Mubadala Acquires €200 Million Shares in German Pharmaceutical

Evotec has continuously expanded its operations internationally. WAM
Evotec has continuously expanded its operations internationally. WAM
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Mubadala Acquires €200 Million Shares in German Pharmaceutical

Evotec has continuously expanded its operations internationally. WAM
Evotec has continuously expanded its operations internationally. WAM

Mubadala Investment Company has announced that it is pumping 200 million euros into Evotec SE, a German pharmaceutical company that specializes in drug discovery solutions.

Evotec SE said that it resolved a capital increase from its authorized capital without pre-emptive rights against cash. Evotec will issue a total of 11,478,298 new shares to Mubadala Investment Company and Novo Holdings A/S, increasing Evotec’s cash reserves by €250 million in total.

In this private placement capital increase, Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign investor with an entrepreneurial mind-set and a long-standing history of strategic investments in the healthcare sector, will invest €200 million to subscribe for approx. 5.6 % of outstanding Evotec shares.

Evotec’s existing shareholder Novo Holdings A/S also will invest €50 million to support Evotec’s accelerated growth ambition and to reinforce its ownership in the company of approx. 11.0% of outstanding shares.

Evotec has developed a unique strategy to become the global leading platform company for the modality-agnostic development of innovative first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutic approaches resulting in a large co-owned pipeline.

Evotec has continuously expanded its operations internationally with more than 3,400 employees at 14 global sites in Germany, USA, France, Italy, UK, and Austria.

By leveraging its proprietary platforms within a comprehensive network of high-value partnerships, Evotec aims to improve global access to more precise and effective medicines. Future investments will accelerate Evotec’s underlying business strategy and enable the company’s next strategic growth phase.

"We welcome Mubadala to our group of strategic investors. There is no reason for us to slow down our mission in spite of the ongoing pandemic. We can and want to grow even faster and see a lot of positive momentum in our business strategy,” said Dr. Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec.

“We are delighted that Mubadala has chosen to invest in Evotec with a long-term view. Also, we are pleased to see that Novo Holdings A/S continues to support our strategy. This investment allows us to further accelerate our strategy to create the world-leading "R&D Autobahn to Cures" from discovery to commercial manufacturing,” Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted him as saying.

Chief Financial Officer of Evotec Enno Spillner said that with this commitment by existing and new investors, “our liquidity reserves will total more than €500 m.”

“This placement will generate a net cash position of more than €150 m (excluding IFRS 16) with Evotec’s net-debt leverage turning negative (excluding IFRS 16). Our equity ratio will strengthen to above 50%. While maintaining our business outlook for 2020, the very positive impact of this transaction on our balance sheet structure will increase our flexibility and makes us even better prepared for our accelerated global expansion steps."



Global AI Summit Brings Together Experts, Decision-Makers in Riyadh

A Saudi woman tries out one of the new technologies at the Global AI Summit in 2022. (SPA)
A Saudi woman tries out one of the new technologies at the Global AI Summit in 2022. (SPA)
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Global AI Summit Brings Together Experts, Decision-Makers in Riyadh

A Saudi woman tries out one of the new technologies at the Global AI Summit in 2022. (SPA)
A Saudi woman tries out one of the new technologies at the Global AI Summit in 2022. (SPA)

The Global AI (GAIN) Summit will kick off in Riyadh on Tuesday under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

The summit, organized by SDAIA, will feature 456 speakers from 100 countries and is expected to draw 32,000 attendees. Experts said the event will focus on the regulation and ethics of AI, with hopes of advancing “responsible AI.”

Mark Minevich, an American expert the President of Going Global Ventures, member of board of directors of Intentional Data Centers Authority and Sr Fellow of US Council on Competitiveness, Strategic Advisor Mayfield Venture Capital, told Asharq Al-Awsat that GAIN will be a key event for launching AI-driven solutions and supporting economic and sustainable development.

Minevich, who has authored “Our Planet Powered by AI,” said the third edition of the summit is crucial as it will gather AI leaders to discuss important topics. He praised Saudi Arabia’s focus on “AI for Humanity” and its advancements in multi-modal AI, AI-supported healthcare, and smart city projects like NEOM.

At the summit, Minevich will stress the importance of AI governance, innovation, and strategic deployment. He noted that the event provides a global platform to explore how institutions can use AI responsibly while adhering to ethical and regulatory standards.

He also highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s efforts in AI, including its focus on AI talent and open-source tools, are positioning it as a leader in the field. These initiatives are expected to attract new investments and partnerships, contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.

He noted that Saudi Arabia’s use of AI in energy and sustainability are making it a key hub for foreign investment. He expects the summit to boost efforts in economic diversification.

He also predicted that AI will create high-skill jobs and advance sectors like healthcare and finance. These initiatives, aligned with Vision 2030, will improve Saudi Arabia’s global competitiveness and drive innovation in AI industries.

Sheikh Abdullah Zaid Al-Meleihi, chairman of Al-Ramez International Group and CEO of its subsidiary, Saudi Excellence Co., told Asharq Al-Awsat that the GAIN Summit will set up a global platform to show Saudi Arabia’s commitment to using AI for economic diversification and tech leadership.

He viewed the summit as a major step in Saudi Arabia’s goal to lead in AI. The event will highlight the Kingdom’s progress in AI infrastructure, innovation, and its digital ecosystem aligned with Vision 2030.

Key topics will include AI integration in projects like NEOM, improvements in data infrastructure, and AI advancements in healthcare, energy, and urban development.

Al-Meleihi noted that a key challenge is meeting the demand for scalable infrastructure while ensuring energy efficiency. He expected the summit to create partnerships that drive innovation in various sectors and support Vision 2030 goals by promoting economic diversification and technological leadership.