Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, today announces it has completed the first investment through its dedicated Ardian Semiconductor platform with the acquisition of Ion Beam Services (IBS), an innovative European semiconductor equipment and services company addressing high-growth specialty segments of the semiconductor market.
The acquisition of IBS will provide new growth financing to support an ambitious value creation plan and enable a management transition with the retirement of the company’s founder, Laurent Roux.
Founded in 1987 and based in France, IBS is a semiconductor equipment and services company specialized in ion implantation, a fundamental step in the semiconductor front-end manufacturing process. Its technology and products address high growth specialty applications in power, connectivity, imaging and sensing.
The semiconductor industry is a critical enabler of digital transformation and the green transition of the global economy. The industry is forecasted to double in size over this decade to reach $1 trillion by 2030, driven by powerful and predictable megatrends such as artificial intelligence, hyperconnectivity, electrification, mobility and industrial automation, and the growth of smart and connected devices. The expertise of IBS is contributing to enable these major developments.
Ardian Semiconductor was launched last year as a pioneering private equity investment platform through an exclusive strategic partnership with Silian Partners. Silian Partners brings together a team of highly successful senior executives from the semiconductor industry with more than 140 years of combined experience, who contribute unique industry relationships, strategic vision, and operational expertise to the Ardian Semiconductor platform. Together, Ardian and Silian Partners provide innovative and flexible capital solutions alongside strategic and operational capabilities to transform strong technology companies into global leaders in their market segments.
Ardian Semiconductor is uniquely positioned to seize opportunities in Europe, where the semiconductor sector is a global leader in mobility and industrial applications. Supported by a rich ecosystem of research centers, intellectual property, equipment and materials companies, in addition to government-backed incentives such as the €43 billion European Chips Act, Europe is well placed to drive the next wave of semiconductor innovation.
“We are delighted to inaugurate the Ardian Semiconductor platform with the acquisition of IBS. This exemplifies our mission to build semiconductor leaders in Europe through an innovative and deeply operational approach, leveraging our private equity capabilities and our unique strategic partnership with Silian Partners.” Lise Fauconnier, Senior Managing Director, Ardian
“We are excited to embark on a transformation journey with IBS. We will leverage IBS’s strong technological heritage of nearly 40 years, built by Laurent Roux and his talented team, and bring our strategic and operational expertise to sharpen product differentiation, strengthen customer focus, and scale the company through its next phase of growth.” Dr. Bernard Aspar, Partner, Silian Partners
ABOUT ARDIAN
Ardian is a world-leading private investment house, managing or advising $169bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,680 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 19 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility. At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.
ABOUT IBS
IBS is a company specialized in innovative ion implantation solutions. IBS allows its customers flexibly benefiting from its ion implantation expertise through a unique 360° offering of equipment, equipment services, and foundry services. IBS operates primarily from its facilities in France, UK, and Singapore. IBS was founded in 1987 and is based in Peynier, France.
