FrenchFood Capital takes a significant step forward in its development to become a leading player in the financing of French food companies

• FrenchFood Capital welcomes Agro Invest and its team to create a new fund dedicated to SMEs, increasing the company’s assets under management to €400 million
• Sofiprotéol joins FrenchFood Capital as a minority shareholder to support the company’s growth and its ambition to promote the food transition

Paris, January 11, 2023

FrenchFood Capital, an investment management company specialising in equity financing for companies in the food sector, has taken another major step forward in its development by announcing a double transaction enabling it to change size to achieve its ambition of becoming one of the leading investors in French companies in the food sector.

FrenchFood Capital welcomes Sofiprotéol, an investment company dedicated to the agricultural and food sectors, as a reference minority shareholder. This strategic partnership is part of a shared long-term vision aimed at accelerating the development of FrenchFood Capital and supporting the transition to food throughout the value chain, from upstream agriculture to downstream. Jean-Philippe Puig, Executive Officer of Avril SCA and Chief Executive Officer of Sofiprotéol, will join the Supervisory Board of FrenchFood Capital on this occasion.

FrenchFood Capital is also welcoming Agro Invest and its team into the company, which now has €400 million in assets under management, and creating a new Small Cap fund, with a target size of €100 million, dedicated to SMEs in the agri-food sector.

As a complement to FrenchFood Positive Impact, its existing vehicle specialising in the Small Cap segment, this new fund will enable FrenchFood Capital to cover all the equity investment needs of companies in the sector, from SMEs to ETIs, by deploying investment tickets ranging from €3 million to €10 million. To date, 50% of the target size of this new fund has been secured, confirming the relevance of these themes to investors. Sofiprotéol, BPIFrance and Crédit Agricole, Agro Invest’s historic investors, have confirmed their participation in this round of financing.

Commenting on the announcement, Laurent Plantier and Paul Moutinho, Partners of FrenchFood Capital, said: “We are delighted to be writing a new chapter in the history of FrenchFood Capital by welcoming Sofiprotéol as a significant shareholder. We are convinced that they will be solid partners to support us in the development of FrenchFood Capital over the coming years to meet all the needs of the sector.  Their expertise in the world of agriculture and its challenges will enable us to strengthen our impact on all stakeholders in the food value chain. We would also like to welcome the Agro Invest team, with whom we are proud to launch this new fund dedicated to small and medium enterprises.”

Participants:

• Violaine Grison,  Gaspard d’Auvigny, Thierry De Reals (juridique)