Wikipedia
Cognis was a worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients, headquartered in Monheim am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The company employs about 5,600 people and operates production or service centers in almost 30 countries. Cognis was acquired by BASF in 2010.
Cognis is a deliverer of natural source raw materials and ingredients for food, nutrition and healthcare markets, and the cosmetics, detergents and cleaners industries. Another one of their markets is in products for a number of other industries, such as coatings and inks, lubricants as well as agriculture and mining.
Cognis was an integrated part of Henkel, a German consumer products company, until 1999, when it became an operationally independent business unit. In November 2001, Cognis was bought by private equity funds Permira, GS Capital Partners and SV Life Sciences. In 2008, Cognis recorded sales of about 3 billion euros and an Adjusted EBITDA (operating result) of 351 million euros.
BASF reached an agreement with Cognis Holding Luxembourg S.à r.l. — which is controlled by Permira Funds, GS Capital Partners and SV Life Sciences — to acquire the specialty chemicals company Cognis for an equity purchase price of €700 million. Including net financial debt and pension obligations, the enterprise value of the transaction is €3.1 billion. The acquisition is subject to clearance by the competent merger control authorities. Closing of the transaction occurred in December 2010.