Pictor Biotech Inc. (d.b.a. SOLARBIOTECH), GPC Bio, and Eleszto Genetika Announce Strategic Unification

NORTON, Va., LA ROCHELLE, France and BUDAPEST, Hungary, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SOLARBIOTECH, GPC Bio, and Eleszto Genetika proudly announced their acquisition and strategic unification under a single ownership. 

This consolidation creates a vertically integrated Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing powerhouse, uniquely positioned to harness the disruptive potential of precision fermentation. By integrating decades of expertise, the unified organization will leverage the strength of each team to seamlessly advance Synthetic Biology innovation from ideation to commercial production.

The acquisitions bring together over 100 engineers, scientists, and seasoned biotech executives, marking a significant leap forward in the rapidly evolving biomanufacturing landscape. The unified organization is fully equipped to give clients unparalleled and seamless support in all stages of biomanufacturing, including microbial strain and bioprocess development, plant engineering, automation, construction, deployment, and large-scale operations. The coming months will involve further integrational activities to fully leverage the strength of the organization.

Strategic Relevance

"The challenges of microbial strain engineering often hindered by restrictive intellectual property and the technical hurdles of scaling bioprocesses, have long impeded the faster development of synthetic biology products. By uniting these companies, we can directly address these challenges head-on, transforming the biomanufacturing landscape with the financial and operational support necessary for growth," said Alex Berlin, CEO of Pictor Biotech Inc. (d.b.a. SOLARBIOTECH).

Zsolt Popsé, CEO of GPC Bio, added, "With nearly 20 years of experience in designing, engineering, automating, and deploying biomanufacturing equipment, we have delivered world-class facilities for leading biopharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Sanofi, and Millipore-Sigma, as well as major food and beverage companies like Cargill, Groupe Soufflet, and Lesaffre. The integration of GPC Bio with EG and SOLARBIOTECH places us in a unique position to mitigate risk and accelerate growth in the biomanufacturing space."

Lóránd Szabó, Managing Director of Eleszto Genetika Kft., stated, "Over the past two decades, we have developed hundreds of microbial strains for the production of biopharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. By joining forces with Solar Biotech and GPC Bio, we can efficiently transition products from laboratory scale to commercial production, overcoming the typical hurdles faced by non-integrated organizations."

Peter Rosholm, owner of EG, GPC Bio and Pictor Biotech (dba SOLARBIOTECH) emphasized: "I am fully committed to investing in and to accelerate the commercial development of sustainable biomanufacturing technologies. By combining SOLARBIOTECH, GPC Bio, and EG under one umbrella, we are uniquely positioning our teams to thrive in this rapidly growing sector. We have a strong, client-focused and diverse organization with very experienced management, and this commitment adds significant funding to the existing companies' infrastructure."

About the Companies

Executive Management of the three companies will continue to serve in their respective leadership roles. Peter Rosholm will exclusively serve the organization from an owner and investor capacity.

SOLARBIOTECH ("SBC"), based in Norton, VA, USA, offers world-class expertise in microbial and animal and plant cell precision fermentation and downstream processing across various scales. Leveraging 18 acres of industrial park infrastructure in Southwest Virginia, SBC consistently delivers innovative synthetic biology bioprocesses and products for its partners. 

GPC Bio ("GPC"), headquartered in La Rochelle, France, specializes in the design, automation, software control, engineering, and fabrication of biomanufacturing equipment for the biopharmaceutical, food tech, and beverage industries. For nearly two decades, GPC Bio has delivered state-of-the-art systems to some of the biggest names in industrial biotech and biopharma.

Eleszto Genetika Kft. ("EG"), based in Budapest, Hungary, brings nearly two decades of expertise in R&D for advanced industrial microbial strains. EG's portfolio includes microbial strains from engineered yeasts, bacteria, and filamentous fungi for producing a wide range of biopharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals, supported by cutting-edge infrastructure in the heart of the European Union.

For Further Information, Please Contact:

• Alex Berlin, CEO & CTO, Pictor Biotech Inc. (d.b.a. SOLARBIOTECH), [email protected], www.solarbiotech.com
• Zsolt Popsé, CEO of GPC Bio, [email protected], www.gpcbio.com
• Lóránd Szabó, Managing Director, Eleszto Genetika Kft., [email protected], www.elesztogenetika.com