Accompanied by Amethis Europe Expansion, Groupe Office Automation Develops its Digital Division with the Acquisition of PG Software

Paris, January 07th , 2025

The acquisition of PG Software marks the first acquisition for Groupe Office Automation’s digital division since Amethis acquired a majority stake in the company in 2022.

Groupe Office Automation (“GOA” or the “Group”), led by Philippe Richoux and Benoit Bourgois, is a French leader in the professional distribution of office equipment and software for the SME and mid-cap markets. The Group offers a complete range of hardware from Canon, Kyocera, Lexmark, and Riso, as well as digitalization software solutions, including Eukles and Zeendoc. GOA has a strong presence in France and also distributes its solutions across Europe, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Group currently generates over €45 million in revenue.

Founded in 1998, PG Software (“PGS”) is a value-added software distributor, providing solutions and services in areas such as Active Directory management, IT service management (ITSM), IT asset management (ITAM), IT systems monitoring (ITOM), and IT security (SIEM/IAM). PGS enjoys a strategic partnership with ManageEngine, a software suite published by Zoho Corporation, and generates approximately €5 million in revenue.

This acquisition will enable GOA to reinforce its software offering, which currently comprises its subsidiary CBS Solutions, and to accelerate its growth profile.

According to Philippe Richoux, President of GOA: “ The acquisition of PGS strengthens GOA’s position as a leading technology provider for SMEs and mid-caps through its network of office equipment partners. We were impressed by PGS’s growth trajectory and its ability to meet clients’ demands within extremely short timeframes. We are delighted to welcome the team to GOA. ”

Romain Gauvrit and Nicolas Manardo, Partners at Amethis, added: ” After two years of significant human investments, GOA was ready to launch its buy-and-build strategy, in line with the development plan established when we acquired a stake in the company’s capital in 2022. PGS will bring commercial synergies to GOA, optimizing its offering, expanding its product portfolio to better meet client needs, and positioning the Group as a leading B2B player in office equipment and IT digital solutions for SMEs.”

List of participants:

Management : Philippe Richoux, Benoit Bourgois, Janne Vercauteren, Manuel Duhalde

Investors: Romain Gauvrit, Nicolas Manardo, Rebecca Denyer, Anne-Laure Saadoun

Buyer advisors: financial due diligence: BM&A (Laurent Peny, Guilhem de Montmarin, Pauline Bouvier); strategic due diligence: Néovian (Kévin Bailey); legal advisors: Bichot & Associés (Mathieu Odet, Axel Djemia); M&A advisor: Atout Capital (Mélanie Bonanno).

Sales advice: In Extenso (Yoann Melloul – Marylène Etienvre)

Financing: Caisse d’Epargne Ile de France (Laurent Suscosse, Kevin Macabrey, Diane Lantelme), Bred, LCL

About GOA

Founded in 2022, Office Automation Group has established itself as a leading distributor of office equipment, IT hardware and digitalisation software for VSEs and SMEs in Europe and Africa. Our commitment is to provide real added value for our reseller partners, by offering them innovative, high-performance solutions.

Our various companies, each experts in their own field, enable us to offer our network a range of products and services unrivalled on the market.

Building on our success, we continue to expand by investing in innovative companies, bringing new services of excellence to our partners. Our ongoing commitment to our teams, the environment and continuous improvement is at the heart of our strategy.

About Amethis

Founded by Luc Rigouzzo and Laurent Demey, and member of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity Partnership, Amethis is an impact-oriented private equity firm focusing on financial, environmental and social sustainability on the African and European continents. With assets under management of over €1 billion, Amethis has made more than 40 investments to date.

Amethis provides growth capital to promising mid-sized champions in a variety of sectors, offering growth support through its international network covering Europe and Africa as well as systematic improvement of their environmental and social impacts. With six offices in Paris, Abidjan, Casablanca, Nairobi, Cairo and Luxembourg, the Amethis team includes 50 experienced professionals with strong regional and sector expertise.

For more information: https://amethis.com/

About Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity 

Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity is an independent entity within Edmond de Rothschild with over 4 billion euros in assets. Driven by an entrepreneurial approach to finance, supported by strong convictions, Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity builds and designs unique investment strategies to provide a sustainable response to environmental and social challenges.

Founded in 1953, the Edmond de Rothschild Group has 158 billion euros in assets under management, 2,500 employees, and 29 offices worldwide.

For more information: www.edmond-de-rothschild.com