Paris, December 14, 2023 – On the occasion of a new fundraising amounting to 16 million euros, NextStage AM and Siparex Entrepreneurs (Rhône-Alpes PME) join BNP Paribas Développement in the capital of Orion Santé , a group specializing in the continuing training of self-employed health professionals.
With this operation, Orion Santé is carrying out its second significant fundraising, after the entry into the capital of BNP Paribas Développement in 2019. The group intends to deploy these funds strategically to begin a new stage of its development.
This new round of financing also marks the completion of the transfer initiated by Marcel Affergan, co-founder of Orion Santé, and his son Robin Affergan, involved in the group for several years. On this occasion, Robin Affergan is appointed Chairman and CEO of the Orion Santé group. The latter intends to enthusiastically carry on the family heritage and accelerate the development of Orion Santé.
Created in 2003 by two independent nurses, Marcel Affergan and William Livingtson, Orion Santé has established itself as a key player in the continuing training of independent nurses through an original working method, an experienced and qualified teaching staff as well as a vast network of alumni ambassadors.
The company, based in Marseille, employs around thirty employees and runs a network of around a hundred trainers throughout the national territory. Orion Santé trains an average of 16 learners per year in France through its omnichannel model. These training courses are provided both in person (000 sessions per year throughout the country) and via innovative digital tools (virtual classes, video conferences, e-learning platform, etc.). For Orion Santé, this hybrid model is the guarantee of complete and rigorous support making it possible to adapt to the specific needs of independent healthcare professionals.
In a context where medical deserts are increasing, private nurses play an essential role in health care in the heart of the territories. The development of new skills, particularly in areas such as vaccination or palliative care support at home, is becoming increasingly necessary. This is why Orion Santé is continually expanding its training catalog, which now includes more than 50 different themes.
At the same time, aware of the changing needs of health professionals, Robin Affergan plans to intensify the development of digital training. The launch of Orion Digital in 2022 marked an important step towards the creation of interactive courses combining in-person and remote training to offer a hybrid and agile solution for healthcare professionals. In this same dynamic, Orion Santé will soon offer its customers a redesigned website, focused on the healthcare professional and their needs.
Finally, the group plans to develop its training offering for nursing students and continue to expand its system to other self-employed health professionals. With the development of multi-professional training, the company aims to strengthen collaboration between different healthcare professionals for the benefit of excellent patient care.
“NextStage AM and Siparex immediately understood our purpose and the challenges of continuing education. We also thank our historic investor BNP Paribas Développement for its renewed confidence. This operation will allow us to continue our mission: improving the quality of life of health professionals but also that of patients by fighting against medical wandering. It is also the entire attractiveness of this essential sector that we wish to revisit, through initial training, to better meet the expectations of the new generation,” declares Robin Affergan, Chairman and CEO of Orion Santé.
“Orion has been able to find the right balance between e-learning training and face-to-face sessions which are essential in order to master care procedures to perfection. Robin succeeded in his challenge thanks in particular to his ability to lead the community of liberal health professionals through the sharing of good practices and feedback. We are proud to support it in this new chapter of its history. This investment also fully responds to our ESG strategy, whether it concerns the societal mission of the company and the values held by its teams, those of ensuring the health and well-being of all,” explains Charlotte Lengaigne. -Giraudeau, Director of Investments in charge of the operation within NextStage AM.
For Adrien Sirera, Director of Siparex Entrepreneurs (Rhône-Alpes PME): “The investment in the capital of Orion Santé responds perfectly to our investment strategy. First of all, an operation that makes sense in that it makes it possible to achieve a family and managerial transfer and transition at the head of the company with the handover, now complete, between Marcel and Robin Affergan. Then a growing activity based on solid and serious fundamentals which also have societal meaning. Orion's commitment to the scientific and educational quality of its training means that the company has been able to take the digital shift with credibility and is today a benchmark player in multi-channel training for healthcare professionals. We will try to actively support Robin and his teams in their projects. »
“We invested in Orion 4 years ago and are happy to continue to support the management team in this new stage to help improve the training of all healthcare professionals. We are delighted to welcome NextStage AM and Siparex in this adventure which should make it possible to democratize access to training for self-employed health professionals, for the benefit of populations most exposed to the medical desert”, concludes Luc Pascal, Director of Participations of BNP Paribas Développement.
