Two months after the acquisition of SocieteInfo, Explore, a specialist in the development of B2B business solutions, has acquired Belgian company Codata.
This new merger will enable Explore to deploy innovative solutions on the B2B data market for retail chains and commercial real estate professionals, and thus strengthen its position on its market.
Based in Namur (Belgium) and founded in 1989 by Claude Raick, Codata offers the reference database on the market describing the offer of commercial sites and locations in France and the Benelux, through online search tools allowing the consultation and downloading of data.
This exclusive database, which is regularly updated, allows users to target and access details of retail locations and sites, as well as a directory of the main players active in this market. The Codata database gives access to the description of more than 370,000 retail locations grouped into more than 4,600 sites (city centres, shopping centres, business parks and outlet centres). Field inventories are carried out exclusively by specially trained internal teams, giving the CODATA database a high level of quality and reliability. At the same time, a service offer in SaaS mode has been developed via a dynamic and flexible cartographic interface designed to meet the needs of professionals in the sector.
This association between the two B2B data experts will enable EXPLORE to strengthen its presence in the strategic market of commercial real estate professionals and retail networks. Cody will benefit from the technological, commercial and marketing support of EXPLORE’s teams to develop its product offer and strengthen its value proposition to the market.
With this acquisition, Explore completes its third external growth operation since the entry of Activa Capital in January 2019. This transaction demonstrates the ability of AActiva Capital, Explore’s reference shareholder, to support entrepreneurial managers in the transformation of growing SMEs and the structuring of external growth operations.
Laurent Nicouleau, Co-founder of Explore, says: “EXPLORE has been present for many years on the commercial property market; our offer is mainly “project” oriented (construction and renovation of buildings, urban development, CDAC-CNAC decisions, etc.). We were very impressed by the high quality of the teams and the data produced by CODATA in the field. Associated with Explore, Codata will have new operational resources to develop and strengthen their positions.”
Claude Raick, Founder of Codata, says: “I am delighted to be passing the torch to the EXPLORE teams. Sharing the same values, they will be able to create human, technological and commercial synergies alongside CODATA’s employees. I am convinced that this combination of talents will allow the company to develop fully in the coming years.”
Alexandre Masson and Christophe Parier, Managing Partners of Activa Capital added: “This new external growth operation for Explore is in line with our desire to support ambitious founders to help them accelerate their development. The combination of Explore and Codata offers promising prospects for innovation and development for the Group’s clients. “
