Chartres (28) – 16 October 2020 – Loire Valley Invest (a fund managed by GO CAPITAL) has just completed the sale of its entire stake in Comparateuragricole.com, the leading online agricultural trading platform. Following this transaction, cooperative group SCAEL became the majority shareholder of the startup, which was previously awarded entry to French Tech 120, a government-backed support programme. The two founders remain at the helm of Comparateuragricole.com to pursue their aim of providing the best possible service for farmers.
A pioneer in digital grain trading in France
The ComparateurAgricole.com digital platform, developed by BIAGRI, enables farmers to sell their cereals or obtain fertilisers, seeds and plant protection products at the best prices. It was created in 2016 by Vincent Guilhem and Pierre-Antoine Foreau, and quickly established itself as a major player in digital grain trading in France.
A few months after the launch of ComparateurAgricole.com, Loire Valley Invest decided to invest in the company’s capital. Since then, GO CAPITAL has supported the strong growth of the company, which has already created 30 jobs in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
First exit for the Loire Valley Invest fund
In 2020, four years after its creation, the startup’s revenue reached €100 million, generated from 300,000 tonnes of produce (wheat, barley, rapeseed, corn) and sales of supplies (fertilisers, plant protection products, seeds). This transaction represents the first exit for the Loire Valley Invest fund, just under three years since inception.
“From my first meeting with the two founders, I was impressed by their vision and ambitions. During time spent with them over the years, I have found them to be excellent business leaders, with real human values and an attachment to their local area. Pierre-Antoine and Vincent have made Comparateuragricole.com one of France’s main players in grain trading. Comparateuragricole.Com is one of the few agricultural startups awarded entry to the French Tech 120 programme. I was delighted to support them during this period”, said David Leray, Investment Director at GO CAPITAL.
About Loire Valley Invest
The Loire Valley Invest fund, managed by GO CAPITAL, was launched in April 2017. It has €21.5 million under management and brings together Bpifrance, the Centre-Val de Loire Region, the Orleans and Tours city authorities, banking partners (Crédit Agricole Centre Loire, Caisse d’Epargne Loire Centre, Banque Populaire Val de France, BNP Paribas) and industrial and institutional partners (Groupama Paris Val de Loire, THELEM Assurances, EDF, Michelin, Revicentre).
Contact: David Leray – david.leray@gocapital.fr – 06 60 66 86 06
About the SCAEL Cooperative
The Eure-et-Loir Agricultural Cooperative Society, SCAEL, handles 800,000 tonnes of grain and has 1,600 members. Structured around five divisions (Field Crops, Export Trading, Seeds, Laboratories and Services, Consumer Distribution), the SCAEL Group employs 350 people and generates revenue of €850 million. Through its subsidiaries Lecureur SA and Silo de Bonnières, the SCAEL cooperative group is one of the leading exporters of French wheat.