Fusion & Acquisition

🏨 Meliá Hotels International expands with a new luxury hotel, the Bahía Estepona, in Estepona on the Costa del Sol, Malaga, set to open mid-2026 after a complete renovation. Currently operated by Kempinski, the hotel will feature 134 rooms and suites and emphasize its outdoor spaces, including a pool and gardens. It will offer three restaurants, two bars, a high-quality spa, and a gym. The Bahía Estepona aims to provide unique experiences with local cultural immersion.

💸 Yacon & co, after a 360% growth in 2024, opened its capital to the public for investment starting at €500. The company, a pioneer in yacon syrup in France, saw its community grow to over 250,000 and its revenue increase fivefold in one year. Following a €2 million fundraising round in February 2024, they built a 3,000 square meter yacon syrup factory in Peru and doubled their Bio store presence in France from 700 to 1,500 outlets.

🏕 PAI Partners agreed to sell a significant minority stake in European Camping Group (ECG), a leading outdoor hospitality player in Europe, to a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), while remaining the main shareholder. Since PAI's investment in ECG in 2021, the company acquired Vacanceselect in 2023, expanding its presence to 11 European countries with leading positions in France, Italy, Spain, and Croatia. ECG now operates over 450 sites with more than 56,000 pitches and a 48,000 mobile home fleet, achieving a 15% annual revenue growth and tripling its profits.

💻 Airbus, Dassault Systèmes, BPIFrance, GetYourGuide, and 91 other European digital players signed an open letter to the European Commission urging the creation of a European industrial tech development strategy. They aim to reduce Europe's dependence on US and Chinese technology by fostering European technological infrastructure in critical systems, software platforms, AI models, data centers, and electronic chips. The Eurostack initiative, unveiled in January, calls for urgent European action, warning of Europe's near-total dependence on non-European tech within three years. The letter suggests open-source initiatives, data sharing, a certification system for AI, and a sovereign fund for critical tech infrastructure to support growth and cybersecurity in the European tech sector.

🏆 Sportradar Group AG acquired IMG ARENA from Endeavor Group Holdings, gaining a portfolio of global sports betting rights. The portfolio includes partnerships with over 70 rights holders, covering approximately 39,000 official events and 30,000 streaming events across 14 sports on six continents. Highlights include rights to Wimbledon, US Open, Roland-Garros, Major League Soccer, Euroleague basketball, and the PGA Tour. Sportradar now holds betting rights for three of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The deal is valued at $225 million, with Sportradar receiving $125 million and gaining a portfolio that encompasses 70% of the most betted sports, including major events. The unique transaction structure is expected to immediately enhance revenue and cash flow profiles.

🎰 Thailand selected Bangkok, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, and Phuket for new entertainment complexes with casinos despite public opposition. The €13.5 billion project aims to create 40,000 jobs and attract 50 million visitors annually. On January 13, the Thai government approved a bill to legalize casinos, planning to include hotels, malls, theme parks, and convention centers, limiting casino space to 10% of each complex. Thai citizens will pay an entry fee of 5,000 bahts (about €140), while foreigners get free access. The initiative seeks to boost revenue, regulate illegal gambling, and attract foreign investment, competing with neighbors Singapore and Cambodia. Public consultations address social concerns amidst strong opposition.

🏦 Extracadabra, after 10 years and connecting nearly 10,000 companies with qualified candidates, secures €15 million from Actual Ventures, marking a key development stage. This funding also entails a capital restructuring, with BPI France Tourisme, SIDE CAPITAL, and SOWEFUND exiting, and founders Frédéric Nardon and Rémi Boisson remaining at the helm. The deal was brokered by Ader Finance and involved law firms Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Viajuris. Remarkably, with a prior capital of €2 million, Extracadabra showcased exponential growth from €2.5 million pre-COVID-19 revenue to an anticipated €27 million in 2024.

🚀 Pangea Aerospace, a European startup, raised €23 million in a Series A funding round led by Hyperion Fund, with support from existing investors CDTI Invierte and Primo Space. Founded in 2018, the Toulouse and Barcelona-based company specializes in reusable propulsion systems, aiming to reduce costs for launchers, satellites, and orbital transfer vehicles using sustainable fuels. The infusion of capital aligns with Europe's aspirations for aerospace sovereignty, integrating with ESA programs and competing in a market where 4-5 satellites are launched daily. Currently, over 10,000 satellites are in orbit, with the US (52%) and China (30%) leading as of 2023. An additional 2,500-3,000 satellites are expected by 2025.

💰 Three investment funds – Ksl Capital, Blackstone, and Starwood Capital – are vying to acquire Italian hotel group Gruppo Una for 1 billion euros. Gruppo Una, a merger of Atahotels and UNA Hotels & Resorts, formed in 2016, comprises 55 properties. Preliminary offers have been submitted to Goldman Sachs as of March 13, 2025, with final proposals expected by the end of the month. Starwood Capital, from Miami, manages $115 billion in assets (as of 2014).

💤 During the Journée du Sommeil, B&B HOTELS and OpinionWay revealed sleep habits of French people: 27% of North-East residents wake up before 7am; 52% of 18-24-year-olds sleep until at least 10am on non-working days; 76% of women vs 67% of men sleep with multiple pillows; 70% sleep on their side (38% right, 32% left), while 23% of young adults prefer sleeping on their stomach; 19% of men vs 9% of women sleep on their back.