Paris, May 10, 2022 – NextStage AM announces the sixth investment of its Champions program, by joining forces with Guillaume Marien, founder of the Mathematic group, an actor specializing in the direction and production of special effects (VFX) and 3D animation for advertising, cinema , the music industry, and the video game industry. This operation, which raises a total of €15 million for the Mathematic group, was carried out by the FPCI NextStage Championnes III fund, in co-investment with the FPCI NextStage Capital Entrepreneur and the FCPR NextStage Rendement II.
In a context of rapid technological development – particularly around real-time rendering engines -, increased consumption of audiovisual content and openness to extended reality technologies with the emergence of the metaverse, the borders of entertainment are reduced between cinema, video games and music. In this context, VFX studios are taking an increasingly central place in the creation and development process.
Created in 2006, Mathematic is an independent VFX and 3D animation studio that has established itself as a reference on the French and international market.
With its hundred employees located in the main global hubs of the VFX market – through its historic presence in Paris, its office in Montreal, inaugurated in 2017, that of Los Angeles, opened in 2021, and with the establishment in progress in Montpellier -, the group achieves a turnover of around twenty million euros thanks to the realization of nearly 200 projects including 70 advertisements, 20 music videos, 5 feature films and 45 productions for the video game industry.
From the outset, the Mathematic group has been structured around a complementarity of artistic and technical skills recognized in the industry; and which have enabled it to acquire a strong reputation in its market with both French and international customers.
Having been able to expand its areas of expertise over the years, the group is now able to ensure the production of special effects, post-production, but also supervision, visual development or even complete artistic direction on some projects. It is in particular the mastery of this entire production value chain that ensures Mathematic the independence of its artistic creation, and allows it to support prestigious clients.
Mathematic's clients include leading international players such as Adobe, Discord, LVMH, Coca Cola, Mercedes, Ubisoft, Tencent, Behanvior, Riot Games, Epic, Netflix, Amazon, Wieden & Kennedy, 72 & Sunny, Pathé and Havas. . The group also regularly collaborates with artists such as Lil Nas X, Harry Style, Coldplay, Megan Thee Stallion and The Weeknd. He also participated in the production of the VFX of the French film King, produced by Pathé, from the series Parallel, produced by Disney+. Finally, Mathematic participated in the production of the film The 5 devils, which will be presented during the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at Cannes, and at the Portuguese auteur film Alma Viva, one of the 11 feature films screened from May 18 to 26 on the occasion of the 61nd edition of Critics' Week, parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival.
Mathematic's work has won numerous awards at the UKMVA, CLIO Awards, Ciclope Awards, D&AD, EPICA Awards, LIA, MTV Awards and Cannes Lions.
On the occasion of this operation, which includes a significant part of new money, the group – led by its founder Guillaume Marien, who also wished to associate his management team – will be able to extend its geographical footprint in France and internationally. NextStage AM's support will also enable it to accelerate its development by investing in human and financial resources to position itself at the forefront of market developments and its technological innovations, particularly around the structuring of a proprietary production.
A leading independent player with real recognition in its market, increasingly direct access to the end customer and an international development trajectory already initiated to support the structural changes in the industry, Mathematic is positioned at the heart of the investment strategy of NextStage AM, a specialist in supporting disruptive growth SMEs that export French know-how internationally.
“Mathematic has become a major player in the VFX market under the impetus of its founder Guillaume Marien and has significant development potential in the years to come. This operation will allow the group to structure itself and calmly support the challenges of expanding its brand internationally, recruiting and retaining its talents, and above all to continue to remain at the forefront of innovation. to meet the high demands of its customers”, explains Aloys de Fontaines, Partner at NextStage AM, in charge of this operation.
“I am delighted to welcome NextStage AM to the capital of Mathematic. We know that this partner will be able, thanks to its expertise in supporting and structuring fast-growing companies, and with an innovative technological base, to help us pursue and accelerate our growth in order to be able to seize the opportunities that arise. across all of our business sectors”, adds Guillaume Marien, President and Founder of Mathematic.
Actors of the operation:
NextStage AM: Aloys de Fontaines (Partner), Léa Boux (Analyst)
Entrepreneur : William Marien
NextStage AM tips:
- Counsel: Yards (Igor Doumenc, Julien Brouwer, Julia Faure)
- Financial SD: Mazars (Pierre Tchertoff, Constance Ghesquiere-Dierickx)
- Legal, fiscal and social DD: Yards (Julia Faure, Christine Hillig-Poudevigne, Agathe Meffre, Marion Peringuey, Dorothée Traverse, Jeanne Eve Lepinay)
Bank debt: Caisse d'Epargne Grand Est Europe (Emilie Ferre), Caisse d'Epargne Ile de France (Chloé Leborgne)
Mathematic tips:
- Investment bank: Lincoln International (François Carlot, Michel Bsarini)
- Counsel: La Tour International (Stéphane Azria, Paul-Albert Legrand, Anne-Claire Lapointe-Addoux)
About NextStage AM :
An independent management company based in Paris, approved by the AMF, NextStage AM, which has cultivated since the beginning in 2002, an "entrepreneur-investor" philosophy, is one of the pioneers and leaders of innovative and patient development capital in France. NextStage AM has developed, step by step, a multi-strategy Private Equity platform which represents in terms of assets at the end of December 2021, directly and indirectly, €6,7 billion in AUM. NextStage AM invests in a limited number of Mid-Size Companies (77 portfolio companies as of 31/12/2021), French and European, innovative and growing, to which it provides entrepreneurial expertise as an investor and strong operational support (integration of innovation, talents, international, external growth). NextStage AM provides long-term support to these Medium-Sized Companies (ETM). It gives them the means to accelerate their development and their capacity for innovation to become the “Champions” of their markets, both in France and internationally, through organic and/or external growth.
In December 2015, NextStage AM was awarded the Gold Award for the best player in development capital in Europe by Private Equity Awards, in 2017 NextStage Croissance won the special Jury Prize for Innovation Assets and in 2019 the Prize for writing, Private Equity category of the 2019 wealth management pyramids. With NextStage Champions III, dedicated to nuggets established in the territories, supplemented by the FPCI Capital Entrepreneur, reinvestment fund dedicated to entrepreneurs wishing to access the strategy developed for institutional investors, NextStage AM completes its development capital investment program and strengthens its capacity for intervention, particularly in the territories.
About Mathematics:
Specialized in computer graphics and visual effects for advertising andentertainment, Mathematic has, since its launch in 2006, constantly evolved its processes as a visual effects specialist with a focus on art direction, design and technical development. Established in France, Canada and the USA, Mathematic has recently carried out projects with a strong creative and artistic component which have benefited from strong visibility, including the Lil Nas X music video, the Adobe "Fantastic Voyage" commercial, the movie "King" or the Coca Cola "Real Magic" commercial. The studio is thus recognized for the quality of its achievements, and receives each year between 5 and 20 awards such as the Clio awards, the MTV awards, the MVA awards, the Grammy's, etc.
https://www.mathematic.tv/
https://mathematicfilm.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mathematic.tv/
Press contacts:
NextStage AM: Jonathan Boudin - jbo@nextstage.com - 01 44 29 99 04
Shan : Lola Gozlan – lola.gozlan@shan.fr – 06 24 76 83 40 / Claire Hilbert – claire.hilbert@shan.fr - 06 15 80 91 30
Find the full Press Release in pdf format: https://nextstage-am.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CP-NextStage-AM-Mathematic-Studio.pdf