Sofiprotéol, a subsidiary of Groupe Avril, and Tikehau IM announce a partnership to finance the agro-food and agro-industrial sector
Tikehau IM and Sofiprotéol have set up Sofiprotéol Dette Privée, a fund for lending to the real economy that is dedicated to the agro-industrial and agro-food sector.
Sofiprotéol and Tikehau IM have announced the launch of a private debt fund called “Sofiprotéol Dette Privée”. Managed by Tikehau IM, this fonds de prêt à l’économie (fund for lending to the real economy) will finance the development of agro-food and agro-industrial companies of all sizes through bullet loans or leveraged acquisition financing. This financing vehicle will be an addition to those already initiated by Sofiprotéol.
As part of the partnership, Tikehau IM will be able to call on Sofiprotéol’s extensive sector expertise. Financed initially by Sofiprotéol and Tikehau Capital alongside a group of first-tier institutional investors, the fund will have more than €100m at the first closing, with a target of €200m in commitments.
Mathieu Chabran, CEO and CIO of Tikehau Investment Management commented: “This partnership is in line with Tikehau Capital’s aim to participate in funding the real economy alongside a recognised industry leader. We are happy to partner with Sofiprotéol in supporting the financing of innovative and value-creating projects.”
Michel Boucly, deputy CEO of Sofiprotéol said: “The experience, flexibility and reactivity of Tikehau IM’s private debt team are decisive factors in the success of the Sofiprotéol Dette Privée fund and for making it a recognised tool for financing the agro-food sector which also complements Sofiprotéol’s existing means of financing the French farming industry.”
About Tikehau Capital: www.tikehaucapital.com
Tikehau Capital manages €8.6 billion for institutional and private investors in various asset classes (listed and private equity, credit, private debt, special situations and real estate), through its asset management subsidiary, Tikehau IM, its listed minority equity investment company, Salvepar, and its long term investment company, Tikehau Capital Partners. Majority-held by its managers alongside first-tier institutional partners, Tikehau Capital has more than 170 employees in offices in Paris, Brussels, London, Milan and Singapore.
About Sofiprotéol
Set up in 1983 at the initiative of farmers, Sofiprotéol, the finance and development subsidiary of Avril, is committed to supporting companies in the world of agribusiness and the agrifood industry.
A sustainable partner, Sofiprotéol can offer long-term support for companies in the sector and, more generally, those involved in French agribusiness, notably in order to consolidate their equity capital in the context of development or investment operations designed to enhance their competitiveness.
From credit to equity, the finance solutions proposed by Sofiprotéol are based on an industrial and entrepreneurial approach to supporting development and innovation at all levels in agribusiness and agrifood sectors: from agricultural production upstream (seeds, genetics, agricultural supplies, etc.) to downstream (industrial and agrifood sectors), without forgetting grain elevator operators and first-stage processors. www.sofiproteol.com
About the Avril Group
Set up in 1983 at the initiative of French farmers in order to assure the future of the vegetable oil and proteins sector, Avril has become a major industrial and financial group that is developing in France and internationally.
Present in sectors as diverse as human foods, animal feeds and expertise, renewable energies and chemistry, Avril owns a portfolio of strong brands that are leaders in their markets: Diester®, Sanders, Lesieur, Puget, Matines, Bunica, Taous…
In more than 30 years, the Group has changed in size but its purpose has remained the same: to create sustainable value in the vegetable oils and proteins sector while contributing to better foods for humans and preservation of the planet.
To fulfill its mission, Avril draws strength from its industrial activities organized around the vegetable oils and animal production sectors, as well as from its financial activity, which operates through the finance and development company Sofiprotéol.
In 2015, the Avril Group achieved turnover worth €6.1 billion. It counts 7,200 employees working in 21 countries. www.groupeavril.com | Twitter: @Avril
Press contacts
For Tikehau Capital
Julien SANSON – +33 (0)1 40 06 18 40 – jsanson@tikehaucapital.com
Grégoire Lucas – +33 1 53 70 74 70 – glucas@image7.fr
For Sofiprotéol
Tom DORON – +33 (0)1 78 14 80 09 | +33 (0)6 26 28 39 94 – tom.doron@groupeavril.com