CM CIC Investissement

What CM CIC Investissement does

CM CIC Investissement is the private equity and long-term equity financing arm of the Crédit Mutuel-CIC banking group, operating commercially as Crédit Mutuel Equity. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Lille, France, the firm invests its own balance-sheet capital ("fonds propres") over multi-year horizons into French and international small and mid-cap enterprises, targeting business leaders pursuing transformation across business model, capital structure, or international expansion. It currently oversees more than 350 portfolio participations spanning industrial manufacturing (Nexteam, TRA-C industrie, Acoleva), consumer goods (Hamelin, Tariquet, Polenghi Food), food-tech and healthcare (Standing Ovation, Arbutus Medical), distribution (Onelec), services (JCD Groupe, Inelys, Hardis), telecom infrastructure (Circet), travel (Voyageurs du Monde), and sports equipment (ABEO).

The firm differentiates through a community of 350+ business leaders who share convictions and questions within an entrepreneur network, alongside a long-duration investment thesis that aligns with the growth cycles of industrial companies rather than typical fund-vintage horizons. Its core technology is administrative and deal-management infrastructure rather than proprietary software; the business model centers on proprietary equity deployment, portfolio company oversight, and exits, with no pricing publicly disclosed and no recurring product or SaaS revenue line.

Distribution relies on direct relationship-building led by the firm and its parent group's banking network, supplemented by a website, content marketing around portfolio transformations, and a LinkedIn presence. The firm has executed multiple acquisitions and capital openings per year, with notable deals including Groupe Circet (June 2015), Groupe Compte.R (September 2015), La Croissanterie (December 2016), FDG Group (February 2017), Hardis Group (February 2019), and 2026 transactions in Onelec (May), TRA-C industrie (April), and Hamelin (April). Julien Coulon serves as CEO.

Name

CM CIC Investissement

Legal name

Crédit Mutuel Equity

Website

https://cmcic-investissement.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CM CIC Investissement is the proprietary long-term equity financing arm of France's Crédit Mutuel-CIC banking group, investing its own capital in 350+ French and international SME and mid-cap companies across industrial, consumer, distribution, and services sectors, while running a network of 350+ business leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity

NAICS

Other Financial Investment Activities (5239), Miscellaneous Financial Investment Activities (523999), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)

Keywords

• Private equity
• Equity investment
• Capital transformation
• Business transformation
• Equity financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CM CIC Investissement provides long-term equity investment from its own capital into French and international small and mid-cap companies (PME/ETI). Beyond capital injection, the firm supports portfolio companies across business model transformation, capital structure transformation, and international expansion, and provides access to a community of more than 350 business leaders for peer-to-peer learning and experience sharing.

Product overview

Crédit Mutuel Equity operates as a unified private equity platform offering equity investment and long-term capital support to business leaders. The core offering combines direct equity investment services with business transformation support (covering business model evolution, capital structure changes, and international expansion), all underpinned by access to a community network of over 350 executives. The portfolio encompasses approximately 350 company participations across France and internationally, including manufacturing (Nexteam, TRA-C industrie), distribution (Onelec, Polenghi Food), consumer goods (Hamelin, Tariquet), food tech (Standing Ovation), services (JCD Groupe, Inelys), healthcare (Arbutus Medical), travel (Voyageurs du Monde), and sports equipment (ABEO).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 350+ participations in France and internationally

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bpifrance: France's public investment bank, providing equity and quasi-equity financing to French SMEs and mid-caps. Directly comparable as a long-term, mission-driven equity provider to the same target segments as Crédit Mutuel Equity.
• LBO France: Independent French mid-market private equity firm. Comparable in French SME/mid-cap orientation, transaction size, and value-creation via operational transformation.
• Tikehau Capital: French alternative asset manager with significant private equity, private debt and real estate activities. Comparable as a French-headquartered multi-strategy alternative investment platform serving similar mid-market clients.
• Ardian: Paris-headquartered global private investment house with large mid-market buyout and growth funds. Comparable as a French-headquartered PE platform with diversified sector exposure and significant AUM.
• Eurazeo: Major French-listed private equity firm investing across mid- and large-cap French and European companies. Comparable in deal scale, French SME/mid-cap focus, and long-term transformation thesis.

Broad incumbents

• Société Générale Capital Partenaires: Equity investment subsidiary of Société Générale, providing growth capital and transmission financing to French SMEs. Comparable as a bank-affiliated corporate PE vehicle targeting the same French mid-market segment.
• Natixis Investment Managers: Affiliated with Groupe BPCE, the multi-affiliate platform includes private equity and direct investment capabilities. Comparable as a French banking-group-affiliated alternative investment platform.
• BNP Paribas Capital: Corporate PE/equity arm of a major French banking group. Comparable as a captive bank-affiliated equity investor deploying long-term capital in French SMEs.
• Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ): Large institutional long-term investor with significant direct private equity exposure. Comparable as a patient-capital, large-balance-sheet equity investor supporting long-horizon portfolio companies.

Regional players

• Mubadala Investment Company: Sovereign-backed long-term investor with significant direct PE exposure globally. Comparable as a long-duration, proprietary-capital equity investor pursuing strategic and financial returns across diversified sectors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creditmutuelequity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments23 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CM CIC Investissement