Each month, we review the latest M&A deals to gain a better understanding of sector dynamics. Here are those that caught our attention in May in Luxembourg and Belgium:
BIL Manage Invest, a specialist in Luxembourg fund structuring, acquired by Waystone
BIL Manage Invest, a subsidiary of Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL) specializing in the structuring of traditional and alternative investment vehicles – with a team of 26 people, 77 sub-funds and €6.9 billion in assets under management – comes under the control of Waystone, a global provider of services to the asset management industry. This acquisition strengthens Waystone’s presence in Luxembourg and extends its capabilities in the European market.
Luxembourg tokenization fintech Tokeny takes control of Apex Group
Tokeny, a Luxembourg-based company specializing in infrastructures for the tokenization of digital assets, has been acquired by Apex Group, a global financial services provider. With sales of €1.2 million in 2023, Tokeny claims over €32 billion in already tokenized assets. Apex joins Tokeny as a majority shareholder, with plans to increase its stake to 100% within three years. This transaction aims to accelerate the institutional adoption of tokenization within the financial industry.
Luxembourg start-up Kidola raises €1.3 million to digitalize day-care centers in Europe
Kidola, a Luxembourg-based start-up specializing in the digitalization of day-care centers, has raised €1.3 million fromExpon Capital to accelerate its development. The aim of the funding is to strengthen the company’s presence on the European market and enhance its digital solutions for the management of childcare facilities.
Candriam, a European player in asset management, opens up 33% of its capital to Belfius
Candriam, an asset manager with offices in Brussels, Paris, London and Luxembourg – where its headquarters are located – is opening up 33% of its capital to the Belgian bank Belfius, in a deal that values the company at around €1 billion. The stake was acquired from New York Life Investments, a shareholder in Candriam (formerly Dexia Asset Management) since 2013. With €155 billion in assets under management and more than 600 employees, Candriam intends, through this merger, to strengthen synergies between its expertise in institutional and sustainable management and Belfius’ private banking and wealth management offering.
Louyet Group, Belgian car dealership group, takes over Discar and expands its network in Wallonia
Louyet Group, a major player in automotive distribution in Belgium and Luxembourg, with 37 dealerships and over 1,000 employees, has acquired all the Discar Group’s car dealerships in Liège, Verviers, Eupen and Malmedy. The deal strengthens Discar’s network in Wallonia and expands its portfolio of brands, notably BMW and MINI, consolidating its position as one of Belgium’s leading automotive distributors.
Belgian space start-up Aerospacelab now valued at €500 million
Belgian B2B database specialist Infobel acquired by Datasharp and Strada Partners
Infobel, a company based in Uccle and active for almost 30 years, has been taken over by Datasharp, the structure of entrepreneurs Antoine Bruyns and Didier Baclin, with the support of Strada Partners, now the majority shareholder. Infobel references over 400 million companies in more than 200 countries, and generates annual sales in excess of €7 million. The new shareholders aim to accelerate Infobel’s international development and consolidate its position in data brokerage and mapping services.
#M&A #Mergers & Acquisitions #Market trends #Corporate strategy #Luxembourg #Belgium #France
Sources: Paperjam, L’Echo, S&P Capital IQ Pro
