Verlinvest Invests in Sinomedica

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM and LUGANO, SWITZERLAND June 1, 2022 – Verlinvest, a global growth equity investor that backs category-defining consumer brands and Sinomedica, a leading Swiss group of acupuncture centres, today announced a new partnership. Sinomedica is pioneering a science-based approach to medical acupuncture that enables a range of innovative treatments and applications, including to tackle obesity. This investment from Verlinvest will help Sinomedica to accelerate growth in its existing home market of Switzerland and into new European markets, as it capitalises on increasing interest in the acupuncture field.

 

Sinomedica uses medical acupuncture to treat numerous diseases as well as physical and mental issues. To address obesity in particular, the team has developed the Sinomedica Shou Shen@ program, an innovative treatment that combines a low carbohydrate diet and weekly acupuncture sessions to regulate hormones and change the body’s metabolism. Patient data that Sinomedica has collected over the last 15 years shows that those undergoing treatment lose 20kg on average over 180 days, with some losing as much as 60kg in a year. The company will soon be embarking on a large, randomised controlled trial that aims to clinically prove these remarkable results.

 

Acupuncture is a €57 billion market globally and there is increasing demand for, and endorsement of, acupuncture by both patients and practitioners. This is driven in part by rapidly changing lifestyles and a global ageing population, which are leading to a rise in chronic conditions such as pain, mental health diseases, and cancer-related symptoms. This presents huge issues for healthcare systems around the world and is leading to increased interest in innovative therapies such as acupuncture and integrative medical care. With obesity impacting one in four EU adults today and an expected one in three by 2030 (generating significant direct and indirect healthcare costs), and with the number of conditions treated by acupuncture expanding to include mental illness and fertility, the size of this market is expected to grow significantly.

 

Founded by Dr. Massimo Fumagalli and Dr. Riccardo Braglia in 2001, Sinomedica is an established Swiss brand with seven existing centres in Switzerland. It joins a community of recognised and successful health care companies among Verlinvest’s portfolio and alumni, including European senior care and dental roll-ups Armonea and Bludental, as well as Liva and Red Sun. This new partnership aligns with Verlinvest’s mission of investing in consumer brands that drive positive change, with Sinomedica focused on offering personalised care with high quality and consistent patient experience.

 

Julius Hugelshofer, Senior Principal at Verlinvest, commented: “Europe’s acupuncture market today is underdeveloped and remains generally dominated by small, independent, and decentralised service providers. In contrast, Sinomedica has built a strong, patient-facing brand that can professionalise the field and has the potential for digital disruption. With its focus on providing better outcomes for patients with complex conditions such as obesity, Sinomedica’s mission fits well with Verlinvest’s healthcare thesis.” Roberto Italia, Chief Executive Officer at Verlinvest added: “Drawing on our understanding of multi-site healthcare services and expertise in internationalising consumer brands, we are hugely excited to support Sinomedica in its next phase of growth.”

 

 

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About Sinomedica

Sinomedica is a leading Switzerland-based healthcare company with established technical and practical knowledge in medical acupuncture. With over 20 specialised practitioners in seven centres (Lugano, Locarno, Chiasso, Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich and Basel), it also has one of the largest clinical databases in Switzerland with over 50,000 treatments completed. Sinomedica offers medically and scientifically proven techniques in a safe, standardised clinic environment.

 

For more information: https://www.sinomedica.ch

 

About Verlinvest

Verlinvest is an international, family-backed evergreen investment company. It partners with visionary entrepreneurs who are driving consumer revolutions and building the next generation of category-defining brands that will positively impact the consumer sector for many years to come. Established in 1995, with offices in New York, Brussels, London, Mumbai, and Singapore, Verlinvest focuses on growth-stage companies in FMCG, health and care, and digital platforms, which are restless to accelerate growth. The firm has over €2bn in AuM and counts brands such as Oatly, Vita Coco, Tony’s Chocolonely, BYJU’s, Bludental and Who Gives A Crap among its portfolio, alongside alumni Chewy.com, Armonea, Vitaminwater and Remy Cointreau.

 

For more information: www.verlinvest.com and LinkedIn.