Investment
Polaris SA, a supplier of lipids for the nutrition, pharmaceutical and cosmetic markets has won backing from Seventure Venture of Paris.
Omega-3 oils are now widely recognised as a healthy food ingredient and dietary supplement, leading to their widespread use in products ranging from drugs to cosmetics, and especially in dietary supplements and functional food products.
However, use of omega-3 is limited by three main factors: low availability, high instability and relatively low activity after ingestion.
In the ten years since it was founded Polaris has worked to address these three problems, and says it has now overcome them.
Isabelle de Cremoux, General Partner and Director of the Life Sciences Department of Seventure, said, “Our 6 million Euro investment in Polaris will help this company to jump to the next level in the very promising market of nutritional lipids. We expect them to build on their deep experience and knowledge of lipid chemistry, to bring [out] new products.”
de Cremoux said Seventure decided 3 years ago to increase its investment in Healthy Nutrition companies. “We believe at this point that this market holds significant growth prospects and a solid traction from both pharmaceutical groups looking for diversification, and food industry leaders seeking innovation to enhance their product range.”
The firm’s first investment in this area was in Fluxome Sciences in Denmark in 2005, and then Biophytis and ABA in France in 2008.
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