Advizeo (T/O €6.5 million – 65 employees) was born in 2015 from an intrapreneurship undertaking within the engineering group setec. “The strength of the company is to provide both high value-added consultancy and a practical energy performance management tool,” explained Jean-Baptiste Champeau, Principal for Crédit Mutuel Equity.
Reducing energy consumption by 40% by 2030
The software solution published by Advizeo can provide clear and precise real-time information to its clients regarding the energy consumption of all their real estate properties. The innovative company is combining the know-how of data scientists, data experts and energy managers – specialists in the field of energy efficiency for buildings. The goal is to detect abnormal behaviours (for instance, a light staying on all night, or the excessive consumption of an obsolete ventilation) and implement corrective actions for long-term energy savings.
A FAVORABLE REGULATION
The opening of the energy performance market is also buoyed by the “éco-énergie tertiaire” measure, which requires public and private entities in the services sector to reduce their energy consumption by 40% by 2030 for buildings over 1,000 sqm.
In this context, the €5 million raised by Advizeo will help in accelerating its commercial development to become an essential player on its market within two years. “An ambition already well on its way,” according to Jean-Baptiste Champeau. With a growth of 35 to 40% each year and already major private companies within its client base, Advizeo was chosen by the State – the biggest manager of real estate in France – to take care of the energy performance of its buildings.
DIVERSIFYING GOVERNANCE
To help Advizeo reach new heights, Crédit Mutuel Equity structured an operation where the company’s directors, as well as Bpifrance and setec, the historic shareholder, would hold a stake within the company. “As entrepreneur-leader, I was looking for new shareholders that would be more than simple backers and would be able to challenge me and guide me in my decisions,” explained Cyril Sailly, CEO and co-founder of Advizeo.
For this operation, the support provided by Crédit Mutuel Equity was of a hybrid type. “We combined the expertise of our teams in venture capital and capital development, and our knowledge of engineering and software,” said Guillaume Dhee, Principal for Crédit Mutuel Innovation.
Today, Cyril Sailly can rely on the complementary expertise of his various partners. “Crédit Mutuel Equity, in particular, provides our Board of Directors with a reputed knowledge in tech, as well as a great ability to think through our market approach and management methods,” he added.