Month: January 2024

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Deeptech company Aldoria, formerly known as Share My Space, has closed a round of financing of almost €10 million from Bpifrance, Starquest, Audacia, EIC, Space Founders France and Wind Capital. Joffe & Associés (Thomas Saltiel and Camille Malbezin) advised Starquest on this transaction.

Led by Starquest and its €5 million contribution, this fund-raising reflects the desire of Toulouse-based Aldoria, which, as part of the development of its space surveillance solutions, intends to double its network of optical stations by 2025, and to expand its catalogue of real-time tracking of space objects in orbit. It also highlights its achievements, including its international expansion. Thanks to contracts and strategic partnerships with major players in the space sector such as CNES and ESA, commercial satellite operators such as Airbus Defence & Space, and key partners such as Astroscale and Isar Aerospace, the company is currently present in nearly 17 countries.

“We have been working for half a decade to have Earth orbits recognised as part of our environment. More and more people in the space community and beyond have become aware of the problem of space debris. We are very pleased to see that the protection of the orbital environment is now supported by green finance, and we are therefore particularly proud of our partnership with Starquest Capital through their Protect Article 9 fund, with the support of our existing shareholder Expansion Ventures, as well as several public investors,” said Romain Lucken, Director of ALDORIA.

 

According to BPI France, by 2030 the number of active satellites in low earth orbit is expected to reach 40,000, compared with the current figure of almost 9,000. The implications of this growth are already significant. In 2023, ALDORIA’s orbital information system produced 230,000 independent measurements for 5,000 objects, with 30 million matches between space objects also forecast. Faced with growing insecurity resulting from the lack of regulation of space traffic, ALDORIA is regaining control by informing operators of threats in real time.

Lyon-based start-up Tenacy, which specialises in automated cybersecurity management solutions, has just successfully completed a €6 million round of funding from existing investors (Auriga Cyber Ventures, Teamwork, Kreaxi and Crédit Agricole Création) and a new entrant : Axeleo Capital. This round of financing is part of the development of its solutions across Europe. Joffe & Associés (Thomas Saltiel, Charlotte Viandaz and Rudy Diamant) advised Axeleo Capital on this transaction.

Founded in 2019, the Lyon-based start-up (formerly AugmentedCISO) positions itself as a SaaS platform dedicated to managing corporate cybersecurity. The platform provides companies with the ability to assess their level of compliance, draw up security policies, supervise day-to-day operations and generate reports in an efficient way when it comes to IT security.

“We provide an all-in-one cybersecurity solution for decision-makers,” says Cyril Guillet (Lyon Décideurs), CEO and co-founder of start-up Tenacy.

 

All the historical stakeholders, notably Auriga Cyber Ventures, Kreaxi, Teamwork and Crédit Agricole Innovation, are renewing their confidence by participating in this round of financing. A new investor, Axeleo Capital, has joined this second round of financing. The total amount of the transaction is €6 million.

According to CFNews, the company aims to maintain sustained growth and achieve Recurring Annual Revenue (ARR) of between €10 and €15 million within three years. The recruitment plan calls for doubling the current workforce of 50 over the next year, with 40% for the marketing and sales teams and 60% for Research and Development.

Doctibike, a Lyon-based company specialising in the reconditioning of electric bicycle batteries, has reorganised its capital by raising €1 million from its founders and Demeter and UI Investissement in order to expand its reconditioning capacity. Joffe & Associés (Thomas Saltiel, Océane Christmann & Clémence Bressolin) advised Demeter and UI Investissement on this transaction.

Doctibike has in fact replaced its previous majority shareholder, PatCom Group (known as Green Riders Group), in favour of investment funds. Most of the company’s capital had been acquired in 2021, as part of a project to build a production site.

However, as a result of the financial difficulties encountered by PatCom Group, the latter was placed under receivership last April. As a result, the founders, Anne-Sophie Caistiker and Pierre Francisco, with the support of the merchant bank Further Finance, sought partners to buy out the company’s shares, thereby freeing themselves from this influence. This led to UI Investissement acquiring a stake in September 2023 through the Opportunités Régions 3 fund, followed by Demeter through the Fonds d’Amorçage Industriel Métropolitain (FAIM).

Anne-Sophie Caistiker, President of Doctibike, explains that the company has a 500 m² workshop that reconditioned 15,000 batteries last year, employing five technicians among its twenty-strong workforce. The company achieved sales of more than €2m last year, and its total workforce is set to double over the next two years. Doctibike is also aiming to expand the variety of batteries it can handle, with currently more than 400 brands and 8,000 references.

Anne-Sophie Caistiker, President of Doctibike, explains that the company has a 500 m² workshop that reconditioned 15,000 batteries last year, employing five technicians among its twenty-strong workforce. The company achieved sales of more than €2m last year, and its total workforce is set to double over the next two years. Doctibike is also aiming to expand the variety of batteries it can handle, with currently over 400 brands and 8,000 part numbers.

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Hygie 31, leader in the pharmaceutical market, is continuing its development strategy and strengthening its presence in the local pharmacy market. The company is taking control of Magdaléon, a young Strasbourg-based player in the sector, which now has more than 100 pharmacies in eastern France, with combined sales of some €250 million. Joffe & Associés (Christophe Joffe, Camille Malbezin & Alexia Guyot) advised Hygie31 on this transaction.

Hygie31 is continuing its expansion by extending its territorial presence through the gradual acquisition of existing networks. Already established in the south-west following the purchase of 520 traditional pharmacies from Pharmacorp, and in the Hauts de France after taking control of 135 pharmacies from Pharmacyal (Elsker Group), the group is now extending its influence by acquiring a majority stake in Magdaléon. The deal was carried out in partnership with Magdaléon’s co-founders, Jean-Marc Gauche and Christian Zimmermann, as well as its managing director, Constant Kuder, and their six pharmacist partners.

Hervé Jouves, Chairman of Hygie31, comments in a press release: “Following the successful mergers with Pharmacorp (more than 520 traditional local pharmacies) and Pharmacyal (135 pharmacies in the Hauts de France region), this transaction with Magdaléon marks a new stage in the Hygie31 Group’s development policy, while preserving the identity and specificity of each network. Our approach aims to consolidate the market by supporting regional initiatives to guarantee optimum access to healthcare, whatever the area (urban, peri-urban, rural, neighbourhood)”.

At the same time, each pharmacy owner will benefit from new technological and digital services, personalised support thanks to new day-to-day management tools, and a wide range of training courses. In addition, this collaboration aims to strengthen the presence of pharmacists in the Magdaléon network in the field of medical equipment and home care, by offering privileged access to products distributed by Distrimed, recently acquired by the Hygie31 Group at the beginning of December.