Revenue 12.46 billion DKK (2014) CEO Peder Holk Nielsen | Founded 2000 Number of employees 6,454 | |
Type Publicly traded Aktieselskab Traded as Nasdaq Copenhagen: NZYM B Key people Henrik Gürtler (Chairman), Peder Holk Nielsen (President and CEO) Stock price NZYM-B (CPH) DKK 271.00 +0.20 (+0.07%)20 Mar, 3:40 PM GMT+1 - Disclaimer Profiles | ||
Dave mead director business development novozymes biopharma
Novozymes is a global biotechnology company headquartered in Bagsværd outside of Copenhagen, Denmark employing approximately 6,500 people by the end of 2014. The company has operations in a number of countries around the world, including China, India, Brazil, Argentina, United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. Class B shares of its stock are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic exchange.
Contents
- Dave mead director business development novozymes biopharma
- Novozymes easyzyme 21st century biotech in a soap bar
- History
- Activities
- Ownership
- References
The company’s focus is the research, development and production of industrial enzymes, microorganisms, and biopharmaceutical ingredients. As of 2013, the company holds an estimated 48% of the global enzyme market, making it the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes.
Novozymes easyzyme 21st century biotech in a soap bar
History
In 1925 the brothers Harald and Thorvald Pedersen founded Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium and Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium with the aim to produce insulin. In 1941 the company's predecessor launched its first enzyme, trypsin, extracted from the pancreas of animals and used to soften leather, and was the first to produce enzymes by fermentation using bacteria in 1950s. In the late 1980s Novozymes presented the world’s first fat-splitting enzyme for detergents manufactured with genetically engineered microorganisms, called Lipolase.
The current Novozymes was founded in 2000 in a demerger from pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
In the 2000s Novozymes expanded through acquisition of several companies focusing on business outside the core enzyme business. Amongst them were the Brazilian bioagricultural company Turfal and German pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company EMD/Merck Crop BioScience Inc. These acquisitions made Novozymes a leader in sustainable solutions for the agricultural biological industry.
In January 2016 the company spun out its biopharmaceutical operations into Albumedix.
Activities
The company labels its core work as “bioinnovation”, with the intention to use biotechnology to develop more sustainable solutions towards industries such as agriculture, bioenergy, household care, textiles, and the pharmaceutical industry. In January 2014, Novozymes was ranked the most sustainable company in the biotechnology sector in The Sustainability Yearbook 2014 for the fifth year in a row. In 2009, Forbes included Novozymes as one of 100 corporations that will survive 100 years. In 2012, Novozymes was placed fourth in Corporate Knights’ Global 100 ranking of the world’s most sustainable corporations.
Novozymes is a partner of and a supplier to companies such as Procter & Gamble and Henkel. Other partners and customers include Unilever, Cargill, Beta Renewables, and Archer Daniels Midland.
Ownership
The Novozymes A share capital is held by Novo A/S, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. In addition, Novo A/S holds 5,826,280 B shares, which overall gives Novo A/S 25.5% of the total share capital and 70.1% of the votes.