Four Groupe BPCE banks subscribe to the first sovereign wealth fund of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region
Four Groupe BPCE banks are contributing to the creation of a public-private financing instrument designed to strengthen companies’ equity capital.
On Monday March 22, the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (AURA) region unveiled the composition of its regional fund due to be launched on April 1st and expected to reach a total of €100 million. The AURA sovereign wealth fund will complete its first closing at €70 million, comprising €35 million in public funds provided by the region and Bpifrance, and €35 million from other financial partners, the most prominent being Banque Populaire Auvergne Rhône Alpes (BPAURA) and the Caisses d'Epargne serving the Rhône Alpes (CERA), Loire Drôme Ardèche (CELDA) and Auvergne Limousin (CEPAL) regions, illustrating once again the leading role played by Groupe BPCE in the AURA region's economic development.
This marketplace fund is intended for SMEs/ISEs generating sales of between €5 million and €200 million, having reported at least one profitable year in the past three financial periods, and pursuing transformation initiatives, industrial investments, and equity consolidation. It also targets smaller SMEs with sales of less than €10 million and fewer than 50 employees with contributions from the sovereign fund ranging from €100,000 to €500,000.
Through its four regional banks, Groupe BPCE is contributing to the creation of a new public-private financing instrument designed to strengthen the equity capital of regional companies, thereby demonstrating its ability to mobilize its resources to support and secure the economic fabric of the second largest region in France.