Investment led by Oakley Capital alongside 21 Invest in ProductLife Group
FR
Sycomore Corporate Finance acted as exclusive Financial Advisory to Oakley Capital in its investment alongside 21 Invest in ProductLife Group, a leading player in regulatory and compliance services to the global life sciences industry
Oakley Capital, a leading pan-European private equity investor, is investing through Oakley Capital Fund V in ProductLife Group, a European provider of outsourced development, regulatory and compliance services to the global life sciences industry
Rationale
PLG entered 21 Invest France’s portfolio in 2019 through a buyout from its founder. The group has been profoundly transformed ever since, starting with the recruitment of six new top managers, including Xavier Duburcq in 2020 as CEO. The company expanded rapidly, driven by double-digit organic growth turbocharged by 16 bolt-on acquisitions spanning 9 countries not only in Europe but also in the United States, India, or Australia. Over five years, the Group has broadened its areas of expertise, improved its global coverage, and optimized the competitiveness of its service offering, to reach sales of €167 million to date.
This transaction will allow ProductLife Group and its management, with support from the Oakley Capital and 21 Invest teams, to accelerate the company’s growth momentum. ProductLife Group aims to triple in size within a five-year horizon, reaching over €500m in sales. This ambitious goal will be achieved through a combination of organic growth, notably by accelerating investments into AI technology to drive technology enablement of the Group’s services and operations, and targeted acquisitions, on an international scale, in both existing and adjacent, synergetic verticals.
The partnership with Oakley Capital and 21 Invest will provide the necessary resources and expertise to drive this expansion, enhancing ProductLife Group’s capabilities and market reach while delivering greater value to its clients and stakeholders.
ProductLife Group’s mission is to support patient access to safe and effective healthcare solutions by delivering worldwide consulting and outsourcing services through the entire product life.
Combining local expertise with global reach spanning more than 150 countries, PLG is the Life Sciences Industries reference strategic partner for the development, market introduction and life cycle management of product portfolios, and the related business and digital transformation.
With a goal of continuously improving the value delivered to teams and clients, PLG is committed to long-term partnership, innovation, flexibility, and cost efficiency.
Oakley Capital is the partner of choice for entrepreneurs and management teams with the ambition to build successful, global businesses. With a diverse team of almost 200 professionals across five locations including London, Munich, Milan, and Madrid, Oakley Capital backs high-growth, mid-market companies across Europe. The fund has deep sector-expertise across Technology, Consumer, Education and Business Services, and a track-record of supporting businesses accelerate their growth with proven value creation strategies, including M&A, digitisation, talent management and internationalisation. Its unique origination capabilities help unearth attractive investment opportunities yielding consistently strong returns for all stakeholders. In 2023, Oakley raised a record €4.8 billion, including for Oakley Capital Fund V and Origin Fund II, bringing the total AuM to c.€11 billion.
Founded by Alessandro Benetton, the 21 Invest group has been an active and responsible shareholder alongside management teams for 32 years and has supported over 110 companies based in France, Italy and Poland through local funds. In France, the investment strategy focuses on companies combining growth and recurrence in 4 sectors: healthcare, technology/software, education and business services. 21 Invest supports the transformation of companies by providing its expertise in structuring and accelerating growth, particularly through market consolidation.