Fusion & Acquisition

📈 Smartify, described as the "Shazam for artwork," secured £1.5 million in funding, over €1.8 million, in a round led by Metavallon VC with Pembroke VCT and Mountside Ventures advising. This investment raises the startup's total capital to €4.2 million since its 2015 inception. The digital platform aims to enhance museum visitor engagement, with a 68% year-over-year increase in app usage over the past 12 months, serving over two million active users and partnering with 700 cultural institutions, including the National Gallery and the Acropolis Museum.

🤖 LG Electronics acquired a 51% majority stake in AI-driven autonomous service robot startup Bear Robotics in January 2025, following a $60 million initial investment in March 2024. The integration with LG's commercial robot division aims to create a unified software platform, shorten development cycles, and ensure a consistent user experience, with robotics envisioned as a key growth driver in automation for home, commercial, and Industry 4.0 applications.

💰 Andera Partners joined the capital of Groupe CDS, with founder Ziad Minkara regaining majority ownership. Established in 2001, CDS, a leading French independent and second European company, offers digital solutions for business travel management to corporate clients and travel agencies, optimizing both direct and indirect purchasing. With around 450 employees across 5 European countries, the group shows strong growth through organic means and successful international acquisitions.

💸 Paris, February 3, 2025 - Groupe CDS, a leading European business travel solutions provider, welcomes Andera Partners as a new investor. Ziad Minkara regains majority control of the company, having been backed by IDI since 2020. Founded in 2001, CDS offers a digital platform managing corporate hotel booking chains, generating savings on direct and indirect purchases. With around 450 employees across 5 European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Croatia) and operating 4 brands (CDS, CRC, Goelett, SIAP), the group boasts an annual hotel booking volume of €800 million. The sponsorless transaction facilitates capital reorganization, allowing Minkara and IDI to drive growth and international expansion.

📈 Arnaud Bécard, 53, with 20+ years in executive and financial management in the agri-food industry, joined companies like La Charlotte, Soufflet, Senoble, and Saria. Tasked with continuing Noe Industries' consolidation phase since June 2024 and deploying a new strategy for Traiteur de Paris' profitable growth, following a €6M capital increase by Noe Industries. Noe Industries, founded in 2020 by Michel Rességuier, Gilles Roland, and Pierre Escolier, invested in Supratec and acquired Constellium Ussel (now Ucelia) within 24 months.

💸 Naboo, a corporate event booking platform, raised €20 million in a Series A round led by Notion Capital, with participation from ISAI and Ternel. Aiming to exceed €100 million in organized events by 2025, up from €60 million the previous year, Naboo plans to expand its European presence, particularly in Germany, Spain, UK, Benelux, and Italy. Investments in AI and data since 2024 have reduced customer service research and administrative time by over 70%.

🏨 Minor Hotels will offer 80,000+ rooms across eight brands on the "Global Discovery" platform at the same rates as its websites, leveraging Fliggy's digital ecosystem to enhance market reach in China. Ian Di Tullio, Minor Hotels' Chief Commercial Officer, aims to target millions of Chinese consumers, increase bookings, and brand awareness. Zhuoran Zhuang, Fliggy's CEO, commits to connecting customers with Minor's distinctive brands through personalized, high-quality travel experiences. Minor Hotels currently operates four hotels in China.

📝 The article, authored by Silvia Gualano, was last updated on January 27, 2025. It discusses the hidden architecture of online reputation, focusing on key phrases used in Airbnb reviews. The content is presented on RoomCloud's website, featuring the RoomCloud logo with a resolution of 4625x2778 pixels. The article invites readers to share the story on various platforms, emphasizing the importance of reputation in the online hospitality industry.

🏕 French camping pioneer HUTTOPIA, with 140+ campsites across 8 countries, takes a 34% stake in hospitality group ELEGANCIA. HUTTOPIA, anticipating urban vacationers' need to reconnect with nature 25 years ago, initiated Café-Hotel project HOSCAR 10 years back. ELEGANCIA, known for its unconventional 20+ years in hotel management, will now handle HOSCAR's operations, showcasing a shared vision for hospitality with strong identity and community-focused living spaces.

📢 Choco acquires Goot, enhancing its digital solutions for food supply chains with AI tools for wholesalers. Goot, a pioneer in BtoB e-commerce for the food and beverage distribution industry, boasts nearly a decade of innovation. With over 200 clients, including key independent distributors and 30,000 daily users from bakeries and restaurants, Goot processes transactions exceeding €500 million annually in food, beverage, and milling sectors.