Ardian on 8 April announced the acquisition of a minority stake in Rivalis, the largest network to assist directors in France, as part of a minority OBO operation, alongside management. The family business, founded in 1994 in Colmar, has grown quickly to become one of the largest specialists in assistance to directors of SMEs and mid-sized businesses in France, through a network of more than 500 independent advisers and 17,500 users. “With the entry of an investor like Ardian, we attain the means to accelerate in our market, including scaling up our digital expertise, and the capacity to set up a targeted acquisition strategy,” says Lionel Valdan, co-founder of Rivalis, in a statement.