3 July 2023
The three companies, UGIP, Julia and Appli-Key, are joining the Santiane Group with the objective to pool their resources, unlock synergies and accelerate growth. The aim is to create a market leader, and to date the new group has more than 650,000 clients and a turnover of €100 million. The founders and managers of the three companies are joining an ambitious project and reinvesting significantly in the deal, alongside Latour Capital and the other investors in the Santiane Group.
Maurice Charpentier, who founded UGIP in 1974 and Appli-Key in 2017, will remain Chairman of UGIP, which will retain its brand and autonomy. He also becomes Chairman of Julia. Brice Le Houérou and Benjamin Dresner, who founded Julia in 2020, become deputy CEOs of the Santiane Group.
Pierre-Alain de Malleray, Chairman of the Santiane Group: “Along with all the teams at the Santiane Group, I am delighted to be partnering with UGIP, Julia and Appli-Key. We are joining forces with a team of first-rate entrepreneurs, Maurice Charpentier, who has created a recognised and robust distribution model, and Brice Le Houérou and Benjamin Dresner, who arrived more recently at UGIP with a stronger digital culture. The new entity will develop its strategic plan towards loan insurance, winning new business, improving the user experience in the contract management activity for both clients and partner brokers, and investing in human resources.”
Maurice Charpentier, Chairman of UGIP, Julia and Appli-Key: “Almost 50 years after UGIP was founded, I organised the management transition of my company, firstly by supporting the step up of Brice Le Houérou and Benjamin Dresner within UGIP, and then by finding the terms of an alliance with the Santiane Group. We share the same values of excellence and proximity. I am convinced that Santiane is the best partner for the future development of UGIP in the service of our brokers and clients.”
Brice Le Houérou and Benjamin Dresner, Deputy CEOs: “Having founded Julia and taken over the management of UGIP alongside Maurice Charpentier, we are enthusiastic about the idea of continuing to develop all these activities within the Santiane Group. With our new partner, we share similar values, ambition, and corporate culture.”
In the context of this transaction, Sycomore Corporate Finance acted as sole financial advisor to Santiane Group, its management team, and its shareholders. The transaction team comprised Pierre-Arnaud de Lacharrière, Marion Pouchain, Simon Crouzevialle, Adrien Starck and Thaddée Le Bret.