AXA Private Equity closes its second small cap buyout fund at €353 million. Paris 9 July 2007

AXA Private Equity has closed AXA Expansion Fund II at €353 million, confirming its position as a leading European player in the small cap buyout market.

AXA Expansion Fund II focuses on medium-sized companies valued at less than €100m seeking a financial partner to boost growth.

This fund forms part of AXA Private Equity’s strategy to expand geographically in the small cap buyout market, bolstered by a strong European network that includes offices in Paris, Frankfurt and Milan, three of the most dynamic markets in the euro zone.

“With our team of 12 French, German and Italian small cap buyout professionals, AXA Private Equity has a particularly strong position allowing us to identify and seize the best investment opportunities in the euro zone,” said Dominique Gaillard, member of AXA Private Equity’s management board and Managing Director for Direct Funds.
The new fund has already committed over 14% of its total assets to the following four major transactions:

• Synerlab, a leading French designer of pharmaceutical products;
• Trecobat Group, one of France's leading builders of single-family houses;
• Flex Group, a German-based manufacturer of highly-engineered hand-held power tools;
• Welcome Real-time, an international developer of payment software.

About AXA Private Equity :

AXA Private Equity, a subsidiary of AXA Investment Managers, is one of the premier world investors in private equity. The company is active in all private equity activities including Buyout, Expansion Capital, Venture Capital, Co-Investment, Mezzanine, and primary, early secondary and secondary Funds of Funds.

AXA Private Equity manages over €11.3 billion while providing advisory services on behalf of leading European and international investors. Backed by offices in Paris, London, Frankfurt, Milan, New York and Singapore, AXA Private Equity is acknowledged for the expertise of its staff and their international reach while pursuing policies of transparency, performance and sustainable profitability on a daily basis.

Contact :

AXA Private Equity
Jérémie Delecourt
Tel: +33 1 44 45 60 73
jeremie.delecourt@axa-im.com