HLD Europe enters exclusive discussions with Ardian to acquire Photonis

Photonis is a hightech company with 80 years of experience in the design and manufacture of electro-optical components and high-precision sensors. Photonis is particularly well known for manufacturing image intensification tubes for night vision goggles and widely used by international armed forces across the globe. It is a world leader within this field, and the only European player. With a turnover of approximately 150 million euros for 2020 and a workforce of nearly 1,000 employees, Photonis is present in more than 50 countries and has production sites in France, the Netherlands and the United States. With the support of its new shareholder, Photonis will be able to continue its development and growth by continuing its pursuit of technological innovation. and development of new applications both organically and through acquisitions.

Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Photonis: “I am very happy to start a new stage of development for Photonis alongside our new shareholder. Together, we have the ambition to develop the company into a very high value-added technology provider. We will continue to innovate in order to offer high-end solutions tailored to our customers’ detection and imaging needs but also benefit from a faster access to new customers in the fields of Defense, Industrial Control and Life Sciences. For all the employees who have been working for several years for the renewal of Photonis, it is the culmination of a long process and a new impetus that allows us to live the Passion, the Entrepreneurial Will and the Team spirit, the Trust and the Respect that animate us! I would like to thank Ardian for their support during the past years, and for their support to the development of Photonis Technology. “

Philippe Poletti, CEO of Ardian France and Daniel Setton, Managing Director in the Buyout activity: “We are delighted to have been part of the growth journey and that through Ardian’s support, Photonis has put R&D and industrial excellence at the heart of its strategy, allowing the group to diversify while positioning itself at the forefront of innovation. Today, we are proud of the path we have taken and are certain that Photonis has all the assets to succeed in its new phase of development. We would like to thank Jérôme Cerisier and the team at Photonis for the partnership over the last ten years and wish them all the best.”

Jean-Bernard Lafonta, Founding Partner of HLD Europe and Jean-Hubert Vial, Partner:  “HLD is an investment group that supports the development of high-performing companies without time limitation on its investment horizon. We think that this specificity has been a key factor in the choice of the new shareholder of Photonis: it allows to realize the company’s development plan and keep investing in technology. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support the development project of Photonis led by Jérôme Cerisier and his team. With the entrepreneurial spirit that drives HLD, we are convinced that we will be able to achieve Photonis' ambitions.”