Funding opportunity
Crédit Agricole Private Equity has signed partnership agreements with three seed capital funds to extend its support for start-ups. It will now collaborate with Soridec, a regional investment fund, based in Languedoc Roussillon, BioGeneration Ventures, a Dutch investment fund specialising in life sciences seed capital, and Objectif Gazelles, a seed capital fund managed by business angels.
The private equity firm says that these partnerships will enable it to widen its base of investment opportunities by acquiring stakes in young companies alongside well-known specialists. Investee companies will benefit from greater financing capacity and support in their strategic development.
The first deal has been agreed in partnership with BioGeneration Ventures, with the acquisition of a stake in Flexgen, a Dutch company specialising in the development of genomics research tools. A number of other investment projects are currently being finalised.
These joint investment deals complement the direct investments made by Credit Agricole’s venture capital team. Crédit Agricole Private Equity has previously invested €14 million in companies at the seed capital stage such as Flexgen, MonShowroom, Bizanga, SuperSonic Imagine, EyeTechCare and Keldelice, and says its two-pronged approach, based on direct investments and joint investments, will allow it to make the best investment choices.
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