Taranis

Lyon-based Taranis specialises in the B2B distribution of professional telephone, videoconferencing, security and wiring/networking hardware. It has reorganised its ownership structure and raised fresh equity to make the most of fast-moving markets and major technological developments. The transaction involved share sales by funds managed by Azulis Capital and partial disposals by individual investors, and allowed chairman and founder Patrick Martin to strengthen his control with the support of Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale subsidiary Crédit Mutuel Equity, which invested €3.3 million. Existing shareholder BNP Paribas Développement invested a further €1.9 million as part of the transaction. Taranis is based in Vaulx-en-Velin, employs 125 people and will generate €80 million of revenue in 2017.

With 7 locations in France, Taranis covers multiple regions and sells products to installers, resellers, contractors and major clients under a number of international brands. Taranis is a majority member of the Alliance.com national network, which it helped to set up. This consortium allows the company to centralise all its purchasing, achieve national coverage and offer a comprehensive, specific product range backed up by high-value-added customer support.

Since 1984, under the leadership of Patrick Martin, Taranis has grown through partnerships and strategic acquisitions. It is a leading player in its main markets. Its unique position as a sector specialist means that it can take full advantage of rapid developments in technology and the telecoms market, as well as hardware replacement requirements.

"The investment by Crédit Mutuel Equity's (formerly CM-CIC Investissement) gives us additional resources with which to address the increasingly virtual nature of telephony, which is prompting us to transform our business model," explained Patrick Martin, who is planning to make acquisitions. "The imminent end of RTC will force companies that have not yet done so (82% of small and medium-sized businesses in France) to upgrade their systems. In addition, the shift towards IP telephony means that we are positioned in the fast growing markets of IP and video servers at a time when cloud computing is becoming a credible way for companies to manage their information. These markets are likely to grow at an average rate of 20% per year. However, we also intend to bolster our positions in our traditional markets, where business levels remain very strong. Crédit Mutuel Equity is a long-term investor and will support us in this major phase of development."

"We are delighted to be working with Patrick Martin and his team of managers, with whom we have developed strong, trusted relationships, as we support them in the next stage of their growth. With its strong technical and commercial skills, large portfolio of leading brands and a client base consisting of more than 4,000 businesses, Taranis has everything it needs to take advantage of a fast-moving market that is being driven by technological change, and to seize acquisition opportunities," added Laurent Sallet, Principal at Crédit Mutuel Equity.

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