AXA PRIVATE EQUITY Internationalises its Capital Venture activities

AXA Private Equity continues its growth strategy and makes the United Kingdom and Asia its two priority markets for the internationalisation of its Capital Venture activities.

AXA Private Equity is extending its Venture activities abroad and recently recruited Ivan Bernard Brunel to launch these activities in London, and in Singapore in the autumn. Bernard-Brunel was previously responsible for European investments in the semi-conductor and telecommunication sectors with Crescendo in London. He also held several senior operational positions where he acquired a large international experience: Director of development and Mergers and Acquisitions at Lucent Technologies and Head of Operations at Alcatel CIT in Indonesia.

The Venture activities sector has also been reinforced in London by Pierre-Emmanuel Boulic who was previously based in Paris. Prior to joining AXA Private Equity in 2001, Pierre-Emmanuel Boulic worked at Crédit Lyonnais, initially in the  Management Department of Industrial Research (telecommunications and  systems sector) then at Credit Lyonnais Asset Management, as a Private Equity Investment Manager, where he assisted in the successful acquisition of around 15 share participations in innovative technological companies.

The investment strategy of the Venture team has remained the same since the creation of the first investment fund. It has always been to privilege diversification, both in terms of activity sectors (Information technology, Life sciences, Electronic sector) and in terms of the maturity profile of companies (from early stage to late stage).

The team is maintaining its level of investment activities whilst reinforcing selectivity. Moreover, it stays focused and active in the follow-up of those companies in which it has invested, particularly with a close support and accompaniment of their organic or external growth.

The opening of the Singapore office will thus, amongst other things, enable a greater support of innovative companies currently held in portfolio (which are mainly French) in their quest for further international extension and growth.