Safran launched new corporate 50 million euros venture capital firm to invest in innovative startups

PARIS, 6-5-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Safran has launched Safran Corporate Ventures, a new corporate venture capital (CVC) company that will invest in innovative startups. With initial investment capital of about 50 million euros for a period of three years, this new entity clearly reflects Safran’s corporate strategy based on innovation and transformation.

Supporting the growth of agile, innovative companies

Safran’s venture capital entity will help agile, innovative companies by funding their growth. It will initially focus on the European and North American markets, but will eventually provide global coverage.

Safran Corporate Ventures will focus its investments on companies in the following areas:

• Advanced materials.
• Robotics and new manufacturing processes.
• Networked sensors and data analysis.
• Energy production, distribution, transmission and storage systems for aircraft and other vehicles.
• Solutions and technologies for identification and authentication of people and connected objects.

These new technologies will address the challenges facing the aerospace, defense and security industries.

Minority stakes

Safran Corporate Ventures will take minority stakes in especially innovative technology startups, alongside other venture capital firms, including corporate units. It will promote the signature of commercial or development agreements between the companies in its portfolio and Safran’s own entities.

The new investment entity will be overseen by Jean-Pierre Cojan, Safran’s Executive Vice President, Strategy and Transformation, and directed by Grégoire Aladjidi, who has joined Safran to take this position, and Hélène de Cointet.

Grégoire Aladjidi named Head of Safran Corporate Ventures
Grégoire Aladjidi, 42, is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Before joining Safran in July 2014 to create Safran Corporate Ventures, he headed the Demeter 3 investment fund at Demeter Partners. Since 2001 he had been actively involved in more than 15 startups and innovative small businesses as an invester at Demeter Partners, TechFund and Galileo Partners. Previously, he was co-founder of TempoSoft, a software publishing startup that was acquired by Oracle. He is co-author of the book “Les Business Models de la Nouvelle Economie” (published by Dunod, 1999).Grégoire Aladjidi holds degrees from the Ecole Polytechnique (1993) and the Ecole des Mines de Paris (1995) engineering schools.

Hélène de Cointet named Co-head of Safran Corporate Ventures
Hélène de Cointet, 40, joined the Mergers & Acquisitions department of Safran in 2010, leading a number of acquisition, divestment and JV projects for Group companies. Previously, Hélène de Cointet was with KPMG Corporate Finance for nine years, in the corporate valuation and mergers & acquisitions departments, and with CIC Securities for four years, as financial analyst for the aerospace and electronics sectors. Hélène de Cointet holds a graduate management degree from Paris IX-Dauphine university (1997) and a degree from the financial analysts training center (2000).

CONTACT US

• Catherine MALEK

  +33 (0)1 40 60 80 28

  catherine.malek@safran.fr
• Caroline COUDERT

  +33 (0)1 40 60 82 20

  caroline.coudert@safran.fr