About Orion Health:
Orion Health embodies an innovative vision and an unwavering commitment to the development of the nursing profession. Founded two decades ago by private nurses Marcel Affergan and William Livingtson, the company has established itself as a major player in the field of health training. Focused on innovation, quality of training, and user-friendliness, Orion Health stands out for its dedication to healthcare professionals, offering face-to-face training sessions and embracing digitalization to meet the diverse needs of its learners.
About NextStage AM:
Independent management company based in Paris, approved by the AMF, NextStage AM, which has cultivated an “entrepreneur-investor” philosophy since its inception in 2002, is one of the pioneers and leaders of innovative and patient development capital in France. NextStage AM has developed step by step, a multi-strategy Private Equity platform which represents, in terms of assets, managed and advised, as of June 30, 2023, directly and indirectly, nearly €8 billion in AUM*. NextStage AM invests in a limited number of SMEs and ETIs (87 portfolio companies as of 30/06/2023), French and European, innovative, and growth, to which it provides entrepreneurial investor expertise and strong operational support (integration environmental innovation, talents, international, external growth). NextStage AM provides long-term support to these SMEs & ETIs involved in smart health, environmental innovation and Digital. It gives them the means to accelerate their development and their capacity for innovation to become “Champions” of their markets, both in France and internationally, through organic and/or external growth.
About BNP Paribas Développement:
BNP Paribas Development, an independent subsidiary of the international banking group BNP Paribas, is a public limited company that has invested its own funds directly for more than 30 years as a minority shareholder to support the development of high-performance SMEs and ETIs and ensure their sustainability by facilitating their transmission. Beyond the financial resources made available to the company to ensure stable resources, the vocation of BNP Paribas Development is to provide long-term support to the management team in carrying out its medium-term strategic projects. Our minority position ensures our partners appropriate governance without interference in day-to-day management, while benefiting from the strength of a recognized group and the experience of a partner with a portfolio of more than 500 diversified holdings.
About Siparex Entrepreneurs (Rhône-Alpes PME)
Business line of the Siparex platform dedicated to investment in growing SMEs in the regions, Siparex Entrepreneurs represents €250 million in assets under management, with a team of 11 investors in Lyon, Paris, Nantes and 70 investments. The activity of Siparex Entrepreneurs in the large south-eastern quarter is carried out by Rhône-Alpes PME, a joint venture between the SIPAREX Group, which manages it, and the Caisses d'Epargne de Rhône-Alpes. Rhône-Alpes PME invests in SMEs in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Burgundy Franche-Comté and the South Region.
An independent French specialist in private equity, the Siparex Group has assets under management of 3,6 billion euros. With strong organic growth and significant acquisitions, Siparex is a group serving the development of businesses and their transformation. From start-ups to ETIs, it finances and supports major entrepreneurial adventures thanks to its 3 business lines: Private Equity (Tilt Capital, Entrepreneurs, Midcap, ETI), Venture Capital (XAnge), and Private Debt (Mezzanine). ). The Group can rely on a strong territorial anchor, with 6 offices in France (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg), 4 locations in Europe (Milan, Munich, Berlin and Brussels) and partnerships in Africa and in North America.
Press contacts:
Orion Health: Victoria Duhamel-Hart – victoria.duhamel@orionsanté.fr – 33 (0)4 99 13 64 45
NextStage AM: Ghita Farage – gf@nextstage.com – 33 (0)1 53 93 49 40
Shan: Laurence Tovi – laurence.tovi@shan.fr – 06 20 58 29 02 / Lola Gozlan – lola.gozlan@shan.fr – 06 24 76 83 40 / Anne-Laure Daulier – al.daulier@shan.fr – 06 28 59 50 38
BNP Paribas Développement: Céline Argy – celine.argy@bnpparibas.com – 06 64 46 60 46
Siparex: Valérie Marin – v.marin@siparex.com – 33 (0)6 24 77 90 12
