About Advancy
Advancy is an international leader in strategic and operational consulting, helping companies to improve their performance or transform themselves, and assisting investment actors in creating value for over 20 years. Since its founding in Paris in 1999, Advancy has achieved over 2,000 missions for international groups, investment funds, and ETIs.
Advancy announces its 3rd Owner-Buy-Out (OBO), driven by a +12% growth in 2022 and a strong international development
Consulting firm Advancy, with 230 consultants, 25 partners and 10 offices worldwide has just completed its 3rd OBO, following those of 2017 and 2021. The goal: share capital with young in-house talents around an international growth plan and clients among the world’s largest groups and funds. For over 20 years, Advancy has been developing a tailored and operational approach of strategic consulting called « driving strategy to results ». Advancy aims to double its size by 2028, by pursuing its international development and in the chemical, life science, pharma, construction, consumer goods and luxury industries.
A 3rd capital opening to promote Advancy’s best talents
Advancy is regenerating its shareholder structure for the third time, by bringing up the younger generation along with senior partners, without limiting to those who have reached the partner rank.
While the first two OBOs in 2017 and 2021 were backed solely by bank debt, Advancy has now mandated Vulcain, corporate finance advisor for a more sophisticated structure with the support of EMZ for quasi-equity funds for its third capital opening. The financing is supplemented by a senior debt syndicated by LCL.
“This third OBO, after those of 2017 and 2021, is a new opportunity to support the superb evolution of our best internal resources. We are delighted to welcome our deserving talents, for their competences, their excellent spirit and their dedication in our share program. We want them to feel at home within Advancy, fostering our growth together” stated Eric de Bettignies, co-founder and partner at Advancy.
For more than twenty years, Advancy has been recruiting profiles from top institutions worldwide, engineering (eg. Mines, X in France, MIT in the US) and business (HEC, Essec in France, Columbia in the US), allowing for a unique combination of science-based approaches and business acumen.
Ongoing development for Advancy ranked “Leading firm” in external growth for 7 years in a row, with $12 billion worth of accompanied transactions in 2022
In 2022, Advancy has grown +12% globally, confirming its hyper-growth of 2021 (+55%).
Today, 40% of Advancy’s cross sector missions are focused on due diligence, 35% on strategy and 25% on performance and turnaround, while also deploying new missions in decarbonisation, green chemistry, scientific and tech innovation, where Advancy is globally recognized for its expertise.
At an international level, performance improvement, support in deploying biotechnologies, restructuring in life science have been particularly requested missions in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2022.
“In 2023, M&A is expected to pick up again with mergers by business line. Our consultants analyse trends and work on the field with client’s teams to drive rapid yet durable transformations, some never imagined before. There are for instance, numerous projects related to green hydrogen, biotechnologies, life science components, and a very clear acceleration of investments in Europe. We have helped clients build their decarbonisation strategies, others to make strategic choices. We bring transformation, performance and turnaround with both a local and global approach” says Sébastien David, co-founder and partner at Advancy
Performance & turnaround: 25% of the activity
For “performance & restructuring” missions like the new strategic plans of Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs or Sephora, Advancy conducts strategic analysis and supports operational implementation (sales, operations, supply chain, innovation/R&D) with its clients’ teams to make projects succeed from within, sustainably.
“In 2022, unprecedented cyclical problems had to be dealt with by companies such as the energy crisis and inflation, which particularly affected the industry and retail sector, requiring new production strategies and sometimes a refocusing of activities. Paradoxically, globalization is retreating: production sites are moving closer to consumption areas to better control production autonomy and costs, including environmental costs. Retail is starting to return to local production, with locally-sourced fresh products replacing distant organic ones. Industry and chemistry must rethink their processes and decarbonize. The luxury sector is concerned about ensuring a flawless production from an ESG perspective, as are private equity investments,” explains Eric de Bettignies.
A strengthened international impact with 10 offices worldwide, New York office’s strong growth, and the opening of a new activity in Singapore
Advancy New York, founded in 2019 by Sylvestre Pires (PhD in particle physics, he started his career within Advancy Paris), has quadrupled its activity with exceptional operations for global groups and funds. In 2022, the office, which now counts more than 30 consultants, achieved a +40% growth in revenues and aims to reach 120 consultants by 2028.
In Frankfurt, the team of over ten consultants, led by Gunter Lipowsky, is expanding to serve the pharmaceutical, chemical, and life sciences industries. Finally, in January 2023, Advancy opened a new office in Singapore to complement its Shanghai activity and strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.
