Axa Venture Partners, technological investment arm of the AXA group since 2016, becomes Atlantic Vantage Point (AVP) Following a Management Buyout. This strategic independence is accompanied by a name change and a clear ambition: respond to the chronic financing deficit of European scale-upsa segment historically dominated by American or sovereign funds.
A now independent transatlantic platform
The acquisition of activity by its leaders marks the culmination of a cycle of ten years of collaboration between AXA and AVP. The company retains close links with the group, in particular through the chairmanship of the board of directors provided by George Stansfield, Deputy Managing Director of AXA.
François Robinet, AVP managing partner, comments:
“Today marks an important step for AVP and our team, and opens up a new exciting chapter for our business. We are deeply grateful to AXA for its continuous and multifaceted support in the past ten years. »»
The new name, Atlantic Vantage Point, was chosen to underline the continuity while highlighting the transatlantic presence of the company, well anchored in Europe and North America. AVP retains its multi-back-back model, with more than 2.5 billion euros in management divided between Venture, Early Growth, Growth and Fund of Funds, and more than 120 cumulative investments in companies and funds.
EIF is entering the capital of the AVP Growth I growth fund
In parallel with this operation, AVP announces the entrance to the European Investment Fund (EIF) as anchor investor in its new growth fund, AVP Growth Ialongside Axa.
“We are also very happy and honored to have the EIF as an anchor investor as part of the European Tech Champions (ETCI) initiative, in order to support a sub-financed part of the growing technological market in Europe”, says François Robinet.
This fund, with 1.5 billion eurosis positioned as a European platform capable of competing with American growth funds. He has already carried out three operations, including Agicap And Odoo. AVP thus becomes The only transatlantic platform selected by EIF As part of the ETCI initiative, which targets technological funds of more than one billion euros.
A European initiative to strengthen technological autonomy
Launched in 2023, the initiative European Tech Champions Initiative The aim of supporting major funds capable of supporting European scales to maturity. She has engaged more than 2.2 billion euros In Nine growth fundsand aims for a total mobilization of 10 billion euros of public and private resources.
Marjut Falkstedt, Director General of EIF, underlines:
“We are delighted to be able to support the rise in power of AVP through the initiative andci, to guarantee funding for future European leaders who have understood how technology can create value. »»
This support is part of a strategic logic of technological sovereignty. By locally funding the growth of European champions, ETCI aims to avoid their redemption or relocation, while strengthening the integration of the continent’s financial markets.
A strong signal for the European Tech ecosystem
For George Stansfield:“We are also delighted that EIF joins us as an anchor investor in the new AVP growth fund. Combining such a prestigious investor will allow AVP to launch a single fund in Europe, dedicated to the financing of large technological companies in the growth phase, with the ambition to create a new European platform capable of capturing a market historically dominated by American funds. »»
The independence of AVP, combined with the institutional support of EIF, sends a strong signal: Europe intends to acquire tools capable of retaining its technological companies and accompanying them until their full maturity, without systematically depending on foreign capital. AVP could thus foreshadow a new generation of European funds, both competitive, integrated and sovereign.
