Paris, September 5, 2018 – Ardian Growth, Naxicap Partners and Apax Partners Development today announce the sale of their minority stake in Consort NT, a leading digital services company. Following an ownership buyout transaction, the management team, led by Jason Guez, President and majority shareholder of Consort NT, will now be the sole holders of the company.

Founded in 1992, Consort NT is one of France’s leading digital services companies, specializing in data and digital infrastructure. The company designs, operates and maintains technological solutions addressing its customers’ businesses, computing and storage capacities and interactions with banks, insurance companies and telecom operators.

Ardian Growth, Naxicap Partners and Apax Partners Development supported the company in its organic and external growth strategy. The first step was to strengthen the management team through organizational optimization. Consort NT was then able to cement its market position by developing a dedicated “Applications” branch, and through the acquisition of Estia, a data consultancy firm, and Altea, a consultancy firm specializing in software testing, in 2016. Consort NT generates more than €150 million in sales and employs 2,200 people based in France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Morocco.

Jason Guez, President of Consort NT, said: “I am happy and proud to have shared in the Consort NT adventure with my team. Our journey alongside the financial partners has brought about many useful learnings and has helped accelerate the growth of the business. Our independence only strengthens the enthusiasm and common vision shared by myself and the management team, Elie Cohen (CEO) and Stephan Mardel (CFO): to develop an international, multi-specialist group of technology consultants with strong family values.”

Laurent Foata, Head of Ardian Growth, added: “We are delighted to have been able to support Consort NT from its first equity transaction, and to have worked with Jason Guez over the years. Over the period, the company increased its turnover fivefold, and grew from 400 to more than 2,000 employees. Congratulations to the entire Consort NT team who will now continue on the next stage of growth.”

Alban Sarie, Investment Director at Naxicap Partners, thanked Jason Guez and his teams for their trust and the quality of their collaboration over the past 10 years. He concluded: “Jason Guez was able to develop the business its and profitability at the same time while realizing three successive leverage buyouts; this enabled him, alongside the management, to take control of the group’s capital as a whole.”

Raphaël Delmarre, Apax Partners Development, commented: “We are proud to have supported this high-level management team in their development projects through organic growth, acquisitions and international development.”

Consort NT is one of the leading French digital services companies specializing in data, digital and infrastructure with over 2,200 consultants. The company designs, operates and maintains solutions and services that place the user at the heart of added value and technological innovation.

Historically-positioned in infrastructure services, which the Group continues to invest in through a strategy of innovation of its offer (cloud and security) and automation of its processes, Consort NT is transforming the way it processes and adds value to data through both organic and external growth.
A long-term vision and family values symbolize the Consort NT culture which is owned more than 20% by its employees.

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$71bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.
Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.
Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 530 employees working from fourteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo). It manages funds on behalf of around 700 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

One of France’s leading private equity companies, NAXICAP Partners – an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers – has €3.2 billion of capital under management. As a committed, responsible investor, NAXICAP Partners builds solid, constructive partnerships with entrepreneurs so that their projects can succeed. The company has nearly 40 investment professionals spread across 4 offices located in France: Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, and Nantes.

Apax Partners is a leading private equity firm in Europe based in Paris. With more than 45 years of experience, Apax Partners provides long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. Funds managed and advised by Apax Partners exceed €3 billion. These funds invest in fast-growing middle-market companies across four sectors of specialization: TMT, Consumer, Healthcare and Services.

Sellers:
ardian, Laurent Foata, Frédéric Quéru, Naxicap partners, Jacques Spicq, Alban Sarie, Dominique Frances, APAX DEVELOPMENT, Raphaël DelmarreBond Financing: 
tikehau capital, Cécile Lévi, Charles Bourgeois, Vincent Leprévots, BNP Paribas private investments, Géraud Manhes, Cédric DocheSenior Debt Financing:
BNP PARIBAS, Guillaume Redaud, Pierre Chatelier, LCL, Cécile Pénard, Damien Fraillon, Julien Mognot, BANQUE POPULAIRE RIVES DE PARIS, Laurence Perretier, LA BANQUE POSTALE, Audric Valnaud, Fréderic Vigier, Antoine Gobert

Investment bankers /M&A advisor (sellers):
Cambon partners, David Salabi, Oriane Benveniste-Profichet, Pierre-Louis d’Argenlieu

Financial VDD: 
NExt!, Hervé Krissi, Romain Bardou, Eric Chan

Legal advisor (company and management):
willkie farr & gallagher llp, Paul Lombard, Ralph Unger, Cédric Hajage, Gil Kiener

Legal advisor (financing): 
hogan lovells, Sabine Bironneau, Alexander Premont, Sophie Lok, Luc Bontoux

Legal advisor (tax):
stehlin legal, Corinne Dadi