9 July 2026
PRESS RELEASE
Mérieux Equity Partners announces the successful first closing of Mérieux Participations 5, its new healthcare-dedicated buyout fund
Lyon / Paris, July 9, 2026 — Mérieux Equity Partners is pleased to announce the successful first closing of Mérieux Participations 5 (MP5) at €335m, 4 months after the start of the fundraising, out of a target size of €600m. MP5 benefits from a distinctive positioning, built on the combination of three strengths: a healthcare specialization, a focus on the European lower midmarket segment with a proactive sourcing and value creation methodology, and the ability to leverage Institut Mérieux’s global network and expertise for the benefit of its portfolio companies.
MP5 pursues a strategy exclusively dedicated to healthcare, organized around four strategic pillars (Better Prevention, Better Innovation, Better Cure, and Better Care) with the ambition to have a positive impact on public health. These pillars guide a proactive approach to identifying the most attractive niches and support the construction of a diversified portfolio. The Fund targets lower midmarket companies across Europe with strong international growth potential.
The Fund’s European reach builds on the track record of MP3 (2018, €377m) and MP4 (2021, €568m): 33% of MP3 investments and 58% of MP4 investments were completed outside France, in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and Switzerland.
A further differentiator lies in the Fund’s proprietary sourcing engine. The team generates the majority of its opportunities through proprietary channels and primary buyouts, reducing competitive pressure and positioning the Fund as a trusted growth partner rather than a purely financial investor.
The team identifies businesses with the potential to scale internationally, then leverages its global ecosystem, including the Institut Mérieux network and expertise, to accelerate entry into new markets. Buy-and-build is another key value-creation driver: MP3 and MP4 portfolio companies have completed a total of 43 build-ups in the lower midmarket segment, around half of which were carried out outside Europe.
The firm also supports its portfolio companies in achieving operational excellence, spanning manufacturing, sales organization, sustainability and beyond.
Mérieux Equity Partners comprises a team of 28 professionals of 9 different nationalities, including 10 professionals within the dedicated buyout investment team.
The fundraising of MP5 is supported by the performance of the first two buyout vintages launched since MxEP became a regulated GP. MP3 (2018, €377m) shows a DPI of 138%, while MP4 (2021, €568m) shows a DPI of 20%, reached concomitantly with the end of its investment period. Across the lower midmarket segment, which will be MP5’s exclusive focus, MP3 and MP4 deliver an average exit multiple of 4.1x over six exits completed since 2022, including one partial exit.
MP5 is classified as Article 8 under the SFDR regulation and notably promotes environmental and social characteristics.
Jean-François Billet, Managing Partner & Head of Buyout, said:
“This first closing is a strong mark of confidence from both new and existing investors in a strategy we have built and refined over successive vintages. Our conviction is that healthcare in the European lower midmarket offers great potential for companies with genuine international ambition, and we already have a strong pipeline of new investment opportunities under review.
What sets us apart is our ability to combine deep sector specialization, a largely proprietary sourcing capability, and the operational support required to help our portfolio companies scale across borders. With MP5, we are continuing this disciplined approach alongside management teams who share our vision of long-term value creation.”
Christine Demode, President, added:
“With MP5, Mérieux Equity Partners reaffirms a positioning that has been at the heart of our identity since inception: investing exclusively in healthcare, with the ambition of contributing to better prevention, innovation, cure, and care.
The support of our investors reflects three distinctive strengths: a proven track record, a unique ecosystem mobilized through the Institut Mérieux network, and an unwavering commitment to public health. This first closing marks an important milestone, and we are grateful to our limited partners for the trust they place in our teams.”
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. This press release does not constitute an offer to subscribe for interests in any fund, nor investment advice, a recommendation or guarantee of future returns.
Mérieux Equity Partners announces the successful first closing of Mérieux Participations 5, its new healthcare-dedicated buyout fund
Lyon / Paris, July 9, 2026 — Mérieux Equity Partners is pleased to announce the successful first closing of Mérieux Participations 5 (MP5) at €335m, 4 months after the start of the fundraising, out of a target size of €600m. MP5 benefits from a distinctive positioning, built on the combination of three strengths: a healthcare specialization, a focus on the European lower midmarket segment with a proactive sourcing and value creation methodology, and the ability to leverage Institut Mérieux’s global network and expertise for the benefit of its portfolio companies.
MP5 pursues a strategy exclusively dedicated to healthcare, organized around four strategic pillars (Better Prevention, Better Innovation, Better Cure, and Better Care) with the ambition to have a positive impact on public health. These pillars guide a proactive approach to identifying the most attractive niches and support the construction of a diversified portfolio. The Fund targets lower midmarket companies across Europe with strong international growth potential.
The Fund’s European reach builds on the track record of MP3 (2018, €377m) and MP4 (2021, €568m): 33% of MP3 investments and 58% of MP4 investments were completed outside France, in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and Switzerland.
A further differentiator lies in the Fund’s proprietary sourcing engine. The team generates the majority of its opportunities through proprietary channels and primary buyouts, reducing competitive pressure and positioning the Fund as a trusted growth partner rather than a purely financial investor.
The team identifies businesses with the potential to scale internationally, then leverages its global ecosystem, including the Institut Mérieux network and expertise, to accelerate entry into new markets. Buy-and-build is another key value-creation driver: MP3 and MP4 portfolio companies have completed a total of 43 build-ups in the lower midmarket segment, around half of which were carried out outside Europe.
The firm also supports its portfolio companies in achieving operational excellence, spanning manufacturing, sales organization, sustainability and beyond.
Mérieux Equity Partners comprises a team of 28 professionals of 9 different nationalities, including 10 professionals within the dedicated buyout investment team.
The fundraising of MP5 is supported by the performance of the first two buyout vintages launched since MxEP became a regulated GP. MP3 (2018, €377m) shows a DPI of 138%, while MP4 (2021, €568m) shows a DPI of 20%, reached concomitantly with the end of its investment period. Across the lower midmarket segment, which will be MP5’s exclusive focus, MP3 and MP4 deliver an average exit multiple of 4.1x over six exits completed since 2022, including one partial exit.
MP5 is classified as Article 8 under the SFDR regulation and notably promotes environmental and social characteristics.
Jean-François Billet, Managing Partner & Head of Buyout, said:
“This first closing is a strong mark of confidence from both new and existing investors in a strategy we have built and refined over successive vintages. Our conviction is that healthcare in the European lower midmarket offers great potential for companies with genuine international ambition, and we already have a strong pipeline of new investment opportunities under review.
What sets us apart is our ability to combine deep sector specialization, a largely proprietary sourcing capability, and the operational support required to help our portfolio companies scale across borders. With MP5, we are continuing this disciplined approach alongside management teams who share our vision of long-term value creation.”
Christine Demode, President, added:
“With MP5, Mérieux Equity Partners reaffirms a positioning that has been at the heart of our identity since inception: investing exclusively in healthcare, with the ambition of contributing to better prevention, innovation, cure, and care.
The support of our investors reflects three distinctive strengths: a proven track record, a unique ecosystem mobilized through the Institut Mérieux network, and an unwavering commitment to public health. This first closing marks an important milestone, and we are grateful to our limited partners for the trust they place in our teams.”
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. This press release does not constitute an offer to subscribe for interests in any fund, nor investment advice, a recommendation or guarantee of future returns.
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