Equity funds to buy Esaote for more than $415M

Intesa Sanpaolo and Ares Life Sciences, private equity funds focused on investing in the biomedical and healthcare sectors, have reached an agreement to acquire ultrasound and MRI technology developer Esaote for EUR280 million ($415.7 million, U.S.).

In addition to the Milan, Italy-based Intesa and Geneva-based Ares, the Esaote acquisition consortium will include Equinox Two, MPS Venture 2, Carige and a group of managers led by Carlo Castellano, current chairman and CEO of Genoa, Italy-based Esaote.

The agreement provides for the transfer of 100 percent of Esaote to a newly incorporated company: 40 percent owned by Ares, and Intesa Sanpaolo, Equinox Two SCA, MPS Venture 2, Carige and a group of Esaote management holding a combined 60 percent stake

Previously, Intesa held 57 percent of Esaote’s share capital with 13 percent held by Equinox Investment.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”