Three divisions: Otium Investment and Otium Partners, enabling Otium to strengthen investment agility with strong alignment alongside entrepreneurs, and Otium Studio to support the creation of new project
€1.5 billion in assets under management as of April 2024 and an annual IRR of 25% since 2015
France’s leading private venture investor, over €190 million deployed in 2023 and a €300 million investment target for 2024
One ambition: to build a leading investment platform in France and Europe in key sectors, with €5 billion in net assets by 2030
Paris, France, June 11th, 2024 – Otium, a long-term investment holding company and the preferred partner for entrepreneurs, continues its reorganization to support its strong growth.
Founded in 2009 by French entrepreneur, Pierre-Edouard Stérin, the founder of Smartbox, Otium quickly achieved success by investing and supporting over 100 startups, including successful technology and consumer goods companies, such as The Fork, PayFit, Owkin and Polène. As of April 2024, Otium holds €1.5 billion in assets under management and has achieved an annual IRR of 25% since 2015.
Otium has historically been one of the most active players in the French innovation ecosystem. With €190 million invested across all its activities in 2023, Otium is the leading private investor in venture capital and aims to invest €300 million in 2024.
In 2022, the investment holding company initiated a diversification strategy and has since maintained a dynamic policy of providing financial and operational support to active companies in attractive and high-growth sectors, including technology, industrials, leisure, hospitality, real estate, and consumer goods.
Under the leadership of François Durvye, Chief Executive Officer of Otium since 2022, the investment teams have accelerated the development of Otium, which is now reorganized into three divisions, including a start-up incubator. This new structure aims to be more agile and provide tailored support to entrepreneurs, while ensuring alignment of interests.
In its next phase of growth, Otium aims to position itself as a leading investment platform in France and Europe in attractive and key industries, targeting €5 billion in net assets by 2030. Guided by a conviction that bold entrepreneurs are the drivers of progress and with mission to invest alongside these innovators to bring forth the leaders of tomorrow, Otium gives meaning to its projects by placing its founding values at the heart of all its actions: people first, free-thinking, ambition, and goodwill.
François Durvye, Chief Executive Officer of Otium, stated: “Our success is based on close and personalized collaboration with entrepreneurs because we know that success is built as a team. Determined to unlock their full value creation potential, we aim to develop the leaders of tomorrow in promising sectors. Beyond financial support, we bring our sectoral expertise and entrepreneurial experience to overcome challenges and seize opportunities. With the evolution of our structure, we will deepen our partnerships and strengthen our investment platform.”
Otium is a long-term investment holding company founded in 2009 by Pierre Edouard Sterin. With €1.5 billion in assets under management as of April 30, 2024, spread across more than 100 investments – including the Smartbox group and stakes in French unicorns PayFit and Owkin – Otium invests amounts ranging from a few hundred thousand euros to several tens of millions of euros. Companies are funded at every stage of their development, from seed funding to growth capital, and Otium take either majority or minority stakes with no holding period constraints. Otium pursues a diversification strategy by financing projects in tech, industrials, leisure, healthcare, hospitality and real estate. Otium invested €190 million in 2023.
As a community-engaged actor, Otium contributes to supporting the Fonds du Bien Commun, a philanthropic organization that partners with social and associative entrepreneurs working to build tomorrow’s society.
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