Elon Musk’s aptitude for investing in high-tech startups is well known. Less known however is the same propensity on the part of Bernard Arnault. The Frenchman, co-founder, president and managing director of LVMH, and more has undermined the billionaire of Pretoria from the top spot as richest man in the world, but also has a rich (and lesser-known) portfolio of investments in innovative companies.
Since 2017, Groupe Arnault, his family office, has invested in innovation through the venture capital firm Aglaé. The company, according to his LinkedIn profile, is focused on operations from 100 thousand to 100 million in “asset-light businesses and fast-growing technology companies across all phases” and is interested in “marketplaces, Saas, content platforms and digital native brands”.
As reported by Sifted (Dealroom data), Aglaé took part in 65 rounds in total in 31 startmainly French, for a total of $3.4 billion invested. Among the operations, four involved as many unicorns: Back Market, Manomano, Ankorstore and Meero.
Refurbished and DIY electronic products
Rear marketvalue estimated at 5.7 billion, is a scaleup founded in Paris in 2014, which has developed a platform dedicated to refurbished electronic products. The company, which declares 6 million customers and activities in 16 countries (including Italy) and three continents, raised loans for a total of 884 million euros: 7 million in 2017 and 41 million in 2018 (also Aglaé in round), 110 million in 2020, 276 million in 2021 and 450 million in 2022. On the platform, the devices tested by sellers certified by ecommerce, directly or through customer reviews and opinions, who are asked for a opinion in terms of reliability.
Tricksestimated value 2.6 billion, is a French company, founded in Paris in 2013. Ecommerce platform for DIY, DIY and gardening products, it has been a unicorn since 2021. The company has raised 696 million euros since its establishment: 355 in 2021 (round in which Aglaé took part), 125 in 2020, 110 in 2019, 60 in 2017, 13 in 2016 and 2 in 2014. Exploded during the pandemic and active in France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom, the company declares 7 million customers and a b2b service, aimed at companies. In Europe, the DIY sector is worth 400 billion euros.
Anchor sizevalue estimated at 2 billion, is a scaleup founded in Paris in 2019 which has brought to the market a b2b platform dedicated to independent and local businesses. In fact, its system helps retailers (around 250,000) gain access to a catalog of European brands in seven product categories: beauty, food, home, children’s products, fashion, jewelery and stationery. The company, which raised funding totaling €417m, achieved unicorn status after a €283m funding round closed in 2022. In 2021, it closed a €100m capital increase. Aglaé participated in both operations.
A planetestimated at 1 billion, it is a scaleup founded in Paris in 2016. Its b2b platform connects photographers and companies that need images and manages the entire workflow, including post-production (through Artificial Intelligence algorithms). The company raised 296 million in financing, becoming a unicorn in 2019, with the closing of a round of 230 million, after 45 in 2018 and 19.2 in 2017 (all participated by Aglaé).
The social network of researchers and the solar energy startup
Aglaé has also invested in English Betfair, betting platform. In the two rounds (5 and 20 million in 2019 and 2021) of the Parisian fintech Mooncard, a company that deals with corporate credit cards used for payments and expense management products. In the seed round of the German startup ResearchGate, a social platform for researchers in which Bill Gates has also invested, and in the seed of Solairedirect, a French startup active in the solar energy sector.
Aglaé also took part in the 2020 round of 50 million of MusicWorldMedia, the French music editing application platform, and invested in the seed of Devialet, a Paris startup that deals with the development and sale of high quality speakers.
