Corporate Advisory
IEF2I
Case Study
Acquisition of IEF2I by MBO & CO
Mirabaud Advisors acted as advisors of MBO & Co on the acquisition of IEF2I, in a highly competitive process.
Deal Overview
Date: August 2021
Sector: Financial services
Type of transaction: M&A - Sell side advice
Deal Team: Stéphane Benouaich / Paul Krotoff
About IEF2I
- Established in 1998, IEF2I is a leading player within the Digital, IT and Business education market. The company is controlled by founder, Chantal Berdaa, and her family
- The group has a strong position in the apprenticeship market thanks to a network of more than 3,000 partner companies
- IEF2I offers 18 programs through 4 different schools including Digital School of Paris, Institut IF2I, IF2I Formation and Web Knowledge (e-learning platform)
- Created in 2002, MBO & Co is a private equity house specialising in capital investment in small and mid-cap companies valued between €20m - €100m
- MBO & Co has €580m of assets under management and has completed more than 100 transactions including build-up since its creation
- MBO & Co has recently diversified its activities in Spanish, Belgian and Swiss companies
Transaction overview
- The transaction purpose was to accelerate the organic growth of IEF2I and to support its buy-and-build M&A strategy
- Mirabaud Advisors was mandated by MBO & Co as buy-side M&A advisor
- Thanks to its deep relationships with the shareholders (both the founder and CEO, Chantal Berdaa, and minority PE shareholder Alliance Entreprendre), Mirabaud Advisors guided MBO & Co to stand out from other suitors and build up goodwill and trust with the controlling family
Though mandated from the second round of a competitive process, we managed to secure and strengthen MBO & Co’s unrivaled value proposition to IEF2I. MBO & Co is the ideal partner to further accelerate the growth of IF2I to become a major player in the field of education in France.
Mirabaud contribution and added value
- This deal highlights the ability of Mirabaud Advisors to efficiently advise its clients in a competitive process as well as its deep understanding of family-owned businesses
- Mirabaud Advisors has also shown its in depth knowledge of primary LBO situations, as well as its expertise in dealing with family-owned companies
Case study