Desjardins Capital and Siparex join forces to put their private equity expertise to work helping companies grow on both sides of the Atlantic

Both companies already work with Quebec-based and European SMEs

QUÉBEC CITY, Oct. 26, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Desjardins Capital, the venture and development capital fund management arm of Desjardins Group, and Siparex, a French company specialised in growth capital and buyouts, announced a strategic partnership. This partnership will provide support for Quebec-based and European SMEs looking for trans-Atlantic business opportunities. Siparex and Desjardins Capital are already working with companies interested in international expansion and the two are a natural fit, given their 40-year track records of supporting SMEs.

"The European and Canadian markets are more attractive than ever," says Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins Group. "All the more so since the provisional implementation of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on September 21. Thanks to a key strategic alliance with Siparex, a natural partner for Desjardins, we'll be able to help business owners grow their businesses abroad."

Natural partners
"Business owners in Quebec have asked us to help them open the door to the European market. In response, Desjardins Capital and Siparex are pooling our direct and indirect financial strengths, our human resources and our expansive networks. The businesses in our portfolios will also have access to best governance practices, as well as insights into different cultures and the regulatory and fiscal frameworks where they want to grow internationally," says Luc Ménard, Chief Operating Officer of Desjardins Capital.

"Siparex is one of France's leading private equity groups," says Bertrand Rambaud, President of Siparex. "This partnership will pay off for companies on both sides of the Atlantic: It will give Quebec businesses the support they need to stake a claim in France and across Europe, while putting French businesses on solid ground in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada."

About Siparex
The 40-year-old Siparex Group is an independent French private equity specialist investing in SMEs and mid-caps. The group manages some 1.8 billion euros in multiple sectors: Midmarket (SMEs/mid-caps), Mezzanine, Small Caps (SMEs) and Innovation under the XAnge brand (growing technology SMEs). Siparex covers the entire domestic market from its offices in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Lille, Strasbourg, Besançon, Dijon and Toulouse. Its international offices include Madrid, Milan and Munich, and it has also developed partnership in Canada and North Africa (Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt). For more information: www.siparex.com.

About Desjardins Capital
Nearly 45 years strong, Desjardins Capital (previously Desjardins Business Capital regional et coopératif and Desjardins Venture Capital) has a mission to value, support and nurture the best of Quebec entrepreneurship. With assets under management of C$2 billion, Desjardins Capital helps contribute to the longevity of more than 430 companies and cooperatives in various sectors from across Quebec. In addition to helping to create and maintain more than 68,000 jobs, this subsidiary of Desjardins Group offers business owners access to a large business network while also serving as a source of complementary funding that supports business growth. Desjardins Capital manages Desjardins Capital PME and Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins (CRCD), a public company with more than 101,000 shareholders. For more information, visit Desjardins Capital.

SOURCE Mouvement Desjardins