The manufacturer of capacitive sensors for industrial and scientific applications has been carved out of Fogale Nanotech by Capital Export, its new majority shareholder.
CFNEWS article by Jean-Philippe Mas
Published on 16 Sept. 2022 at 4:28 p.m., updated on 16 Sept. 2022 at 6:14 p.m. – 25 advisers
Fogale Sensors is becoming independent, almost 30 years after its creation. The designer and manufacturer of capacitive sensors for industrial and scientific applications was born in 1983 under the aegis of Fogale Nanotech, a group specializing in high-precision dimensional metrology and led by Patrick Leteurtre. The process, run by the Mazars Corporate Finance team, brought together several industrial players and regional and national investment funds. At the end of the auction, Capital Export took the majority of the shares. The balance of the capital is split between two investment vehicles of the regional entities of the Caisse d’Epargne, CELDA Capital Développement and CEPAL Capital Développement, and the management team led by Jérôme Porque, CEO, and Didier Rosières, the founder. Eight managers are becoming shareholders. Senior debt provided by Caisse d’Epargne et de Prévoyance d’Auvergne et du Limousin is financing this first leveraged transaction, which enables both a management buyout and a shareholder transfer.
A focus on international development
Employing around twenty people, Fogale Sensors designs, manufactures and markets capacitive sensors for a number of sectors, in particular medical and energy. Its sensors are used, among other things, on radiology robots to avoid collisions during surgical procedures, and on turbomachinery in test benches and gas turbines. Also present internationally, it generates revenue reported to be between €5 million and €10 million. “With our support, Fogale Sensors should launch a robotics division within the next two years. In addition, we could look at targets to complement our technologies and/or our international footprint,” explains Michel Claret, Partner at Capital Export.
Transaction Participants
- Target company: FOGALE SENSORS
- Acquirer or Investor: CAPITAL EXPORT, Michel Claret, Jean-Mathieu Sahy, Nhu Quynh Golder, CAISSE D’EPARGNE AUVERGNE LIMOUSIN (CEPAL), Sébastien Galinier, CELDA CAPITAL DEVELOPPEMENT, Frédéric Sauvayre, MANAGER(S), Jérôme Porque
- Seller: FOGALE NANOTECH, Patrick Leteurtre
- Acquirer’s Corporate Legal Counsel: EY SOCIETE D’AVOCATS, Gérard Léonil, Elodie Cesaro, Eric Philippot, Manon Revest
- Acquirer’s Financial Due Diligence: ODERIS, Julien Passerat, Maxime Girard
- Seller’s Investment Bank / M&A Adviser: MAZARS CF, Matthieu Boyé, Thibault Lacour-Gayet, Alban de Liniers
- Seller’s Corporate Legal Counsel: JOFFE & ASSOCIES, Christophe Joffe, Virginie Belle
- Managers’ Other Advisers: GROUPE AURYS, Ghislain d’Ouince, Hugo Michelas, KERIUS FINANCE, Sébastien Rouzaire, Solal Huard, Marion Dondin
- Debt: CAISSE D’EPARGNE AUVERGNE LIMOUSIN (CEPAL), Damien Reverdiau
- Debt Legal Counsel: DE GAULLE FLEURANCE & ASSOCIES (DGFLA)
