Bryan, Garnier & Co acts as Sole Financial Advisor to B2B data analytics and Real Estate information provider Explore on its sale to Activa Capital
Context
Founded in 1997, Explore is the leading provider of B2B data analytics and Commercial Real Estate information in France.
The company provides behavioural and descriptive data on companies’ strategic developments, ongoing and future construction projects, regional economic trends and transactions to help B2B services, retail and construction companies as well as real estate developers make the right investments and foster their growth.
Explore uses artificial intelligence and data-science to analyse and collect information which is further validated by team of industry experts. It has developed a state-of-the-art data intelligence SaaS platform including proprietary GIS and graph visualisation, and provides specific data APIs for seamless integration within companies’ CRM system.
With more than 1,300 customers and an uninterrupted growth track record, following inbound interest from strategics, Explore’s co-founders retained Bryan, Garnier & Co to consider the best strategic options for the company.
Transaction highlights
Bryan, Garnier & Co acted as the Sole Financial Advisor to Explore. The team worked together with Explore’s co-founders to prepare and run a competitive process including both PEs and strategics.
Explore’s co-founders chose Activa Capital as the right partner for the company. The equity partnership with Activa Capital will reinforce Explore’s ability to reach its growth ambitions, notably providing financial support and extended execution capabilities to further expand the business in France and internationally, organically and through targeted acquisitions.
The company announced simultaneously the acquisition of Gest’Innov, a successful Microsoft Gold partner which further enhances Explore’s relationship with Microsoft and reinforce its ability to provide data insight and integration within Microsoft environment.
This marks another landmark transaction for Bryan, Garnier & Co’s technology practice and demonstrates its expertise in data intelligence and the AEC sectors. Other transactions include the sale of Apak to Sopra Banking Solutions, sale of Dimelo to Ring Central, the acquisition of Maincare by Montagu, acquisition of Icod and Effisoft by Prima Solutions (backed by The Carlyle Group).
About Explore
Founded in 1997, Explore is the leading provider of B2B data analytics with a particular focus on Building & Commercial Real Estate (CRE) in France. The company collects, organizes and sells data on companies, markets, construction projects, properties, strategic events, public tenders and territories. With more than 1,300 clients, Explore adds value to data by proposing tailor-made solutions of data visualization, geomatics and data intelligence. The company is located in Nantes and led by its co-founders.
About Bryan, Garnier & Co
Bryan, Garnier & Co is a European, full service growth-focused independent investment banking partnership founded in 1996. The firm provides equity research, sales and trading, private and public capital raising as well as M&A services to growth companies and their investors. It focuses on key growth sectors of the economy including Technology, Healthcare, Consumer and Business Services. Bryan, Garnier & Co is a fully registered broker dealer authorized and regulated by the FCA in Europe and the FINRA in the U.S. Bryan, Garnier & Co is headquartered in London, with additional offices in Paris, Munich and New York. The firm is a member of the London Stock Exchange and Euronext.
Deal team
Thibaut De Smedt
Partner
T: +33 1 56 68 75 75
Charlie Pujo
Director
T: +33 1 70 36 57 43
Diane Perrin-Pelletier
Analyst
T: +33 1 56 68 75 11
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