Ardian (company)

Originally part of Axa Investment Managers, the investment arm of Axa, the company operated under the name AXA Private Equity until 2013, when the firm achieved independent status and was renamed to Ardian.{{Cite web |date=2013-09-30 |title=Ardian is new name for AXA private equity spinoff |url=https://www.pionline.com/article/20130930/ONLINE/130939988/ardian-is-new-name-for-axa-private-equity-spinoff |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Pensions & Investments |language=en}}

In 1996, Claude Bébéar, founder and former Axa CEO, tasked Dominique Senequier with the creation of a private equity entity at Axa. Based in Paris, Axa Private Equity started off with ten clients and €100 million worth of assets.{{cite news | url=http://www.lesechos.fr/15/10/2010/LesEchos/20785-621-ECH_dominique-senequier-le-private-equity-a-la-francaise.htm | newspaper=Les Echos | title=Dominique Senequier Le private équity à la française | language=fr | date=15 October 2010}} The first investment took place in 1998 in the GSI Banque company Linedata.{{cite web | url=http://www.linedata.com/about-us/our-history/ | publisher=Linedata | title=Our history | access-date=9 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012065821/http://www.linedata.com/about-us/our-history/ | archive-date=12 October 2014 | url-status=dead }}

In 1999, the company opened offices in London and New York. That same year, it launched its funds of funds investment strategy.{{Cite web|title = Axa Private Equity funds-of-funds raise $8B - The Deal Pipeline|url = http://www.thedeal.com/content/private-equity/axa-private-equity-fund-of-funds-raise-8b.php|website = www.thedeal.com|accessdate = 2015-12-04|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151212173604/http://www.thedeal.com/content/private-equity/axa-private-equity-fund-of-funds-raise-8b.php|archive-date = 12 December 2015|url-status = dead}}

In 2001, it entered the German market by opening an office in Frankfurt.{{cite web | url=http://www.ipe.com/axa-private-equity-opens-frankfurt-office/4499.fullarticle | publisher=IPE | title=Axa Private Equity opens Frankfurt office | date=4 October 2001}}

In 2005, it opened an office in Singapore and entered the Asian market.{{cite web | url=https://www.altassets.net/private-equity-news/axa-private-equity-plans-asian-expansion-office-opening-and-new-fund-of-funds.html | publisher=Alt Assets | title=Axa Private Equity plans Asian expansion; office opening and new fund of funds | date=26 May 2005}} The same year, it launched its Infrastructure investment strategy.

As a result of the 2007 financial crisis, the company postponed all new operations and instead focused on the management of its portfolio, in an effort to shield its companies from the effects of the crisis.

In 2008, Dominique Senequier insisted on distributing a higher percentage of the company's capital gains to the employees of the companies in Ardian's portfolio.{{cite news | url=http://www.penews.com/archive/BwAG/dominique_senequier/5/content/2451290456/ | publisher=Private Equity News | title=Industry bodies to debate profit-sharing disclosure | date=21 July 2008 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news | url=http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2008/05/29/vive-le-lbo-pour-tous-les-salaries-par-dominique-senequier_1051317_3232.html | newspaper=Le Monde| title=Vive le LBO pour tous les salariés ! | language=fr | first=Dominique | last=Senequier | date=29 May 2008}}

In 2009, Ardian acquired 100% of Kallista, a French company specialized in the production of renewable energies. Ardian then invested heavily in transports, energy, water supply and waste management. €2.5 billion were invested in infrastructure systems between 2005 and 2014.{{cite web | url=http://www.ijonline.com/Articles/91208 | publisher=IJ Global | title= Infra funds should adapt to offer co-investment, says Ardian | date=1 April 2014}}{{cite web |title=Risk, return, and cashflow characteristics of private equity investments in infrastructure |url=https://www.caia.org/sites/default/files/2risk_return_cashflow_characteristics_private_equity_investments_caia_aiar_q2_2012.pdf |publisher=CAIA}}

