Investissement | Otium Capital

About

Pierre-Edouard Stérin

Otium Capital is a family office, managing the assets of founder Pierre-Edouard Stérin, a French entrepreneur and investor. Pierre-Edouard is the founder of SmartBox Group, a pan-European company (with c.500m business volume) in which he still holds more than 90% of the capital. Otium Capital invests the dividends of SmartBox Group into diverse entrepreneurial projects and rests on the principles of risk-taking and ambition — both of which are in Pierre-Edouard’s DNA.

An opportunistic investment platform

The family office invests primarily in European venture capital, growth capital opportunities and buy-and-build projects (ranging between 100K€ and 15M€). Combined, the team supports more than 40 companies, as minority or majority shareholder, from less than €1m to more than €250m of sales.

The purpose

Pierre-Edouard Stérin’s goal is, in the next years, to give 99% of his proceeds to charities and associations involved in helping the weakest, promoting education and supporting the indigent. This give back notion has been Pierre- Edouard’s strongest driver for several years now. In this context, he started to act for charity by helping multiple projects, or by launching new initiatives, such as www.lanuitdubiencommun.com.

About

Pierre-Edouard Stérin

An opportunistic investment platform

The family office invests primarily in entrepreneurial projets, growth capital opportunities and buy-and-build projects (ranging between 100K€ and 15M€), in France and neighboring countries. Combined, the team supports more than 40 companies, as minority or majority shareholder, from less than €1m to more than €250m of sales.

The purpose

Our portfolio

Ana Luisa, Feed, Hari & Co, Laboté, Même, Merci Handy, Oh My Cream !, Peas & Love, Polène, Tediber; Ultra Premium Direct, Hapik, Dynamo and Kids Empire are managed by the team that has since created Eutopia

Kidjo, Kyra, Comet, Doctrine, PayFit, Owkin, Walnut, Source {d}, Octoly, Stratumn, Shippeo and LightOn are managed by a team that has since created Frst

Consumer goods

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Ana Luisa, Feed, Hari & Co, Laboté, Même, Merci Handy, Peas & Love, Polène, Tediber and Ultra Premium Direct are managed by the team that has since created Eutopia

Entertainment

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Hapik, Dynamo and Kids Empire are managed by a team that has since created Eutopia.

Kidjo and Kyra are managed by a team that has since created Frst

Tech / BtoB services

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Comet, Doctrine, PayFit, Owkin, Walnut, Source {d}, Octoly, Stratumn, Shippeo and LightOn are managed by the team that has since created Frst.

Healthcare

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SmartBox Group

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Other Investments

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Team

Pierre-Edouard Sterin

Founder and Chairman

Pierre-Edouard Stérin is the founder and chairman of Otium Capital, a family office that manages his assets.

After graduating from Paris-Sorbonne University and EMLYON Business School, Pierre-Edouard began his finance career in 1998 at Société Générale and Exane. After working there as a sales manager and analyst, he followed his entrepreneurial passion to launch his first venture: BlackOrange. The online software sales and video game company posted €3 million revenue in its first fiscal year before it was sold in 2001.

Next, he focused on a gift box concept that he discovered in Belgium. The adventure began in 2003 as a franchisee named Smartbox. After delivering very high growth during the first years of operations, Smartbox acquired his franchisor with the support of financial sponsors. Nowadays, Smartbox is the leading player in its industry, operating in 11 countries and posting business volumes of €500m. Setting his sights on other ventures, Pierre-Edouard handed over the leadership to a new operating team in 2013. He currently holds the title as chairman and majority shareholder.

Aside from his Smartbox venture, Pierre-Edouard invested in several startups, the most notable of which being LaFourchette, a restaurant-booking platform. He supported the company from 2009 to 2014, as it grew into a €15 million revenue company in France, Spain and Switzerland. LaFourchette was sold to TripAdvisor in 2014 for $150m and the transaction was unanimously acclaimed as one of the most successful cash exits that occurred in France by that time.

