AQUALIGNE, today the leader in fitness in the Bordeaux region thanks to seven clubs, has developed through the acquisition and creation of sites over the last 20 years.
Thanks to its tight network in the Bordeaux region and the characteristics that differentiate it from its competitors (water sports and fitness in each club), the group has a strong local reputation. The group has 10,000 clients from all generations (baby swimmers, children, parents and grandparents) with a high proportion of women (nearly 80%).
Axel BONNASSIES, former entrepreneur then investor in the H.I.G. Capital fund, acquired AQUALIGNE in 2013.
Considering that AQUALIGNE had a strong margin of progress passing in particular by the rise in range of the clubs and the enlargement of the network of rooms, the group called upon the investment bank PAX CORPORATE FINANCE to assist it in its search for institutional financing.
This €2.5m capital increase has a twofold objective: 1) to finance the transformation of the rooms in order to improve the customer experience, and 2) to open at least three new rooms in order to complete the regional network.
Thus, attracted by Axel BONNASSIES’ strategy for Aqualigne, the Audacia team decided to pre-empt the fund raising.
According to Axel BONNASSIES, comment on Audacia’s entry
“We are delighted to have Audacia, a leader in SME investment, at our side for the coming years. Audacia immediately understood Aqualigne’s development potential and we at Audacia appreciated the ability to be a solid partner in achieving our “business goals”.
According to Emmanuel Baulme, Chargé d’Affaires at Audacia,
“We were impressed by Aqualigne’s strong brand image and positioning in the Bordeaux region in this sector that we know well. Axel Bonnassies has presented us with a solid development project and we are happy to support him”.