The same year it adopted the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) implemented by the UNPRI and published its CSR Charter.{{Cite news|url = http://www.unpri.org/viewer/?file=wp-content/uploads/Merged_Public_Transparency_Report_Ardian_2014.pdf|title = Merged Public Transparency Report Ardian 2014}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 2010, during the increased activity in the private equity secondary market, it acquired a US$1.9 billion private equity portfolio from Bank of America{{cite news | url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/bofa-sells-1-9-billion-in-assets-to-axa-p-e/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 | newspaper=New York Times | title=BofA Sells $1.9 Billion in Assets to Axa P.E. | date=22 April 2010}} and a US$900 million portfolio from Natixis.{{cite web | url=http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2010/04/27/private-equity-secondary-market-heats-up | publisher=Think Advisor | title=Private Equity Secondary Market Heats Up | date=27 April 2014}}

In 2012, the company opened an office in Beijing to invest in the Chinese market.{{cite web | url=http://www.privateequitywire.co.uk/2012/11/06/176027/axa-private-equity-opens-beijing-office | publisher=Private Equity Wire | title=Axa Private Equity opens Beijing office | date=6 November 2012}}

When Axa Private Equity was put up for sale in 2011, Senequier led a management buyout to acquire it from the parent company Axa. Axa retained a 23 percent stake, while Senequier, Gombault, Gaillard and the French luxury group Hermès all bought stakes of about 10 percent. The business was renamed Ardian, from the old world hardjan, meaning durability and strength.

In 2013, Axa Private Equity announced that it had completed its spin-off from the Axa Group and finished the renaiming of the firm to Ardian. Per the terms of the deal, Axa Group retained ownership of 23% of the firm, management and employees owned 46%, and the remaining 31% was held by French family offices and institutions. In 2013, 85% of employees were shareholders.{{cite web | url=https://www.altassets.net/private-equity-news/by-news-type/firm-news/axa-private-equity-becomes-ardian-after-spin-out.html | publisher=Alt Assets | title=Axa Private Equity becomes Ardian after spin-out | date=30 September 2013}} In 2013, Private Equity International ranked Ardian in the largest private equity firms by PE capital raised{{cite news | url=http://www.journaldunet.com/economie/finance/fonds-d-investissement-les-plus-importants.shtml | newspaper=Le Journal du Net | title=Les plus importants fonds d'investissement du monde | date=30 June 2014 | language=fr}} and named it Company of the Year 2013 in France.{{cite web | url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/uploadedFiles/Private_Equity_International/PEI/Non-Pagebuilder/Aliased/News_And_Analysis/2014/March/Magazine/PEI_123_AnnualReview_digi.pdf | title=Private Equity International Annual Review | date=2013 | page=64 | access-date=24 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006122820/https://www.privateequityinternational.com/uploadedFiles/Private_Equity_International/PEI/Non-Pagebuilder/Aliased/News_And_Analysis/2014/March/Magazine/PEI_123_AnnualReview_digi.pdf | archive-date=6 October 2014 | url-status=dead }}

In 2015, the firm opened an office in Madrid, Spain.{{Cite news|url = https://www.secondariesinvestor.com/ardian-opens-madrid-office/|title = Ardian Opens Madrid Office}} On 7 September 2015, it announced the launch of Ardian Real Estate, dedicated to investment in non-residential properties in Europe.{{Cite news|url = https://www.altassets.net/private-equity-news/by-news-type/people-news/ardian-launches-real-estate-activity-hires-bertrand-julien-laferriere.html|title = Ardiab Launches Real Estate Activity}} On 7 October 2015, it opened an office in San Francisco, USA,{{Cite web|title = Ardian opens San Francisco office – Private Equity International|url = https://www.privateequityinternational.com/news/north-america/2015-10-07/ardian-opens-san-francisco-office/|website = www.privateequityinternational.com|date = 7 October 2015|accessdate = 2015-12-04}} In 2016, Ardian celebrated the company's 20th anniversary with a major expansion plan, targeting North America for their next phase of growth. In the following three years, they launched North American Buyout and Infrastructure funds, expanded in Asia with offices in Tokyo and Seoul, and opened their first South American office in Santiago.{{cite web | url=https://www.ardian.com/our-story | title=Our Story }} In 2017, Ardian opened an office in Tokyo, Japan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.t2fifa.or.jp/meibo/nyukaisho20190401.html|title = 一般社団法人 第二種金融商品取引業協会|website=www.t2fifa.or.jp|language=ja}}

