Serena and Partech back Lafourchette

Previous investor Otium Capital remains a majority shareholder. The transaction gives the company an enterprise value of more than €50m, according to reports.

The investment will underpin the company's expansion into three or four new international markets, one of which will be outside Europe. Benelux, Italy and Germany have been identified as potential markets.

Serena is a venture investor in technology firms. Early-stage investments of €3-8m are made through the company's inaugural fund, which closed on almost €100m in 2010. Partech International is the European arm of the trans-Atlantic investor and span out from its US parent company in 2008. The company invests up to €10m per portfolio company.

Previous funding
Otium's investment in Lafourchette totals €4m across two transactions completed in December 2008 and April 2011.

Company
Based in Paris, Lafourchette is an online restaurant reservation service that allows users to book tables and view offers at a range of restaurants. The site has more than 10,000 restaurants on its pages in France, Spain and Switzerland. Each month 40,000 bookings are placed on the site.

The firm's revenues stem from a commission taken on all bookings and subscription fees paid by restaurants on the website. Turnover is understood to have grown by 100% in the last 12 months to almost €10m.

People
Marc Fournier is a managing partner at Serena. Philippe Collombel is a partner at Partech. Bertrand Jelensperger is a co-founder and managing director of Lafourchette.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• France
• Support services
• Expansion
• Now researching
• France
• Serena Capital