Paris, 12 September 2017 – Atlas for Men, the men’s outdoor clothing brand that became independent from Groupe De Agostini a year ago, following a spin-off organized by Activa Capital and the Management team, has refinanced its existing debt alongside an extended pool of banks, allowing the full reimbursement of the mezzanine debt and partial reimbursement of the shareholder funds.
Founded in 1999 within the Groupe De Agostini, Atlas for Men is a specialized men’s outdoor brand for clothing and accessories, sold online and by catalogue. The brand is present in 10 European countries and generates close to €160m in sales from 6 million clients.
In August 2016, Altas for Men organized a spin-off from De Agostini led by Activa Capital alongside the Management team, accompanied by Initiative & Finance and Indigo Capital.
During the past twelve months the company has become totally independent and successfully completed all the projects linked to the spin-off, as well as successfully implementing many of its growth initiatives. Atlas for Men continues its strong development strategy in Germany with a growth exceeding 20% per annum, while accelerating its e-commerce deployment via its commercial website (www.atlasformen.fr) and its marketplace. The year 2016 also marked Atlas for Men’s entry into the Czech Republic, which became the tenth country served by the Group.
Based on solid results and strong growth momentum, the company refinanced the mezzanine debt initially provided by Indigo Capital and partially reimbursed the shareholder funds.
The new financing is provided by the banking pool set up in 2016 (arranger: CIC Nord Ouest, participants: BNP Paribas and Crédit Agricole Seine-Normandie), joined by Caisse d’Epargne Normandie.
For Marc Delamarre, President of Atlas for Men:
This refinancing reflects Atlas for Men’s strong growth momentum driven by the team’s commitment and the relevance of our positioning as a specialist brand. The renewed commitment of our banking partners allows us to consider more development projects, both digitally and internationally.
For Pierre Chabaud, Partner at Activa Capital:
This operation carried out with Atlas for Men’s banks one year after the spin-off, reflects the operational know-how of the management team and the company’s dynamism in its market. Atlas for Men is now in an even better position to implement its growth ambitions.
About Atlas for Men
Atlas for Men is specialized in men’s outdoor clothing and accessories distance selling. Since its creation in 1999, the company has witnessed a steady growth and achieved a turnover of more than €150m in 2016 in 10 European countries. Currently a leader in the distance selling market, Atlas for Men is also a major internet player with 9 e-commerce websites.
Learn more about Atlas for Men atlasofrmen.fr.
About Activa Capital
Activa Capital is a leading French mid-market private equity firm. Activa Capital manages over €500m of private equity funds on behalf of a wide range of institutional investors. Activa Capital partners with ambitious mid-sized French companies, valued at €20m to €200m, seeking to accelerate their growth and their international footprint. Learn more about Activa Capital at activacapital.com.
