Paris, May 31, 2022 – NextStage AM announces, through its FPCI Champions III and Capital Entrepreneur, an investment in Infolegale, publisher of SaaS BtoB solutions and expert in the evaluation and securing of business relationships. As part of this operation, Infolegale acquires Covline, publisher of a complete client management software solution, and thus pursues its ambition to impose itself on the business relationship management and security market. This is NextStage AM's seventh investment made through its Champions program.
Pioneer in the BtoB risk management market
Founded in 2008 in Lyon by Frédéric Julien and Bertrand Laffay, Infolegale offers a software suite to assess, anticipate and thus control risks related to solvency, fraud, compliance and reputation, in the context of relationships that companies have with their own third parties: customers, suppliers and partners.
Infolegale collects, processes and interprets legal, financial, capital and reputational data from public and private sources. It produces exclusive data and organizes the collection of personalized collaborative information through its SmartData program. It relies on its own AI algorithms and tools to offer its clients decision-making indicators, in the form of risk prediction scoring and alert solutions, in order to secure their day-to-day relationships.
The group has a diversified portfolio of more than 1 corporate clients, including major players in financial services, out-of-home consumption, the pharmaceutical industry and energy.
Focus on innovation to secure risks and optimize business performance
For 14 years, Infolegale has been referencing the exhaustiveness of French economic entities and more than 380 million entities internationally via an innovative platform of solutions that revolves around 3 key axes: the identification of third parties and the improvement marketing and commercial performance, measurement of solvency and anticipation of unpaid bills and defaults, and finally assessment of regulatory compliance of business relationships (Sapin 2 and KYC).
With an average annual growth of over 15%, the group has more than 80 users, a customer satisfaction rate of 000% and an attrition rate of less than 98%.
Accelerate the development of Infolegale and expand the group's activities
This financing round of more than €13 million is part of a new stage in the development of Infolegale.
The group thus completed the acquisition of Covline, publisher of digital solutions for the management of receivables, in particular with its cash security and collection software: ELOFICASH. Covline, founded in 2012 in Strasbourg by Alain Leonhard, now has 16 employees. This strategic operation, due to the complementarity of the solutions, the commercial synergies and the data generated, also allows the group to extend its activities on the value chain of receivables management.
Infolegale thus intends to become a global player in BtoB risk management for companies and also wishes to continue developing its offers for fraud risk assessment, extra-financial and CSR rating and risks related to cybersecurity.
“Infolegale is fully aware of the opportunities offered by the receivables management market. Since our creation, we have been able to hold our own in an increasingly digital and risk-bearing environment, which has prompted us to innovate more to meet the needs of our customers. We are delighted to be supported by NextStage AM, who will be able to guide us on the issues of security and intelligent data management for businesses”, declares Frédéric Julien, President and co-founder of Infolegale.
“The arrival of NextStage AM alongside us marks a new stage in the acceleration of our development and the consolidation of our strategy. It allows us to acquire Covline, which is structuring for the group, and to strengthen our leading position in the customer risk management market. The combination of BtoB information provision and risk assessment solutions with receivables management solutions is a highly differentiating first in our market. We are therefore convinced that the support of NextStage AM, thanks to its experience in supporting SaaS and data companies, will allow us to accelerate the development of our group”, says Bertrand Laffay, Managing Director co-founder of Infolegale.
“This merger makes it possible to build a unique offer on the market. A credit management “Waze” with a strong user community and quality data. This new high value-added offer for securing cash comes at just the right time in an increasingly uncertain market. Our two companies share common values such as our RNE/CSR commitments which give even more meaning to the solutions offered”, says Alain Leonhard, founder of Covline.
“Infolegale places innovation at the heart of its business. Its ability to differentiate itself through an offer of agile solutions makes us proud to participate in this new stage of its development. Infolegale has succeeded in building a unique platform at the service of thousands of companies wishing to accelerate their digital transformation and improve their performance, while controlling the risks in their daily relations with their customers, suppliers and partners”, adds Julien Potier, partner at NextStage AM.
Actors of the operation
- NextStage AM: Julien Potier (Partner), Léa Boux (Analyst)
- Entrepreneurs: Frédéric Julien, Bertrand Laffay
Investor advice :
- Counsel: Viajuris (Yan Freyria-Courtois, Antoine Riom)
- Financial DD: BMA (Guilhem de Montmarin, Emmanuel Conjard)
- Legal, fiscal and social SD: Viajuris (Yan Freyria-Courtois, Antoine Riom)
- SD ESG: Pink Strategy (France Jonathan)
- Technical DD: Peers & Peers (Quentin Decock)
Bank debt : BNP Paribas (Jessica Brisard, Gregory Bruel)
Advice from Infolegal :
- Counsel: Jakubowicz & Associates (Thomas Dodin)
Advice from Covline :
- Investment bank: Adviso Partners (Luc Vernhet, Gaspard de Sevin, Benoît Rougeot)
- Counsel: KPMG (Gilles Kolifrath)
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 Infolegale:
Infolegale is a publisher of SaaS solutions, founded in 2008 in Lyon, and specialized in commercial and financial information for companies. It offers a subscription-based platform for BtoB customers in the form of a suite of solutions to assess, anticipate and therefore control the risks of solvency, fraud, compliance, reputation within the framework the business relationship they have with their own customers, suppliers and partners.
For 14 years, Infolegale has been able to stand out in its market thanks to its ability to aggregate and produce a large volume of data, analyze it with proprietary artificial intelligence tools, and bring out failure risk prediction scoring. , Fraud, and Compliance.
After a first fundraising at the start of the project in 2008, the group has developed in self-financing, and its leaders now wish to accelerate its development.
About Covline:
Founded in 2012 and based in Strasbourg, Covline is a company specializing in the publishing and marketing of digital solutions for the complete management of receivables. The company has developed a proprietary cash management solution: "Eloficash", which integrates perfectly into its customers' Information System (IS), and allows real-time use and processing of customer data.
The solution is oriented towards the optimization of the receivables position thanks to solutions relating to aspects of WCR management (automation of payment requests and reminders), securing cash (invoicing, collection, etc.) and the reduction of customer risk (digitization, dispute resolution, etc.).
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
Infolegal : Billy Cannou – billy.cannou@infolegale.fr - 06 27 94 98 14
