Eurazeo is a French private equity firm and investment group headquartered in Paris. It holds a diversified portfolio of €35 billion in assets under management, including €23 billion from third parties, invested in more than 600 companies.
History
Gaz et Eaux was founded in 1881 and specialized in the distribution of water and gas in western and northern France. Following the nationalization of gas in 1945, it kept its water activity until 1976, when it gradually changed from a portfolio company at the end of the 1970s, to a pure investment company in the 1990s. It was renamed Azeo in 1999.
Eurafrance, was founded as an investment company in 1969. It became a shareholder of Azeo in 1985 and increased its shareholding on a regular basis until a full takeover bid was launched at the end of 2000. In April 2001, Eurafrance and its subsidiary Azeo formally merged to become Eurazeo. [1]
Between 2001 and 2005, Eurazeo launched three successive major merger operations, giving a more defined shape to the newly created group. At the very inception of the Group in 2001, Eurafrance absorbed Azeo, then in 2004, Eurazeo absorbed Rue Impériale. This was quickly followed in 2005, by the addition of the business of Ateliers de Construction du Nord de la France (ANF). In May 2001, Eurazeo disposed of its holdings in Generali and Mediobanca.