Communiqués de presse

AXA Private Equity acquires a stake in Arkadin (04/07/2012 12:00)

Paris, July, 4^th, 2012. AXA Private Equity, the leading European diversified private equity firm, has agreed to acquire a 45% stake in Arkadin, a world leader in global collaboration services. The transaction, which sees AXA Private Equity working alongside Olivier de Puymorin, founder and CEO of the company, follows the exit by the historical investors, Apax Partners, Altamir Amboise, Innovation Capital and UFG-Siparex, which supported Arkadin during the first stage of its development. The deal is subject to anti-trust agreement and is scheduled to close by the end of July 2012.

Founded in France in 2001, Arkadin provides a complete range of remote collaboration solutions (audio, web and video conferencing services). After 10 years of significant growth, Arkadin is now a world leader in collaboration solutions, enabling more than 60 million people to connect in 2011. The company has 1,000 employees in 29 countries and generated turnover of €159 million in 2011. The cornerstone of Arkadin's success is the quality of its employees and more than 80 managers are shareholders.

Arkadin's development strategy has historically been based on organic growth and partnerships with leading telecom operators and global technology companies such as Microsoft and Cisco-Webex. In 2011, Arkadin executed a significant transaction in the US with the acquisition of ConferencePlus. This enabled the company to increase its range of services and to extend its presence in the region.

AXA Private Equity will use its extensive operational expertise and international network to help support Arkadin's ambitious growth strategy as it looks to strengthen its position in the major collaborative services markets of the US and Europe. The company will also accelerate its development in the faster-growing emerging markets of Asia and Latin America.

François Jerphagnon, Managing Director at AXA Private Equity, said: "The management team at Arkadin shares a common corporate culture with AXA Private Equity and we look forward to helping them take the business to the next level. The model set up by Olivier de Puymorin, based on strong values and shared by all Arkadin's employees is testament to the company's success in a rapidly expanding market.”

Olivier de Puymorin, founder and CEO of Arkadin, said: "The expertise of AXA Private Equity's teams, combined with the firm's international reach across Europe, the US and Asia, will be a major advantage as we look to continue our international development. This partnership will allow us to offer global solutions for collaboration services to our international customer base."

Eddie Misrahi, CEO of Apax Partners said: “A shareholder for the past 8 years, we have been a very active investor and our support has helped create a world leader in global collaboration services. We are proud to have contributed to this success alongside our co-investors and salute the outstanding work done by Olivier de Puymorin and his team.”

ABOUT AXA private equity

AXA Private Equity is a world leader in private equity, with assets of 28 billion dollars managed or advised in Europe, North America and Asia. The company offers its investors a wide choice of funds covering the full range of asset classes: Funds of Funds (primary, early secondary and secondary), direct funds including Infrastructure, Small and Mid Market Enterprise Capital, Innovation & Growth, Co-Investment and Private Debt.

With offices in Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Singapore, Milan, London, Zurich, Vienna and Luxembourg, AXA Private Equity is committed to supporting companies in their long term growth by providing access to its international network. AXA Private Equity sets great store by the regularity and quality of its reporting on the performance of its funds and the performance of the companies in its portfolio, as a service to its investors.

AXA Private Equity, Global Investments the European way

www.axaprivateequity.com

ABOUT ARKADIN

Founded in 2001, Arkadin is a leading Global Collaboration Service Provider offering a complete range of remote collaboration solutions from audio, web and video conferencing to Unified Communications. Arkadin enables all types and sizes of organizations to communicate and collaborate effectively using its user-friendly and cost-efficient solutions to increase business productivity. With a global network of 50 operating centres in 29 countries across six continents, Arkadin delivers its business solutions using a SaaS model so customers benefit from fast, scalable deployments with a high ROI. Arkadin provides added value to its 25,500 customers with dedicated, local support.

www.arkadin.com/fr

ABOUT APAX PARTNERS

Apax Partners is a Paris-based leading private equity firm in the French-speaking middle market. With 40 years of experience, Apax Partners provides long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. Funds managed and advised by Apax Partners exceed €2.5 billion. These Funds invest in fast-growing companies across six sectors of specialisation: Technology, Telecom, Media, Retail & Consumer, Healthcare, Business & Financial Services.

www.apax.fr

ABOUT INNOVATION CAPITAL

Founded in 1996, Innovation Capital (www.innovationcapital.fr) is an international venture capital firm based in Paris. With over 420 M€ currently under management, our focus is on venture investments at both the early and late stage, in two sectors: information technologies and life sciences. Our aim is to create value by providing talented entrepreneurs with the resources, experience, and network necessary to turn world-class technologies into great businesses.

ABOUT UFG-SIPAREX

UFG-SIPAREX is the La Française AM and Siparex Group's arm with more than €300 million dedicated to the private equity. The company mainly operates on capital development. UFG-SIPAREX prefers investing in growth companies, mature, both in areas of innovative and traditional businesses. With an offer of FCPI and FIP, UFG-SIPAREX provides its expertise built by its shareholders alongside institutional investors since 1977.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Purchasers:

AXA Private Equity: François Jerphagnon, Marie Arnaud-Battandier, Paul de la Morinière

Advisors to the purchasers:

Advisors: Oddo Corporate Finance (Franck Noat, Laurent Bonin)
Legal advisors: Latham & Watkins (Olivier Du Mottay, Bertrand Lévy)

Due diligence:

Legal, social: UGCC (Sophie Uettwiller, Jennifer Carrel, Charles-Emmanuel Prieur)
Fiscal: Arsène (Mirouna Verban, Brice Picard)
Financial accounting: PWC (Philip Dykstra, Romain Engrand)
Strategic, commercial: Roland Berger (Jean-Charles Ferreri, Jérôme Petit)

Arkadin:

Advisors: L'LIONE & Associés (Marc O'Neill, Julien Beaufreton)
Legal advisors to the company: Gatienne Brault & Associés (Gatienne Brault, Caroline Simic)

Sellers: