France unquote
Sofinnova leads €15m round for Pixium
Sofinnova Partners has led a €15m extension of Pixium Vision’s two-part series-A round alongside BPI France and existing investors Omnes Capital and Abingworth Management.
Apax buys Europe Snacks from IK Investment
Apax Partners has acquired savoury snacks maker Europe Snacks from IK Investment Partners.
KKR reaps €461.6m in Tarkett flotation
KKR has received €461.6m from the flotation of portfolio company Tarkett, a French flooring and sports surface maker, after the company priced its IPO at €29 per share.
PAI sells Atos stake for €545m
PAI partners has divested a 9% stake in its portfolio company Atos, a listed French IT services provider, for €545m in a private placement.
Alven injects €3m into Bime
French VC Alven Capital has invested €3m in business intelligence software Bime.
BPI France’s Cassiopae makes two bolt-ons
BPI France Ile-de-France and BNP Paribas Développement have supported portfolio company Cassiopae’s acquisitions of Germany-based Singhammer dtSoftware and the Crédito division of Brazil-based Disoft Solutions.
KKR picks up LBO France’s Winoa through recap
KKR has acquired French steel manufacturer Winoa Group from LBO France through a debt restructuring.
GE Capital and Ares refinance Astorg's Ethypharm
GE Capital and Ares Management have provided Astorg Partners portfolio company Ethypharm with a €170m unitranche facility.
Women still under-represented in French investment teams
Although French private equity houses are increasingly trying to address the situation, women remain vastly under-represented in investment teams and in more senior roles, according to the latest survey by Deloitte and trade body AFIC.
Omnes-backed Exclusive Networks bolts on Secureway
Omnes Capital-backed Exclusive Networks Group, a French IT security software company, has acquired Dubai-based Secureway.
Partech et al. back Pricematch with €1m
Partech Ventures, via its recently closed Partech Entrepreneur seed fund, has taken part in a €1m round for Pricematch, a French software company specialising in revenue management for hotels.
Auriga holds €40m first close for Bioseeds fund
French VC Auriga Partners has held a first close on €40m for its latest vehicle, Auriga IV Bioseeds, after seven months on the road.
21 Partners backs Synerlab
21 Partners has acquired Synerlab Group, a French drug manufacturing and packaging company, from Ardian in a management buyout.
Argos Soditic buys Cisbio Bioassays
Argos Soditic has backed the €25m management buyout of French biotech company Cisbio Bioassays.
Elaia leads series-A for 1001 Menus
Elaia Partners has led a €1.35m series-A funding round for 1001 Menus, a French start-up catering to the restaurant industry, alongside several angel investors.
Eurazeo to acquire Montefiore’s Asmodée
Eurazeo has entered exclusive talks to acquire French party games publisher and distributor Asmodée from Montefiore Investment for an enterprise value of €143m.
Omnes Capital backs Camérus MBO
Omnes Capital has acquired furniture rental business Camérus Group in a management buyout.
BlackFin buys HyperAssur and creates Comparadise
Financial services-focused investor BlackFin Capital Partners has acquired online insurance comparison site HyperAssur, as it continues to consolidate the financial aggregator market in France.
Elaia and Isai back tinyclues
Elaia Partners and Isai have backed French software company tinyclues with a €1.4m investment alongside several business angels.
KKR to reap up to €564m in Tarkett IPO
French flooring and sports surface maker Tarkett, backed by KKR, has set an indicative price range of €27.75-33.90 for its upcoming IPO on the NYSE Euronext Paris.
Numericable raises €652m in IPO
Cinven- and Carlyle-backed Numericable has made its debut on the NYSE Euronext Paris with a €3bn market cap.
Ardian provides unitranche for Européenne des Desserts buyout
Ardian (formerly Axa Private Equity) has arranged a €70m unitranche facility to finance Equistone's buyout of Européenne des Desserts from Azulis Capital and Céréa Partenaire.
Ardian backs CLS Group with €30m
Ardian, formerly Axa Private Equity, has invested €30m in CLS Group, a satellite-based environmental data provider.
Flying the nest: New wave of French spinouts
Following a decade of French spinouts from banks and insurance companies, the last few weeks have seen some of the most high-profile carve-outs to date. Greg Gille reports