Amethis locks in nearly €150m for SME expansion strategy
Fund targets European mid-sized companies expanding into Africa.
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Amethis has reached the final close of its Amethis Europe Expansion Fund on target at nearly €150 million, including a dedicated co-investment envelope.
The fund – led by Nicolas Manardo and Romain Gauvrit – is designed to support European SMEs expanding their business in Africa, as well as in Europe and the Middle East.
Amethis has already deployed almost half of the fund across five investments. It targets majority and minority investments between €8 million and €20 million.
The fund’s completed investments are:
Groupe Office Automation (France) – wholesale distribution and value-added services for printing equipment, maintenance and software for SME clients;
HB Aesthetics (Spain) – development, production and distribution of dermo-cosmetics;
Capital Banking Solutions (France) – publisher of core banking software for private and retail banks worldwide;
Fidence (Luxembourg) – fiduciary and corporate services for institutional, corporate and family office clients;
EIF Expertise (France) – advisory on property and R&D tax.
Luc Rigouzzo and Laurent Demey, co-founders and managing partners at Amethis, said in a joint statement: “The final closing of Amethis Europe Expansion marks a significant milestone in Amethis’ journey. This strategy perfectly illustrates our ambition to build a strong bridge between our European DNA and our long-standing commitment to Africa and emerging markets. We are proud of the continued trust our investors have placed in us, and we have full confidence in Nicolas and Romain to ensure the success of this fund, drawing on their deep expertise and extensive experience in private equity markets.”
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The €150m close shows how specialized PE funds are taping into cross border expansion opportunities. With major players like Goldman Sachs pushing privte markets access to wealth clients, regional funds like Amethis can offer more focused strategies. The SME expansion angle is intresting especially for European firms needing local expertise in Africa.