as the production of specialty products.