Xebios Diagnostics: Eigenverwaltung, strukturierter Investorenprozess — und alle Arbeitsplätze erhalten

Xebios Diagnostics Group GmbH and Xebios Diagnostics GmbH have successfully completed a voluntary restructuring process. Aderhold provided legal and business management support to the Xebios Group throughout the process—from the initial filing of the petition to the transfer of the restructured business to the Solabia Group. All locations in Germany and the Netherlands now have a future once again. All jobs have been preserved.

Xebios Diagnostics Group GmbH is an established manufacturer of ready-to-use culture media and test reagents for microbiological diagnostics. With three production sites in Düsseldorf, Eindhoven, and Groningen, the company has been supplying laboratories in the fields of drinking water, food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and clinical analytics for more than 25 years—with ISO-certified products and a strong presence in the European market.

Based on a petition filed by the company on September 8, 2025, the Düsseldorf Local Court opened insolvency proceedings under self-administration regarding the assets of Xebios Diagnostics Group GmbH (Case No.: 503 IN 187/25) and Xebios Diagnostics GmbH (Case No.: 503 IN 188/25) as scheduled on December 1, 2025. Dr. Jan-Philipp Hoos of White & Case LLP, Düsseldorf, was appointed as trustee.

Dr. Kristian Klüppelberg and Daniel Wagener took over project management for Aderhold during the process. Together with Managing Director Christoph Mentzel, they oversaw both the ongoing restructuring process and the parallel M&A process until its completion.

A key advantage of self-administration: the company remained operational. Management retained operational control—under the supervision of the administrator and with close support from the Aderhold team.

At the initiative of the creditors and with the support of Dr. Wieselhuber & Partner GmbH as M&A advisors, a structured investor process was established as part of the proceedings. The goal was to maximize creditor recovery while preserving the company—not through liquidation, but through a transfer-based restructuring to a strategic buyer.

This process culminated in the acquisition by the Solabia Group, a vertically integrated French manufacturer of natural active ingredients for the cosmetics, nutraceuticals, pharmaceutical, and microbiology industries, with eleven production facilities and several research and development centers worldwide.

Xebios’ two Dutch subsidiaries—based in Eindhoven and Groningen—were kept out of insolvency throughout the proceedings. Nevertheless, they were fully included in the transaction and transferred to Solabia. This secures not only the German locations but also the entire European network of the Xebios Group.

Xebios’ business operations will continue in full under the umbrella of the Solabia Group. Through this acquisition, the Solabia Group is strengthening its European diagnostics presence and expanding its manufacturing capabilities in Germany and the Netherlands.

For employees, this means that all jobs will be preserved. For creditors, it means the best possible recovery of their claims through the proceedings. For the company, it means a fresh start with a strategically suitable owner.

“XDG is a well-positioned company in its market, with strong products and a loyal customer base across Europe. The self-administration process provided the appropriate legal framework to stabilize the company through a structured process and to find a strategic investor in Solabia that will specifically integrate and build upon Xebios’ strengths.”

— Dr. Kristian Klüppelberg, Partner, Aderhold Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH

Attorneys: Dr. Kristian Klüppelberg and Daniel Wagener (Project Management, Turnaround & Restructuring), Patrick Klawa, Lennart Haag, and Vanessa Schwetschenau (Turnaround & Restructuring), Jörg Heyer (M&A), and Volker Ostermeyer (Employment Law).

Management consultants: Christian Krause, Julia Fahrland, Marvin Hentschel, and Marlon Wirtz (Aderhold Management Consulting GmbH).

Self-administration procedures are complex—and the outcome is often determined in the weeks leading up to the filing of the application. If you have any questions about options for action in crisis or special situations, please feel free to contact us.