Boulogne, 5 December 2017

The TF1 group chooses RAISE to manage its media for equity investments

RAISE and the TF1 group today announce the launch of RAISE M4E, a media for equity investment company dedicated to startups.

RAISE M4E will aim to accelerate the growth and raise the profile of the selected startups by mounting advertising campaigns on the TF1 group’s various media platforms and by offering tailored support through the unique RAISE ecosystem.

Media for equity is an alternative investment model that offers fledgling businesses visibility in exchange for an equity injection. This collaboration will see TV and digital media campaigns organised on TF1 group channels and digital media platforms in return for an equity stake of between €1m and €5m in the startup. In this way, the startups will be able to expand their businesses by accessing the power of the TF1 group’s advertising spaces on arm’s length terms.

The RAISE Ventures team, headed up by Pierre-Edouard Berion and Matthieu Dordolo, will be in charge of the new entity and will be joined by Angélique Elizé to help take the project forward.

The new entity is looking to make its first investment in the next few months and intends to make several investments a year.

Clara Gaymard and Gonzague de Blignières, Co-founders of RAISE: “Just a month after the launch of RAISE Ventures, we are very proud to have been chosen by the TF1 group. This new technique is a valuable addition to the venture capital industry and will be a major vector for accelerating the growth and raising the profile of businesses. We are delighted to be embarking on this new venture alongside TF1.”

Gilles Pelisson, Chairman & CEO of TF1: “I am delighted by this agreement with RAISE Ventures. It is a further illustration – alongside our investments in new businesses via our own “one inno” fund, and our incubation initiatives – of TF1’s commitment to engaging with startups. The media for equity model developed with RAISE is another innovative way to support the development and raise the profile of selected startups. By choosing RAISE to handle its media for equity investments, the TF1 group knows it can count on in-depth knowledge of the startups ecosystem and the ability to pick those businesses that can benefit most from strong TV advertising exposure.”

About the RAISE Ventures team

Pierre-Edouard Berion

Before setting up RAISE Ventures, Pierre-Edouard Berion was Investment Director at Idinvest Partners, where he completed around 15 investments in the digital sector in France and Europe, including Zenly, Azalead Software, Frichti, Dayuse and Famoco. Previously, Pierre-Edouard was involved in developing a number of startups. In particular, he spent two years in the Product and Business Development team at Palico, an online market-place for private equity players. Before that, he worked on a number of internet equity fund-raising projects at Global Equities Corporate Finance.

Matthieu Dordolo

Before setting up RAISE Ventures, Matthieu was a member of the team that founded RAISE in 2013 as part of the investment team. He was also involved in setting up the RAISE Endowment Fund. Previously, he worked in various roles in the digital industry, and was involved in creating a number of startups. He is the founder of ROCK8, a digital strategy consultancy and online media network provider. Matthieu began his career as an Evangelist at Microsoft, where he worked on various topics relating to the innovations of tomorrow. He has lectured in various colleges, including Université Paris-Dauphine.

Angélique Elizé

Before joining RAISE Ventures, Angélique was a Project Manager at 5M Ventures where she implemented and monitored media for equity campaigns. Angélique has also worked at Natixis Asset Management and is a graduate of NEOMA Business School.

About RAISE

Founded in 2013 by Clara Gaymard and Gonzague de Blignières, RAISE now has four complementary activities: RAISE Investissement, RAISE REIM, RAISE Ventures and the RAISE Endowment Fund.

• RAISE Investissement, a €390m development capital company that targets mid-sized businesses with high growth potential, in which it takes minority stakes of between €10m and €40m.
• RAISE REIM, a real estate fund management company recently licensed by the French financial markets authority.
• RAISE Ventures, an investment vehicle targeting innovative startups.
• The RAISE Endowment Fund, a philanthropic venture to support, fund and raise the profile of fledgling growth businesses, helping them build a sustainable future.

RAISE is based on a funding model that combines profitability with philanthropy: the investment team passes on 50% of its profit share to the Endowment Fund. This model, the first of its kind in France, is at the heart of a virtuous ecosystem bringing together large corporate shareholders, the mid-sized firms in which RAISE Investissement is itself a minority shareholder, and the fledgling growth businesses backed by the Endowment Fund.