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The FSI participates in the record fund raising of Viadeo
Financing the innovative companies - 12 April 2012
The Strategic Investment Fund (FSI) participates with €10mn in the €24mn fund raising of the professional social network Viadeo, which is a historic operation on the European internet market.
The new investment, which is split between the FSI, existing institutional shareholders and an international pool of new investors (Jefferies, Allianz and Middle Eastern private funds), will enable Viadeo to expand its offering and pursue its strategy of growth in Europe and in key emerging markets.
Viadeo is a professional social network available in six languages, with 45 million members, and is the market leader in France and China. The network is growing exponentially at a rate of close on one million new members every month, three times the growth rate of just two years ago. Headquartered in Paris, Viadeo has offices and local teams in San Francisco, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Moscow, Beijing, New Delhi, Mexico and Dakar and employs 400 staff worldwide.
The FSI’s acquisition of an equity stake in Viadeo confirms its positioning as a major investor in the digital sector in France. With a portfolio of over €2.5bn invested in digital companies and equity investments in the Internet, cloud computing, software publishing, digital security and telecoms sectors, the FSI is providing French digital companies with the resources they need to grow.
