ACTIVE ASSURANCES acquired by GROUPE FINIZY (MEILLEURTAUX)

Abenex acquired a majority stake in Leader Insurance, succeeding LT Capital. The deal valued the group at approx. The transaction aimed to support founder Yoann Chery in his ambitious "buy-and-build" strategy to diversify into health, protection, and new geographic markets (DROM-COM).

BlackFin Capital Partners entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Cafpi. The transaction allows for a family reorganization: the founder fully exits, while his brother reinvests alongside the management team. BlackFin secured the deal via a preemptive offer, beating out competitors like Cerberus and Santiane (backed by Latour Capital) in a process managed by Cambon Partners. The acquisition is financed by a unitranche debt representing approx. 4.0x EBITDA. The strategic roadmap focuses heavily on digitalization (currently only 7% of business comes from the web) and product diversification (savings, home insurance).

Latour Capital has successfully finalized the acquisition of a majority stake in the share capital of the target from its previous institutional sponsor, following a highly competitive auction process. This strategic transaction represents a significant milestone in the broker's evolution, marking its transition into a new phase of institutional scaling. The strategic rationale for the move centers on the acquirer’s objective to leverage the target’s unique digital-native distribution model, which demonstrated exceptional resilience and performance during period of global market volatility. By incorporating new institutional backing, the organization reinforces its ability to accelerate its organic growth and explore potential buy-and-build opportunities in the fragmented insurance brokerage landscape. The partnership is designed to maintain the leadership of the existing management team while providing the financial depth required to enhance technical operational depth in digital customer acquisition. This integration facilitates the further professionalization of the firm’s wholesale division, providing the strategic resources required to navigate the evolving regulatory environment for individual health insurance in France. The move solidifies the group’s standing as a primary enabler of digital transformation in the insurance services sector.

Ardian acquired a majority stake in Finaxy from Equistone Partners Europe, which had owned the group since 2014. The transaction was valued at an Enterprise Value of €160 million, representing an aggressive multiple of approximately 14.5x EBITDA. To secure the asset in a competitive process managed by Lazard, Ardian submitted a preemptive offer that outpaced other finalists such as Parquest Capital and Abénex. The transaction is financed by a senior debt package provided by a pool of banks, representing approximately 5.0x EBITDA. Founder and CEO Erick Berville remains at the helm, maintaining a significant equity stake to drive the next phase of consolidation and organic growth.

Silver Lake acquired a majority stake (~70%) in Groupe Finizy (Meilleurtaux) from Goldman Sachs Private Equity. The transaction was executed outside of a formal auction process, pre-empting a sale that was initially planned for March 2020 but halted due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The management team, holding ~30%, reinvested in the new structure. A governance transition occurred simultaneously. The deal was initially equity-funded by Silver Lake.

Bridgepoint has acquired a majority stake in Financière CEP from the American private equity firm JC Flowers & Co and the group's founder, Hubert Guillard. This secondary LBO follows an unsuccessful sale process in 2017. The transaction was secured via a preemptive offer signed in early March 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdowns. The management team, led by CEO Philippe Gravier, is reinvesting alongside Bridgepoint to support an ambitious growth project. The strategic rationale for the deal is to capitalize on CEP's leadership in the French loan insurance and mortgage brokerage markets. Bridgepoint aims to accelerate the group's digital investments and pursue a strategy of international diversification and product expansion across Europe.

21 Invest France acquired a majority stake in FMA Assurances, partnering with founder and President Ludovic Dumont who retains an equity position and continues to lead the business. The transaction was supported by EY's M&A department (Jean-Louis Duverney-Guichard) on the seller side. The investment thesis centres on strengthening FMA's position on its existing segments and accelerating growth through organic development and bolt-on acquisitions in new niche insurance markets.

CVC Capital Partners acquired a 65.13% controlling stake in APRIL from its founder via Evolem. The transaction was followed by a Mandatory Simplified Tender Offer (OPAS) for the remaining shares, leading to the group's delisting. This strategic move allowed the group to exit the stock market and embark on a massive restructuring plan.

Ardian took a minority stake in SFAM to accelerate its international expansion and product diversification. The transaction involved a bond issuance subscribed by ICG. Winch Capital 3 (Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners), a shareholder since 2016, sold part of its stake but remains an investor. Founder Sadri Fegaier retains control. The strategic roadmap includes launching "Hubside" (a new web service) and expanding operations into Portugal, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Goldman Sachs acquired a majority stake in Meilleurtaux, winning a competitive auction process managed by Rothschild & Cie. The seller, Equistone Partners Europe, realized a massive exit after acquiring the asset from BPCE in 2013. The transaction is financed by a debt package (TLA + TLB) representing roughly 4.0x EBITDA, a moderate leverage level designed to leave room for future external growth. The management team remains in place to pursue an aggressive build-up strategy.