02 NOVEMBER 2021 GROWTH FRANCE, NICE
Nice, November 2nd, 2021 – Ardian, a world leading private investment house, today announces the acquisition of a minority stake in Strategie Media Conseil, a leading French digital real estate classifieds platform offering luxury and high-quality properties via its two websites – Résidences Immobilier and Maisons & Appartements.
Founded in 1994 by Jean-Pierre Cohen and Eric Bernt, the Strategie Media Conseil (SMC) Group has become one of the leading digital real estate classifieds platforms in France, connecting homebuyers and tenants with around 2,000 real estate agencies. The company currently employs nearly 50 people.
Originally launched as a real estate media publisher operating in the French Riviera, the Group took the strategic decision to establish its digital presence via its two real estate classifieds platforms in order to adapt to the evolutions of its clients’ business and to market expectations. The Group has also expanded its geographical footprint across France in new strategic regions thanks to its sales force and its proprietary software tools.
Ardian Growth’s investment in the Group will enable SMC to build on its strong presence in the French market by expanding its offering and geographical reach, cementing its leading position in the luxury real estate and intermediate housing segments. To this end, the Group will be able to draw on Ardian Growth’s technological and industry expertise, global footprint and diverse network of entrepreneurs.
Jean-Pierre Cohen, Co-Founder at SMC, said: “To step up our growth and continue delivering fantastic customer experience to buyers, agents and sellers, we will, with the support of Ardian Growth’s team, invest in growing our team and developing our digital platform while expanding our high added-value service portfolio for real estate agents.”
“Our investment in Strategie Media Conseil is a perfect example of our approach of backing ambitious entrepreneurs with solid expertise who are looking to take their companies to the next level. The Group is a strongly performing digital real estate classifieds platform with a clear strategic focus and an impressive track record. We look forward to working closely together with Jean-Pierre and its team, to expand the platform and ensure that SMC’s exceptional offer is more widely available across France.” said Alexis Saada and Léa Chaplain for Ardian Growth.
More information on the websites:
ABOUT ARDIAN
Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$114bn 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 800 employees working from fifteen 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 and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of more than 1,200 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.
ABOUT STRATEGIE MEDIA CONSEIL
Founded in 1994, Strategie Media Conseil (SMC) develops two digital real estate classifieds platforms: Maisons & Appartements, a leader in high-quality housing and Résidences Immobilier, a leader in luxury real estate. Initially specializing in real estate media, the Group has established its digital presence becoming one of the leading digital real estate classifieds platforms in France. The Group retains its dual media offering with the monthly publication of its print magazines. With its 60,000 ads, Maisons & Appartements has expanded across the South of France, from Monaco through the Rhône-Alpes region to the Atlantic Coast. With around 20,000 luxury real estate ads covering Paris, the Atlantic Coast and the French Riviera and around 4,500 pages a year in its magazine version, Résidences Immobilier is one of France’s leaders in luxury real estate.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
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STRATEGIE MEDIA CONSEIL
- JEAN-PIERRE COHEN
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STRATEGIE MEDIA CONSEIL ADVISORS:
- M&A ADVISORS: EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD (JULIEN BÉRAUD, GONZAGUE POURADIER-DUTEIL, AUDE-AMEL CHERAITIA)
- LEGAL ADVISORS: HUBERT EVRARD (BOSIO-EVRARD & ASSOCIÉS)
- FINANCIAL ADVISORS: ALVAREZ & MARSAL (JONATHAN GIBBONS, SAMIH HAJAR, SIMANE IDBALKASSM, MAXIME FRYDMAN)
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ARDIAN
- ALEXIS SAADA, LÉA CHAPLAIN
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ARDIAN ADVISORS:
- LEGAL ADVISORS: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY (DIANA HUND, FANNY RECH, MARIANNE ZWOBADA (CORPORATE); ANTOINE VERGNAT, CÔME DE SAINT VINCENT, MATTHIEU RANNOU (TAX); PIERRE-ARNOUX MAYOLY, SHIRIN DEYHIM, CLARISSE DE ROUX (FINANCING))
- TAX, LEGAL AND EMPLOYMENT AUDIT: FIDAL (KATIA JARQUIN, LORRAINE RAIMBERT-NUSSE, MIKAËL MAHEUST)
- FINANCIAL ADVISORS: EIGHT ADVISORY (CHRISTOPHE DELAS, FABIEN THIEBLEMONT, ARTHUR HUON)
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FINANCING
- LEAD BANK: SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE (GAËLLE COUDERT-MAJOULET)
- PARTICIPANTS: BNP PARIBAS (AURÉLIE GIORDANO, BRUNO CHAUDAT, MATHIAS RONZEAUD), CAISSE RÉGIONALE DE CRÉDIT AGRICOLE MUTUEL PROVENCE CÔTE D’AZUR (CHRISTOPHE LEJEUNE, BENJAMIN BREBAN, STÉPHANIE TOURRET)
- FINANCING ADVISORS: SIMMONS & SIMMONS (COLIN MILLAR)