A tenacious entrepreneur and philanthropist, Pierre-Edouard has poured his ambition and optimism into every project to better support his charitable endeavours. Pierre-Edouard currently resides in Belgium, where he oversees, as its CEO, Otium Capital as an investment vehicle pursuing investment opportunities in line with his ambition.

pierre@otiumcapital.com

Mélodie de Pimodan
Managing Director
Mélodie started working for Otium Capital in early 2017 and acts as Managing Director since 2019 (via her own consulting company).

She has spent the past eight years working in investment funds in France, holding roles as director at Capza and more recently director at Vendis Capital. Mélodie has sound experience in LBO and mezzanine transactions with specific expertise in the food, consumer goods and health industries. Mélodie has previously worked in M&A for DC Advisory and Societe Generale (Paris and London) and in Leveraged Finance for Merrill Lynch. She graduated from Solvay Brussels School.
Charles Briand
Growth & LBO Investments
Charles Briand joined Otium Capital as principal in 2017. Charles previously worked at Weinberg Capital Partners as an Associate on the LBO team. He started his career at Eight Advisory as an analyst within the transaction services department. Charles is a graduate of EMLYON business school.
Jérémie Bordier
Venture Investments
Jérémie is a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in tech and acts as Otium Capital's advisor for venture investments since 2019. Having launched successful products reaching worldwide audiences both on B2B and B2C markets, Jérémie has a great understanding of early stage strategies to take a business from 0 to 1.
Jérémie started his career at Exalead where he ended up in the strategic committee (acq. by Dassault Systèmes for 130m$ in 2011).
Jérémie has specific expertise in the Gaming, E-commerce, Online Marketing and Hospitality industries.
Jérémie graduated from EPITECH in Paris
Aurélie Bessière
Venture Investments
Aurélie Bessière joined Otium Capital as a venture partner in January 2021.

She is based in New York, USA. She leads or co-leads Otium's investments in the consumer field in both Europe and in the US.

Previously, she co-founded and scaled a beverage brand in the US (DTC, hospitality and retail), and made the brand one of the top 5 nationwide. She had previously worked at Total for 5 years, in business development first, then in Investor Relations.

She started her career learning sales at Xerox, audit at PwC and marketing at L’Oreal.

She holds a Master's Degree from ESCP Europe (France) and Aston Business School (UK).

aurelie@otiumcapital.com
Marin de Saint Chamas
Venture & Impact Investments
Marin de Saint Chamas joined Otium Capital as investment manager in early 2021.

He had spent the previous two years working in operations at ManoMano where he actively participated in the launch of the customer experience strategy both in B2C and B2B markets. Marin started his career in venture capital at Paris Business Angels where he ended up General Delegate.

Since 2018, he has been a reserve officer of the French military forces.

Marin graduated from Audencia Business School.
Louis Villa
Liquid Strategies
Louis Villa is the Founder & CIO of Ananda Asset Management and acts as Senior Advisor for Otium Capital since June 2018. Louis has spent the past fifteen years working in hedge funds in London, holding roles as Portfolio Manager at SAC and Moore Capital, running global equity investment portfolios with aum in excess of $500m.

Over the years Louis has invested in a broad range of assets, from early stage investments to real estate, including significant Investments in the US real estate subprime market, leading to the creation of a NY based investment fund. Louis has previously worked in M&A for Goldman Sachs (London) and for Bernard Arnault’s venture capital vehicule Europatweb (Paris). Louis graduated from HEC in Paris.
Yann-Henri Grynfogel
CFO
Yann-Henri GRYNFOGEL joined Otium Capital in November 2018 as part-time CFO.

Yann-Henri is an experienced CFO, very business oriented. In 2018, he founded Peregryne, a consulting firm providing financial support and HR services.

He held strategic positions both in groups like Publicis and Fiat, and in fast-growing companies under LBO.

Yann-Henri is graduated from EMLYON business school.
Nathalie Sozansky
Accounting & Administrative Officer
Nathalie worked within the Transport and Logistics sector for ten years occupying various support functions. Nathalie also has an experience of twenty years in start-ups, small independent structures or French subsidiaries of international groups in various business sectors where she was involved in the creation, structuring, takeover, reorganization or upgrading of administrative, HR, accounting and financial functions.

Nathalie has a diploma in “Organisation et Méthodes Administratives".