Business Roundup

Solenis, the former water treatment chemicals business of Ashland, has acquired the Belgian firm Topchim for an undisclosed sum. Topchim supplies coatings for the paper industry that are based on renewable materials.

Italmatch, an Italian specialty chemical firm, has acquired the Chinese phosphonate producer Jiayou Chemical from Ecolab. Italmatch says Jiayou’s plant will complement its phosphonate operations in North America and Europe.

Evonik Industries’ venture capital arm has invested an undisclosed amount in Velox, an Israeli digital printing firm. The start-up’s technology allows for fast, photo-quality printing on metal, plastic, or glass packaging, a potential market for Evonik’s specialty chemicals.

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, a long-standing joint venture, says it will increase production of ­biobased 1,3-propanediol by roughly 16,000 metric tons per year in Loudon, Tenn. PDO is used as an intermediate for Sorona-branded fiber and as a cosmetic ingredient.

Bruker has acquired IRM², a developer of high-speed infrared imaging microscopes based on quantum cascade technology. Bruker says the acquisition of the ­University of Heidelberg spin-off expands its instrument marketing opportunities in tissue and materials analysis.

Hovione has sold its stake in iMAX Diagnostic Imaging, a Hong Kong-based producer of generic contrast media. Hovione says it is exiting the business to concentrate on supplying active pharmaceutical ingredients and associated services.

Merck KGaA’s venture capital fund has invested in Clearink, a developer of reflective color displays for wearable devices. Merck, a maker of display materials, has had projects with Clearink since 2012.

ViewPoint Therapeutics has raised $35 million in series B funding to continue studies on small molecules that treat cataracts and presbyopia. ViewPoint’s lead compound is a cholesterol-like molecule that stabilizes crystallin proteins to prevent misfolding and disease.