Global private equity firm Advent International (Advent) is in exclusive negotiations with ICG for the sale of its stake in Circet, a European telecoms infrastructure services company.
As part of the potential deal, Circet’s founding team and managers will further increase their stakes in their company.
Circet provides its customers with turnkey solutions and tailored services across both fixed and mobile telecoms networks. Circet’s customers include major telecom operators and equipment manufacturers, local authorities, as well as public and private organisations operating their own infrastructure networks. Circet’s long-term growth potential is supported by the ever increasing consumption of data across Europe, the large-scale deployment of high-speed connections in fiber optic and mobile networks (4G and 5G), and additionally the recurring investments in fixed and mobile infrastructures.
Since Advent joined forces with Circet’s founding team and managers in early 2018, the company has grown significantly with revenues increasing threefold from EUR775 million in 2017 to EUR2.2 billion in 2021, and employee numbers growing from 3,000 to over 10,600 during the same period.
With the support of Advent, Circet has pursued an ambitious growth strategy both in France and internationally. Circet has entered seven new countries during the last three years: Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland and Morocco. This expansion has been supported by an organic and acquisitive growth strategy, with Circet successfully acquiring 10 companies with leading positions in their respective markets since 2018.
Michael Ogrinz, Partner and Head of France at Advent, comments: “We are proud to have helped Circet develop into not only a French champion but also the undisputed leader in telecom infrastructure services in Europe. This journey is emblematic of Advent’s DNA: supporting visionary management teams, which have strong ambitions to grow and transform their sectors.”
Hadrien de Bardies, Director at Advent International, adds: “These past years spent with the Circet team are an excellent example of a successful partnership between managers and active investors, each bringing their strengths and skills to a joint growth project.”
Philippe Lamazou, Founder and President of Circet, says: “With the support of Advent, we have reached a major milestone in our development by becoming the European leader in our sector. Circet is a collective success of all its employees, who work hard every day to satisfy all our customers’ needs. I look forward to starting a new phase of our development with ICG.”