In 2020, Ardian bought PRGX. In 2020, founding investor Gombault left the company.{{cite web | url=https://www.ft.com/content/482933e2-43a4-4d02-9a4f-f8b42f372638 | title=Ardian: The European private equity powerhouse with a succession problem }} In 2022 Ardian bought Míla, Iceland’s largest telecom infrastructure company.{{cite web|title = Ardian to acquire Míla, Iceland's largest telecoms infrastructure company|url = https://www.ardian.com/press-releases/ardian-acquire-mila-icelands-largest-telecoms-infrastructure-company }}

In 2023 Ardian opened office in Abu Dhabi, UAE, giving it 16 country offices worldwide. In 2023, Ardian's 1050 staff were responsible for $150bn of assets, confirming its place among an elite global group of private investment houses. In November 2023, the company acquired a 15% stake in Heathrow Airport Holdings from Ferrovial.{{Cite news |last=Strydom |first=Martin |date=2023-11-29 |title=Ferrovial sells its 25% stake in Heathrow for £2.4bn |newspaper=The Times |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/ferrovial-sells-its-25-percent-stake-in-heathrow-for-24bn-xfg29587w |access-date=2023-11-29 |issn=0140-0460}} In March 2024, it was announced Ardian had completed the acquisition of Digital 9 Infrastructure's entire stake in the UK-based data centre platform, Verne Global in a deal worth up to £450 million.{{Cite web |last=Sebastian |date=2024-03-22 |title=Ardian acquires data centre platform Verne in £450m deal |url=https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/style-capital-acquires-majority-stake-in-sneaker-brand-autry/2024031174540 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Private Equity Insights |language=en-US}}

On 15 December 2024, it was reported that Ardian and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia have successfully acquired 22.6% and 15% respectively of stakes in Heathrow Airport for a combined US$4.12 billion from Ferrovial and some shareholders in FGP TopCo.{{Cite web |last=Muzoriwa |first=Kudakwashe |date=2024-12-15 |title=PIF, Ardian close acquisition of 37.6% stake in Heathrow |url=https://gulfbusiness.com/pif-ardian-acquire-37-6-stake-in-heathrow/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |language=en-US}}

The company operates on five business segments:{{Cite web|title = Ardian - Activity Report 2014|url = http://www.ardian-investment.com/catalogues/2014/en/index.htm|website = www.ardian-investment.com|accessdate = 2015-12-04}}

• Funds of funds, which manages approximately $69 billion of assets{{Cite web|url=https://www.ardian.com/house|title=The House|date=1 March 2023|website=Ardian|accessdate=14 June 2023}} focusing on primary, early secondary and secondary Funds of Funds.
• Direct funds, which manages approximately $28 billion.
• Infrastructure, which manages approximately $21 billion.
• Private debt, which manages approximately $10 billion.
• Real estate, launched September 2015, manages approximately $2 billion.

Ardian was founded and is managed by Dominique Senequier, who was one of the first seven women admitted to the French Ecole Polytechnique in France in 1972.{{cite news | url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6b56fcda-28db-11e3-8d19-00144feab7de.html#axzz3FkWbb7qe | newspaper=Financial Times | title=Axa's private equity powerhouse | date=29 September 2013}}

• $130 billion of assets (managed or advised){{cite web | url=http://www.ardian-investment.com/en/key-figures | publisher=Ardian | title=Key figures| date=March 2023 }}
• 150+ companies in the direct funds portfolio
• 1 330+ investors
• 850 employees (2022)
• 16 offices (Northern America, South America, Europe and Asia)
• $15 billion raised in 2021
• 85% of the employees are shareholders and hold, together, 52% of the company's capital

• Frulact

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-private-equity-ardian-idUSBRE99M06E20131023 Private equity firm Ardian seals $4.3 billion in secondary deals Reuters]
• [http://www.efinancialnews.com/story/2013-10-10/ardian-flexitallic-debt-fund Ardian's first 10 days Financial News]
• [http://www.pehub.com/2013/09/30/axa-private-equity-completes-spin-out-now-renamed-ardian/ Axa Private Equity completes spin-out, now renamed Ardian peHub]
• [http://www.efinancialnews.com/story/2013-10-03/private-equity-axa-mid-market-fundraising?ea9c8a2de0ee111045601ab04d673622 Axa spin-out Ardian raises €2.8 billion Financial News]

{{Axa}}

{{Largest private equity firms}}

{{Private equity and venture capital}}

Category:Financial services companies established in 1996

Category:French companies established in 1996

Category:Financial services companies of France

Category:Companies based in Paris