Artefact deal builds war chest to fund global expansion

Artefact, the French-owned AI and data-driven marketing agency which expanded in to the UK in 2018, has set its sights on being one of the world’s leading data services groups after sealing a major private investment deal.

The move sees investment house Ardian join forces with Cathay Capital to complete the purchase of 52% of the group and voting rights. Artefact’s management are also supporting the deal by reinvesting in the business.

The company will now withdraw from the Euronext Stock Exchange; where Artefact shares have been valued at €7.80 each.

Created from the merger of the start-up Artefact founded in Paris in 2015 and media agency NetBooster founded in 1998, the agency is headed by Vincent Luciani (pictured) and Guillaume de Roquemaurel. It now has a global network, with operations across in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa, and over 800 employees. The company’s clients include L’Oréal, Danone, Sanofi Orange, Samsung and Unilever.

Artefact opened its UK agency four years ago and has since been building its senior team, appointing OMD managing partner Sarah De Martin as MD, Whalr co-founder Ryo Katsuki as vice-president of data and Wavemaker analytics manager Robert Gray as head of analytics.

The company also counts Lufthansa, Hertz, Nissan, Selfridges, Habitat, The White Company and Wyndham Hotels among its UK clients.

Ardian’s expansion team, alongside Cathay Capital, will support Artefact’s management in a new phase of acceleration with the aim of becoming a global data services leader.

The new shareholders will support the group in its geographical expansion in Europe, Asia and the US thanks to their global network and the significant resources that will be provided to the Group.

Artefact will invest in a major recruitment drive with the aim of tripling its workforce by 2025, with already 500 new recruits planned for 2022. Finally, the group look to make a number of strategic acquisitions in the data services market.

Luciani said: “The alliance with Ardian definitely marks a major turning point in the history of Artefact. The delisting and the arrival of a shareholder like Ardian, a strategic and long-term oriented investor, allows us to deploy an ambitious growth and recruitment plan, anchored on the high added value of our talents.

Ardian expansion team managing director Marie Arnaud-Battandier added: “Our objective is to support this excellent management team in its ambition to become a world leader in data services. Our global network, expertise and significant resources will be available to Artefact and will help accelerate the group’s growth by strengthening its appeal to new talent by pursuing an ambitious market consolidation strategy.”