21 Invest, new shareholders for the investee ProductLife Group

21 Invest, the European investment group founded by Alessandro Benetton, sells 75% of ProductLife Group in a deal that sees it reinvest in the company, which is valued at €500m. In the deal, 21 Invest decided to reinvest and Plg's new ownership structure now includes: 21 Invest France partnering at 45% (through the VI fund for €30m and a Continuation Fund for €220m with investors such as Eurazeo, Hayfin, Vintange Strategies at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Ca Indosuez Wealth Management and Arcano); Oakley Capital at 45%; and management at 10%.

Plg, a French company founded in 1993 that offers solutions for pharmaceutical companies, was acquired by 21 Invest France in 2019 and in the last five years has seen turnover grow from €25m to €167m in 2023, the number of employeesfrom 240 to 1,500. Organic growth has been accompanied by an international growth strategy through targeted acquisitions in nine countries. These include the acquisition of three Italian life sciences companies in 2023: Pharma D&S Group, Intexo and LifeBee.

"PLG represents another success story in 21 Invest's portfolio, reflecting the European skills and values of our team. This transaction demonstrates our commitment to growing the companies we invest in, finding innovative and far-reaching solutions to continue supporting their growth path. The partnership that we have established in 2019 is not only based on a long-term horizon, but now extends to other major international investors. We have been present and investing in the French market for more than 25 years and I am proud of the results achieved by the French team of 21 Invest," commented Alessandro Benetton, chairman and founder of 21 Invest.

21 Invest France has sold the majority stake (75%) it held in PLG to the new entity composed of 21 Invest France and Oakley Capital, while reinvesting both a countervalue of €220m through the Continuation Fund, a single asset vehicle managed by 21 Invest and created specifically for PLG; and €30m through Fund VI. The management team, led by CEO Xavier Duburcq, will invest in the company together with Oakley Capital and 21 Invest France.

21 Invest is a European group founded and led by Alessandro Benetton, which invests in midmarket companies in Italy, France and Poland providing strategic guidance to accelerate their growth and improve their efficiency. In 30 years, 21 Invest has completed over 100 investments.