Mubadala and Bpifrance to Acquire Minority Stake in
SOCOTEC to Support ‘Ambitions 2028’ Plan

SOCOTEC Group, the leading independent third-party provider of services for the sustainability of buildings and infrastructure, has achieved its 2024 business plan one year ahead of schedule. The company posted sales of €1.350 billion in 2023 (LTM), has a presence in 26 countries including 7 platforms in Europe and the USA, and has grown its employee count to 12,000. The Group is now embarking on a new strategic phase with its ‘Ambitions 2028’ plan, which aims to achieve sales of €2.4 billion by 2028, based on a 360° solution offering for the Building, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Industry sectors.

This ambition is underpinned by the company's entrepreneurial drive and by two megatrends which it is ideally positioned to capitalise on: the acceleration of infrastructure development and renovation, and the impact of the environmental and energy transition on the built environment. 

Building the future

Hervé Montjotin, CEO of the SOCOTEC Group, said: "We are delighted that Mubadala and Bpifrance are joining us alongside COBEPA, our majority shareholder since 2013, and CD&R who has supported us since 2019. The stability of our shareholder base, combined with this broadening, will strengthen our ability to drive the next strategic sequence and to continue consolidating our markets. Our ‘Ambitions 2028’ strategic plan places particular emphasis on strong growth in Europe and the United States. Building on our management momentum and the principle of value sharing, we have also invited more than 400 managers to invest in SOCOTEC's future by taking part in the new LBO."

Andres Rodenas de la Vega, Head of the France Investment Program at Mubadala, said: "Mubadala is delighted to be partnering with SOCOTEC’s management team and shareholders to support the company on its new phase of growth, with the objective of creating the global TICC leader in building, infrastructure and industry as well as a champion in the asset integrity space."

Paul-Philippe Bernier, Director and Member of the Large Cap Management Committee of Bpifrance, added: “We are impressed by the growth trajectory of SOCOTEC under the leadership of Hervé Montjotin and the ownership of COBEPA and CD&R. In recent years, the Group has continuously improved its growth and profitability profile, broadened its offer of services in France and internationally, and established sound competitive positions in the infrastructure sector. Bpifrance is very pleased to invest alongside SOCOTEC managers, Mubadala and the historical shareholders in this new chapter of development, which will be characterized by an increasing role for SOCOTEC in the environmental transition and in the consolidation of its markets.”

Jean-Marie Laurent Josi, CEO of COBEPA, the majority shareholder of SOCOTEC since 2013 said: “It is with great pride that we have been supporting SOCOTEC since 2013 in its impressive growth journey, establishing it as the undisputed leader in the TICC sector globally. With our reinvestment as majority shareholder alongside 2 / 3 CD&R and the addition of Bpifrance and Mubadala, we look forward to advancing the next phase of strategic developments leading into 2028.”

Christian Rochat, partner at Clayton Dubilier & Rice, the minority shareholder of SOCOTEC since 2019, adds: “We are very happy with the progress accomplished by SOCOTEC in recent years, building on its reputation as a trusted and long-term partner to businesses across Europe and the U.S. The company’s renewed ambition and the new investment from Bpifrance and Mubadala are testament to recent achievements and a significant vote of confidence in the company’s ambitions for the future.”