Paris, 11 May 2017
– Ardian, the independent private investment company, today announced itsacquisition of a minority stake in the Abvent Group, a leading publisher and distributor of software forarchitects.
Founded in 1985 by three French architects, Abvent is the leading French provider of image and design
software to architects. The Group has developed a proprietary offer combining 3D visualisation software
and project management solutions via BIM (Building Information Modelling). It is also the exclusive
distributor in France and French-speaking Switzerland of the industry standard design and project
management system for architects, ArchiCAD. Xavier Soule, CEO of Abvent, said: “Following the l
aunch of our BIM offer and the acquisition of Ka-Ra, asoftware publisher specialising in 3D visualisation,
we wish to continue this momentum alongside a partner that understands the dynamics of our market and our
software.”
Philippe Butty, co-founder, added: “For us, Ardian was the natural partner in light of its ability to provide
tactical support and its keen understanding of the strategic challenges we face.”Beyond using Ardian’s network and expertise in supporting growing companies, this partnership aims to help the Abvent management team achieve its goal of
increasing market share in the BIM sector. The Group is one of the few players in this growing mar
ket to have succeeded in developing an offer that is compatible with all existing operating systems.
Alexis Saada, Managing Director at Ardian Growth, added: “We are delighted to be entering into this
partnership with Abvent. Xavier and his team won us over with their agility and ambitious vision: we are
committed to providing them with the necessary means to achieve it.”
Bertrand Schapiro, Senior Investment Manager at Ardian Growth, added: “Abvent’s positioning enables
us to consider a targeted external growth strategy to strengthen its offer that is already unique in its market.”
ABOUT ABVENT
Founded in 1985 by French architects, Abvent is a group currently based in Paris, the leader in software
and services for architects and construction professionals (ARCHICAD, ClimaBIM, Rhino 3D, BIMoffice),
and a key player in the imaging segment (Twinmotion, Artlantis, iVIsit360, RenderIn).
Along with its expansion in France, and to support its international development, Abvent has opened
several subsidiaries (Switzerland, the US, Luxembourg, Hungary) and has a network of distributors in 80 countries.
