Cobepa set to buy Alpha's Babilou

According to a notification to the competition authority, Cobepa is seeking to buy Babilou from Alpha. The company's co-founders, Rodolphe and Edouard Carle, are also looking to re-up their stake. The parties are believed to be in the final phase of the transaction.

Alpha invested €15m in Babilou in February 2008, via its Alpha Private Equity Fund V vehicle, which closed in February 2006 on €750m. The firm picked up a minority stake in return for its capital injection, while the company's management retained a majority shareholding.

Babilou, founded in 2003, is headquartered in Courbevoie and currently employs 3,000 staff. Its parent company, Désormais, recorded turnover of €150m in 2012. Babilou operates approximately 200 corporate nurseries for children under three in France. Clients include L'Oréal and Danone.

At the time of Alpha's investment, the company ran 20-30 nurseries and generated turnover of €9m, according to unquote" data.

Both Alpha and Cobepa declined to comment.

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