At what enterprise value was QUESTEL GROUP acquired in 2018?

During the acquisition of QUESTEL GROUP by IK PARTNERS in 2018, the transaction's Enterprise Value is estimated to be in the range of 100M - 350M EUR.

What was the EV/EBITDA of QUESTEL GROUP when it was acquired by IK PARTNERS?

The estimated EV/EBITDA multiple for QUESTEL GROUP is in the range of 10x - 18x.

When was QUESTEL GROUP acquired by IK PARTNERS?

QUESTEL GROUP was acquired by IK PARTNERS in 2018.

What was the EBITDA of QUESTEL GROUP during the acquisition?

QUESTEL GROUP's EBITDA is estimated to be in the range of 5M - 25M EUR.

How is the data for the QUESTEL GROUP acquisition sourced and is it reliable?

Mynth data is contributed by a professional community of M&A and Private Equity experts. Each transaction, including the QUESTEL GROUP deal, is systematically cross-verified by our team using private deal documents and official sources. You can also find the official press release for this transaction here: https://ikpartners.com/company-news/questel-acquires-intellectual-property-services-company-concur-ip/

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Home Database TMT (Tech, Media, Telecom)QUESTEL GROUP

02/2018

QUESTEL GROUP acquired by IK PARTNERS

FRANCE Software / Industry-Specific Software EV 100M - 350M EUR

Context

IK Partners entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a significant stake in Questel, with a structured mechanism to become the majority shareholder over time. This transaction marks the exit of Capzanine as a shareholder (though it remains the unitranche debt provider) and the reinvestment of Raise alongside IK Partners and CEO Charles Besson. The strategic rationale for the deal is to fund and accelerate Questel's aggressive build-up strategy following a period of exceptional performance where EBITDA tripled to reach €18M. The partnership allows Questel to leverage IK's pan-European network to further its international expansion, particularly capitalizing on its dominant position in patent databases and high-value services for multinational corporations.

It is worth noting that the fund Raise took control of Questel Group through an LBO in 2015.

QUESTEL GROUP, which reported an EBITDA margin of in 2018, 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 (15.1x).

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Target

Founded in 1978, Questel is a leading global provider of intellectual property (IP) and innovation management solutions. The company’s business model is built on an integrated platform that combines sophisticated software with professional services to manage the entire IP life cycle—from the initial invention and filing to renewals and brand protection. Its value proposition centers on offering a collaborative ecosystem for large multinationals and research organizations, helping them streamline patent and brand management across 30 countries. Strategically, the firm focuses on aggressive international growth and technological integration, having significantly increased its operational scale through a concentrated buy-and-build strategy. With a workforce of 900 people and a client base of nearly 6,000, the organization acts as a critical infrastructure provider for global innovation and corporate legal departments.

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Other operations with QUESTEL GROUP

List of similar M&A transactions (Date, Acquirer, Target, Country, Sub-sector)
Date	Acquirer	Target	Country	Sector
10/2020	EURAZEO / IK PARTNERS / RAISE	QUESTEL GROUP	FRANCE	Industry-Specific Software
06/2015	RAISE	QUESTEL GROUP	FRANCE	Industry-Specific Software

REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 100M - 350M EUR

EBITDA range: 5M - 25M EUR

Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of QUESTEL GROUP by IK PARTNERS 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.

Press release: view release

Target: questel group

Acquirer: ik partners