Press releases
L’Usine à Design, an e-commerce site and community for bespoke designer furniture and interior design, has raised €4 million in a second round of funding with Crédit Agricole Private Equity, accompanied by long-standing investor CM-CIC Capital Privé and Olivier Mathiot, co-founder and Marketing Director of PriceMinister.
Launched in September 2009, L’Usine à Design (www.usineadesign.com) is an e-commerce platform and community offering internet users designer and personalisable products. It has 23 employees.
L’Usine à Design presents a number of strengths, namely accessible prices, an easy and visual online shopping experience, high quality pieces of furniture that can be personalised and efficient customer service. Thanks to its active community, real designer pieces and platform giving access to manufacturers, L’Usine à Design is helping to change codes of practice in the furnishing market and shopping habits in a predominantly standardised sector. L’Usine à Design is currently France's sixth-largest e-commerce site dedicated to home wares.
One year after raising €1.6 million in its first round of funding, this second round will help to support the company's growth and develop its products/services profile among consumers, internet users and businesses in France and abroad.
Emilie Gobin, Chairman of the Executive Board of L’Usine à Design, explains: "This round of funding will enable us to consolidate our market position quickly. We are planning to enhance our product range and present new collections, develop our services and improve our sourcing.We already benefit from the confidence of leading brands and are looking to strengthen our relations with other manufacturers, designers and major national and European brands. Lastly, in order to further develop our expertise, we have created a strategy committee dedicated to our product range and trends, which will also provide its expertise of this business and the sector."
"Since it was launched, L’Usine à Design has made major steps forward in its expansion and demonstrated the relevance of its business model. This success is thanks to the quality of the highly skilled management team and its straightforward and clear value proposition, as well as its unique customer experience. We are therefore delighted to be joining L’Usine à Design and supporting it in its expansion," comments Francois-Xavier Dedde, Investment Manager at Crédit Agricole Private Equity.
"L'Usine à Design fits in with the fundamental trend in designer retail. Thanks to the internet, the removal of the middleman and personalised service, the website is able to offer accessible prices and exclusive products. This marks the advent of a powerful brand and a new consumer experience that will lead to a lasting change our relationship with furniture and interior design," explains Olivier Mathiot, co-founder and Marketing Director of PriceMinister.
”We believe in bespoke shopping rather than standardised shopping. Our business model and concept create value for a huge ecosystem. That is why by expanding we are focusing fully on the four parties we bring together on a day-to-day basis: manufacturers, brands, designers and consumers, internet users and businesses,” concludes Emilie Gobin, Chairman of the Executive Board of L'Usine à Design.
Crédit Agricole Private Equity
François-Xavier Dedde, Investment Manager, Venture Capital
Advisors
L’Usine à Design legal advisor: Joffe & Associés
Crédit Agricole Private Equity legal advisor: Chammas & Marcheteau
Crédit Agricole Private Equity due diligence: Ernst & Young TS
Press contacts
Crédit Agricole Private Equity, Martine Sessin Caracci, +33 1 43 23 90 88, martine.sessincaracci@ca-privateequity.fr
Shan, Caroline Babouillard, +33 1 44 50 58 72, caroline.babouillard@shan.fr
About Crédit Agricole Private Equity
Crédit Agricole Private Equity is an AMF-accredited asset-management subsidiary of Crédit Agricole, specializing in direct private-equity investment in non-listed companies. A multi-specialist player, Crédit Agricole Private Equity’s team of 100 professionals manages €3.7 billion with specific expertise in LBO & Expansion, Venture Capital, Mezzanine, Co-Investment, Renewable Energy and PPP Infrastructure. The 11-strong venture capital team manages €444 million through FCPIs invested in young companies with high growth potential in 2 sectors: information technology and life sciences. Crédit Agricole Private Equity has signed up to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
About L’Usine à Design
Launched in September 2009 by four founders, L’Usine à Design (www.usineadesign.com) is an e-commerce platform and community that has revolutionised the world of interior design, furnishings and e-commerce by offering internet users designer and personalisable products, all at accessible prices. L’Usine à Design aims to restore the original meaning of design - products that are beautiful, practical and accessible - and make it available to everyone, regardless of where they live or how much money they have. The website already boasts a large community of fans and designers selected by L’Usine à Design, giving everyone the freedom to express their own taste. People are able to create a piece of furniture that reflects them. The highly realistic online simulator allows users to personalise products. They can view their "creation" before having it delivered directly to their home. L’Usine à Design produces its collections and pieces all over the world - primarily in Asia and Europe - in accordance with its quality and ethics charter.
