AXA Venture Partners (AVP) has successfully completed a management buyout from AXA and will rebrand as Atlantic Vantage Point (AVP). This strategic shift marks a major milestone for the firm, which was founded in 2016 and now transitions into an independent private investment company.
Despite the separation, AVP will maintain close ties with AXA and continue to build on a decade of strong relationships and investment success. The rebrand reflects AVP’s new chapter as it positions itself for long-term growth and strategic autonomy.
The company’s new brand identity was selected to mark continuity and emphasize AVP’s strong transatlantic presence with deep roots in both Europe and North America. It underscores its identity and capacity to serve ambitious entrepreneurs targeting these two key markets.
Alongside completion of the MBO and the rebranding, AVP also announces that the European Investment Fund (EIF) has joined AXA as an anchor investor and committed a significant investment in AVP Growth Fund I, making AVP the only transatlantic investment platform for technology investments selected by EIF. The investment is part of the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI) that supports funds above €1bn investing in late-stage technology companies helping to build a world class European investment platform able to compete and partner with top-tier US investment platforms.
François Robinet, Managing Partner, AVP, said:
“Today marks an impressive milestone for AVP and our team, and ushers in an exciting new chapter for our firm. We are deeply thankful to AXA for the incredible continuous support in many dimensions in the last ten years. AXA will continue to be a key partner and we are very honoured that George Stansfield, Deputy-CEO of AXA, has accepted to remain Chairman of our Board. We look forward to ensuring continuity for our investors and the entrepreneurs we back, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among our team, and putting performance and excellence at the heart of our operations.
We are also very pleased and honoured to have EIF, as an anchor investor as part of the European Tech Champions Initiative in our Growth fund to support an underserved part of the growing tech market in Europe. Through our multi-stage platform, we now have the capacity to support outstanding entrepreneurs along their journey, from early stages to IPO, in Europe and in North America. We will strive with our Growth fund to be “best-in-class” for our investors by nurturing the best possible tech companies”.
The EIF backing is a key catalyst for Growth Fund I, which has already closed three transactions over the past year including Agicap and Odoo. The Growth fund addresses a clear market gap in Europe for a European tech platform investing in growth stage tech investments, offering to the European entrepreneurs a differentiated alternative to premier US Growth funds and Sovereign Wealth Funds.
Marjut Falkstedt, EIF Chief Executive, said:
“We are delighted to be able to support AVP’s scaling strategy through the ETCI initiative to secure financing for future European leaders who have understood how technology can be used to create value. ETCI was designed to provide significant backing for major European funds, and a player such as AVP is in a strong position, thanks to its experience and performance, to contribute to the emergence of European leaders in key sectors for the future.”
ETCI impact
ETCI is creating a positive dynamic in the European investor market and the tech ecosystem since launching in 2023.
To date ETCI has committed over €2.2 billion in 9 different scale-up technology funds, expected to mobilise €10 billion public/private resources to support investment in fast-growing high-tech companies. ETCI-backed funds have already invested in European companies operating in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, financial technologies, biotechnology, and healthcare.
ETCI contributes to meeting the financing needs faced by European technology scale-ups, preventing them from relocating overseas and reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness. ETCI is also a strong contributor to the integration of the financial markets in Europe and represents an example of how the EIB Group can pioneer the Capital Markets Union.
George Stansfield, AXA Deputy CEO, said:
“We are proud to have built such a strong and successful platform over 10 years of close collaboration, to the point where AVP is now ready to operate independently. It’s a major milestone for AVP and I am sure that the AVP team will continue the strong journey they have started within AXA. We look forward to maintaining our excellent and unique relationship and continuing to drive attractive returns for AXA.
We are also delighted that EIF joins us as an anchor investor in AVP’s new Growth Fund. Joining forces with such a prestigious investor will allow AVP to launch a unique fund in Europe, dedicated to the financing of large growth stage tech companies offering an opportunity for a new European platform to tap an attractive market, which has historically been led by US-based funds”.
