mynth
01/2015

EFRONT acquired by BRIDGEPOINT

FRANCE Software / Industry-Specific Software / Financial Services / Banking EV 300M - 700M EUR

Context

Bridgepoint has acquired a majority stake in eFront from Francisco Partners, a technology-focused private equity firm, in a secondary buy-out valued at €300 million. Bridgepoint emerged as the winner in a competitive auction process managed by Barclays Capital, outbidding several major private equity firms including Permira, Astorg, TPG Capital, and Silver Lake. This transaction follows eFront's successful private-to-public-to-private journey, having listed on Alternext Paris in 2006 before being taken private by Francisco Partners in 2011. The acquisition is supported by a significant debt package totaling approximately €110 million, provided by a syndicate including Babson Capital, ING, HSBC, and Bank of Ireland. The strategic rationale focuses on scaling eFront's vertically integrated software platform to meet the growing demand for transparency and sophisticated reporting in the global private equity and real estate sectors.

EFRONT, which reported an EBITDA margin of in 2014, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of , representing a to the average currently observed in the TMT (Tech, Media, Telecom) sector (14.6x).

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Target

Founded in 1999, eFront is a leading global provider of specialized software solutions for the financial services industry, with a primary focus on alternative investments and enterprise risk management. The company’s comprehensive product suite covers the entire investment lifecycle, including front-office tools (CRM, fundraising, pipeline monitoring), middle-office solutions (portfolio monitoring, investor portals), and back-office functions (fund administration and accounting). eFront serves over 700 institutional customers and 100,000 users across 40 countries, including major private equity firms, real estate investors, banks, and insurance companies. Its business model relies on high-value software subscriptions fueled by the increasing regulatory burden and the institutionalization of alternative asset classes.

Ent. Value

Equity Value

Multiples

EV / Revenue

EV / EBITDA

EV / EBIT

Historical Financials (EUR)

Year
Rev
EBITDA
EBIT
2014
2013

Other operations with EFRONT

List of similar M&A transactions (Date, Acquirer, Target, Country, Sub-sector)
DateAcquirerTargetCountrySector
05/2019BLACKROCKEFRONTFRANCEFinancial Services / Banking

REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 300M - 700M EUR

Revenue range: 50M - 100M EUR

EBITDA range: 10M - 30M EUR

Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of EFRONT by BRIDGEPOINT are reserved for mynth community members. Register for free to unlock full data.

Authors: This transaction was contributed by a verified mynth contributor and cross-checked against available transaction documents and official company communications.

Target: efront

Acquirer: bridgepoint