Alantra advises the shareholders of Zenika on its secondary LBO

Feb 2022

Sell-side advisory

Paris – Alantra, the global investment banking and asset management specialist, is pleased to announce that it has advised the shareholders of Zenika (“the Company”), a major French IT services company, on its secondary LBO. The transaction was led by Carl Azoury, the founder of Zenika, along with BPI France, which will acquire a minority stake in the Company.

Founded in 2006 by Carl Azoury, Zenika is an IT services company specialising in companies’ digital, organisational and managerial transformation. Zenika offers its clients a wide range of services, with expert teams in areas including Big Data, Green IT, DevOps, Mobility, Cloud, Agility and Security. The Company is recognised for its high technical expertise and is a major French contributor to the Open Source Developer community, GitHub. The Company is present in France, Canada, Morocco and Singapore, with more than 550 employees and ten training centres across these geographies. Zenika’s client portfolio includes major French utilities, retail, banking and insurance companies.

This transaction will enable Zenika to increase its market visibility, accelerate its commercial development and benefit from BPI’s start-up community. Additionally, BPI’s capital investment will strengthen the Company’s international growth strategy.

Carl Azoury, CEO of Zenika, commented, “This operation is a major milestone in the history of Zenika. It is part of our growth strategy, in France and internationally, while maintaining our values and model. We are proud to promote Zenika alongside the major French Tech players. This association will allow us to keep growing while addressing our customers’ challenges and to continue offering the best experience to our employees. Welcoming BPI in our capital generates support and enthusiasm in our teams. Moreover, I am convinced that it is the best partner to support us in our ambition to become a French international champion. I warmly thank Nicolas and his team for enabling this operation to be carried out at a key moment for Zenika.”

“We are pleased to have assisted Zenika and its founder, Carl Azoury, in finding the right partner to accelerate the growth of the business and increase its capacity to develop in France and overseas. Carl and his team have built a truly unique company in the sector with great opportunities ahead of them. Zenika is recognised in the French market as the leading technical expert on major digitalisation projects for top-notch institutional groups. Support provided by BPI, the French Sovereign Fund, will create new opportunities for Zenika,” said Nicolas Senlis, Managing Director at Alantra.