CAPZA has co-arranged €555 million for one of the first European ESG unitranche to support the acquisition of the Questel Group by Eurazeo Capital, IK Investment Partners, Raise Investissement and the management team. This transaction will notably finance the external growth strategy of the intellectual property solutions provider.

This financing is one of the first European ESG unitranches. The mechanism consists of an annual review of the margin, based on the achievement of pre-defined ESG criteria. This innovation demonstrates Capza’ strong commitment to take concrete actions not only to generate economic value, but also to incorporate social and environmental sustainability.

Supporting Questel since 2014, CAPZA was a shareholder of the company until 2018, and has since been operating as a unitranche provider, financing the acquisition of the group by IK Investment Partners and a dozen external growth operations in Europe, the United States and Japan. Questel has thus tripled its revenues over the last two years.

Questel is a major intellectual property solutions provider that operates worldwide and employs 900 people in 30 countries, developing a comprehensive and integrated platform of software and services, addressing all Intellectual Property and Innovation management needs. The company works with close to 6,000 clients, including a number of large multinationals, offering end to-end collaborative patent and brand management solutions across the innovation and intellectual property cycle, from invention through to filing and renewal.

Questel’s enterprise value is €915 million. Eurazeo and IK have each invested an initial amount of around €175 million and together will hold a majority stake in the company.

With more than €750 million invested in the Tech through its various strategies, CAPZA completes with this transaction its 38th transaction in this sector.

« CAPZA has been a partner for Questel for more than 6 years now, bringing us its support first as a shareholder then as a lender and accompanying us at all the key moments of the Group » Charles Besson, CEO of Questel

« Questel has written an outstanding growth story over the last 6 years. We are very proud to continue accompanying the group and its management in their still ambitious growth plan » Jean-Marc Fiamma, Partner at CAPZA