Portfolio
Financière Groupe Cair
| Investment type | Growth Capital |
|---|---|
| Region | France |
| Status | Former investment |
Nature of Business
Based near Lyon, France, Groupe CAIR specialises in medical devices for home and hospital care. The company manufactures and distributes it’s own products in the specialist area of medical disposables and sterilisation and also focuses on homecare nutrition, infusion and respiratory services. Its success is built upon its innovative culture and quality of service.
Investment Overview
Through close links with our key local intermediaries in Lyon, we were introduced to Georges Lopez and the CAIR management team and built a strong working relationship based on our extensive healthcare experience and recent investments in the MedTech and Services sub-sectors.
Having developed a relationship with the founder over several months, we demonstrated the value-add of 3i's international netwok. 3i was therefore well placed to partner with CAIR and back their innovative and growing business, investing €26m for a minority stake in July 2007.
We took an active role in supporting CAIR’s continuing development, supporting the medical disposables business through low-cost manufacturing in Tunisia, building the fast-growing homecare service business and finding ways to create new products to support diversification.
In addition, through our European network, we put forward a number of strategic acquisition opportunities which would allow for international growth, outside of France.
After two years of working closely together, we exited the business, with the founder of CAIR buying back 3i's stake; this was funded by the sale of the homecare subsidiary.
