Institut Mérieux
Also known as INSTITUT MERIEUX SA, Groupe Mérieux
Lyon holding company of the Mérieux family (roots in 1897); holds 58.9% of bioMérieux and majority stakes in Mérieux NutriSciences, Transgene and Mérieux Equity Partners.
USEFUL FOR Business owners seeking a long-term partner · Co-investors
Lyon family holding of the Mérieux family; majority shareholder of bioMérieux, Mérieux NutriSciences, Transgene and Mérieux Equity Partners. Not the Fondation Mérieux (charity) or bioMérieux itself.
Family & background
- FAMILY
- Mérieux
- WEALTH ORIGIN
- Biology and vaccines (Institut Mérieux, founded 1897 in Lyon); vaccine businesses sold 1994; diagnostics (bioMérieux)
- HEADQUARTERS
- Lyon, France
- FOUNDED
- 1897
Investment approach
- STAGES
- GrowthBuyout
- ROUTES
- Direct investments
- STRATEGIES
- Direct investments
Overview
Institut Mérieux traces its origin to the medical analysis laboratory Marcel Mérieux, a student of Louis Pasteur, founded in Lyon in 1897; bioMérieux describes it as the holding company of the Mérieux family. The family withdrew from vaccines in 1994. According to bioMérieux's 2025 Universal Registration Document, Institut Mérieux owns 58.9% of bioMérieux and holds, among others, MNH (holding company of Mérieux NutriSciences), TSGH (holding company of Transgene, about 78%) and Mérieux Equity Partners (via Mérieux Développement, about 60%). In March 2025 it joined the capital of Ceva Santé Animale alongside the Mérieux Equity Partners fund. Its board is chaired by Alain Mérieux.
Holdings & investments (5)
INVESTMENT ARMS & VEHICLES
- Majority-held subsidiary: in vitro diagnostics
- Majority-held subsidiary: food safety, quality and sustainability testing
- Majority-held subsidiary: clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy biotech
- Majority-held healthcare investment firm managing third-party venture and buyout funds
HOLDINGS & INVESTMENTS · MOST RECENT FIRST
- bioMérieux (58.9%)NOTABLEHealthTech · since 1963
- Food & Agriculture
- Ceva Santé AnimaleNOTABLEBiotech & Life Sciences · since 2025
- Biotech & Life Sciences
People
Classification
Family Holding. A family's holding company that owns stakes in several separate businesses or invests beyond its own group, without calling itself a family office. How family capital is classified →
FAQ
Institut Mérieux is a family holding based in Lyon, France, founded in 1897.
Institut Mérieux invests on behalf of the Mérieux family (Biology and vaccines (Institut Mérieux, founded 1897 in Lyon); vaccine businesses sold 1994; diagnostics (bioMérieux)).
Institut Mérieux invests directly in companies. Its stated asset mix includes direct investments.
Institut Mérieux invests at Growth and Buyout stages in HealthTech, Biotech & Life Sciences and Food & Agriculture.
Key people at Institut Mérieux include Alain Mérieux (Président du conseil d'administration (Chairman of the Board)), Alexandre Mérieux (Director, Vice-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer (at 31 Dec 2025); Chairman of the Board of bioMérieux) and Michel Baguenault de Puchesse (Director (administrateur)).
Institut Mérieux's holdings and investments include bioMérieux (58.9%), Mérieux NutriSciences (majority, via MNH), Ceva Santé Animale, Transgene (about 78%, via TSGH) and Mérieux Equity Partners (about 60%, via Mérieux Développement).
The most recent publicly reported investment by Institut Mérieux is Ceva Santé Animale (Entry into the capital as part of Ceva's shareholding renewal, alongside the Mérieux Equity Partners fund), announced in Mar 2025.