Press release - 25 July 2025
24 July 2025 - Dublin | Paris - Largillière Finance, a leading investment bank specialized in M&A advisory for growth companies, has joined REACH Cross Border Mergers & Acquisitions as its exclusive member in France. REACH is a global network of 24 M&A advisory firms operating across 35 countries.
Founded in 2005, Largillière Finance has offices in Paris, across French regions, in Brussels, and Geneva. With a team of over 40 professionals, the firm advises company owners and shareholders on all types of strategic financial operations: company sales, acquisitions, LBOs, equity and debt financing, valuations, and financial strategy. As a specialist in the small and mid-cap segment (enterprise value ranging from €20 million to €500 million), Largillière Finance brings deep sector expertise in Financial Services, Business Services (IT, marketing, consulting), Industry (agri-food, luxury, tourism, retail), and Tech & Digital.
The decision to join REACH reflects Largillière Finance’s ambition to offer its clients even broader international access and sector expertise, while maintaining the firm’s signature personalized approach.
By joining REACH, Largillière Finance enhances its ability to provide global coverage of strategic buyers, investors, and sector specialists, while preserving the tailored service and proximity of an independent firm. This partnership also strengthens REACH’s position in the European market and its presence in the small and mid-cap space.
Cross-Border Small & Mid-Cap Market: The French Dynamic
To mark this announcement, Largillière Finance has published an analysis of the French cross-border deal market, based on MergerMarket data (enterprise values between €20M and €500M):
• 132 cross-border deals with public valuations were recorded in France in 2024;
• 58% involved French companies investing abroad, compared to 42% inbound deals by foreign acquirers in France;
• After a decline in 2023, deal activity rebounded in 2024, showing an average annual growth rate of +7.9% since 2021;
• The United States leads the flow of deals, both as the top destination for French acquirers (21%) and as the main origin of foreign investors in France (27%);
• Corporates make up to 75% of all deals, while Private Equity is involved in 23% - of which 57% were inbound acquisitions of French companies;
• Foreign buyers show particular interest in French targets in industry, healthcare, and tech.
This analysis highlights France’s continued attractiveness in a globalized context, and the growing importance of combining local expertise with international execution capabilities. (The full study is available upon request.)
Ivan Alver, Co-Chair of REACH, comments:
“Largillière Finance brings exactly the strengths we value at REACH – deep sector expertise, a genuinely client-centric approach, engaged senior leadership, and a strong track record in cross-border M&A. Their presence in France, Belgium, and Switzerland perfectly complements our European coverage and strengthens our ability to deliver tailored, sector-focused M&A advice on a global scale.”
Paul Bougnoux, Founder and Chairman of Largillière Finance, adds:
“We are proud to join the REACH network. REACH offers over 25 years of collaborative cross-border M&A experience, combining global reach with deep local knowledge to connect buyers and sellers across borders. This partnership highlights our ambition to deliver excellence in every transaction, with world class execution standards. We look forward to contributing to the development of the network and enhancing our value proposition with global solutions that drive successful outcomes.”
About REACH
REACH is a global M&A advisory network focused on the mid-market segment, bringing together independent investment banks from over 35 countries across five continents. With over 400 experienced M&A professionals worldwide, REACH delivers high-end support, strong local relationships, and deep sector expertise. The network specializes in cross-border transactions, supporting entrepreneurs, private equity investors, and companies in achieving their strategic growth objectives.
More information: www.reachma.com
Press Contacts
Margie
Aliénor Miens - 06 64 32 81 75 - alienor.miens@margie.fr
Agathe Boggio – 07 62 77 69 42 – agathe.boggio@margie.fr
With offices in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Brussels and Geneva, Largillière Finance is an independent investment bank dedicated to assisting managers and shareholders of small and medium-sized companies with their capital transactions: company sales and acquisitions, financing (capital and/or debt), financial engineering (valuation, etc.) and financial strategy.
