IK Investment Partners acquires stake in B2S Group

IK Investment Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap I Fund has acquired a significant minority stake in B2S Group (“B2S” or “the Group”), a leading French player in the outsourcing of customer services management. IK Funds will invest alongside Maxime Didier, founder and majority shareholder of the Group. Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.

B2S Group offers an extensive portfolio of customer experience services, including consulting, telesales, customer services, debt collection and technical assistance, to a large client base. The Group is well positioned to achieve additional growth, already operating 13 contact centres in France, Morocco and Madagascar. In 2015, B2S Group generated revenue of €150 million. The Group employs approximately. 6,000 people.

“We look forward to partnering with IK to support the next stage of our growth. Already being a leading player in the French market, we want to expand our geographic footprint and further develop our service offering. With IK’s experience and financial resources, we will ensure our continued success in delivering innovative value-added services to our clients,” says Maxime Didier, CEO and founder of B2S Group.

“B2S has an efficient business model, a diversified client base, a strong management team and is perfectly in line with IK’s investment strategy. IK will support the Group in its expansion as we see potential for consolidation in the French and European markets,” says Pierre Gallix, Partner at IK. 

B2S Group represents IK Small Cap I Fund’s fifth investment, following svt Group (German provider of passive fire protection and damage control services), Auxiga (leader in France and Belgium in inventory pledge services), TCM Group (provider of high-end kitchens in the Nordics) and Touristry (leading provider of tourism-related services in the Nordics).

Parties involved:

IK Investment Partners– Pierre Gallix, Arnaud Bosc, Caroline Le Hen
Legal advisor: Willkie Farr & Gallagher – Eduardo Fernandez, Grégory de Saxcé, Gil Kiener
Financial advisor: Ernst & Young – Daniel Benquis, Emmanuel Picard, Erick Uzzan
Strategic advisor: LEK – Rémy Ossmann, Gianluigi Indino

B2S Group – Maxime Didier
Legal advisor: MBA (Jean-Philippe Jacob), VOLT Associés (Emmanuel Vergnaud, Aliénor Harel, Stéphane Letranchant, Lucille Pothet)
Financial advisor: Natixis Partners – Jean-Baptiste Marchand, Benjamin Giner

Financial VDD: Deloitte – Vincent Battle, Alberto Sillero
Strategy and market VDD: Ernst & Young – Etienne Coste

Senior Debt: Société Générale – Patrick Evin, Florence Juan

For further questions:

B2S Group
Maxime Didier, CEO
Phone: +33 1 41 21 1967
mdidier@b2s-group.com

IK Investment Partners
Pierre Gallix, Partner
Phone: +33 1 44 43 06 60

Mikaela Hedborg, Communications & ESG Manager
Phone: +44 77 87 573 566
mikaela.hedborg@ikinvest.com