Paris, January 27, 2020 – Euralis Semences completed a €M 20 capital increase, subscribed to exclusively and equally by its historic minority shareholders, Unigrains and Sofiprotéol.
Subsidiary of the French cooperative group Euralis, Euralis Semences, one of the leading European seed companies, is positioned across the 3 pillars of the industry:
- research and development of new seed varieties,
- their production,
- their commercialization and market delivery.
With consolidated sales of €M 210, Euralis Semences employs 1 390 people and has 12 research stations and more than 500 000 plots. Given its European dimension and the wealth of its genetic expertise, Euralis Semences holds a leading position in corn, sunflower, rapeseed, sorghum and soybean seeds.
The strengthening of its capital will contribute to the construction of a seed production plan in Russia, as well as to the acceleration of its international development via the proposed fusion with Caussade Semences. This consolidation would significantly strengthen the position of the Group in Europe by offering a wider range of products and varieties recognized by farmers and distributors.
François-Xavier Masson, Investment Directeur with Unigrains, declared: “As a financial partner of Euralis Semences for more than 30 years, we are pleased to support the Group in this important new industrial project providing simplified access to the Russian market and presenting attractive growth opportunities.”
Luc Ozanne, Investment Director with Sofiprotéol, declared: “Seed expert for over 60 years, Euralis Semences stands apart for its capacity to innovate, its international development strategy and its marketing expertise focused on close proximity to distributors and farmers. We are delighted to participate in this new phase through which Euralis Semences is giving itself the means to create a major European seeds player, adding new tools and new skills in high-growth markets.”
Philippe Saux, CEO of Euralis, declared: “By our side since the creation of Euralis Semences, we are delighted to count, once again, on the strategic and financial support of Unigrains and Sofiprotéol in the context of this major, new industrial project. This investment will support the commercial development of Euralis Semences, which is already well established in Russia and will enable us to achieve our objective to increase from 500 000 doses sold in the country today to 1 million doses in 2025.”
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Actors involved in the transaction:
- Euralis Semences: Philippe Saux, Luc Lemaire, Jean-François Pic, Corine Lallier
- Unigrains: François-Xavier Masson, Aline Picaut, Natacha André
- Sofiprotéol: Luc Ozanne, Pauline Colrat, Anne-Sophie Dubourg
About Euralis Semences
Euralis Semences is the seeds division of the French cooperative group Euralis. Created 60 years ago, the company specializes in the research, production and marketing of corn, sunflower, rapeseed, sorghum and soybean seeds. Each year it invests 13% of its sales in research and manages over 20 000 hectares of seed production in Europe. Cultivated on nearly 4 million hectares each year, the genetic expertise of Euralis Semences has seen a strong growth dynamic with sales of €M 210. To be as close as possible to the market, Euralis Semences is present in Europe through 11 subsidiaries and has roughly 1 400 employees.
For more information: www.euralis-seeds.com
About Unigrains
For over 55 years, Unigrains has accompanied the development of agri-food and agro-industry companies providing tailor-made financial solutions in equity and quasi-equity, as well as contributing its recognized industry expertise. Unigrains manages roughly 1 billion euros and is a partner for nearly 120 companies, operating at various stages of their development, notably capital restructurings, strategic investments and acquisitions, and ensuring national and international growth.
For more information: www.unigrains.fr
About Sofiprotéol :
Set up in 1983 at the initiative of farmers, Sofiprotéol, the finance and development subsidiary of Avril, is committed to supporting companies in the world of agribusiness and the agrifood industry.
A sustainable partner, Sofiprotéol can offer long-term support for companies in the sector and, more generally, those involved in French agribusiness, notably in order to consolidate their equity capital in the context of development or investment operations designed to enhance their competitiveness. From credit to equity, the financial solutions proposed by Sofiprotéol are based on an industrial and entrepreneurial approach to supporting development and innovation at all levels in agribusiness and agrifood sectors.
For more information: www.sofiproteol.com