GROUPE GORGE : Usine IO, the product prototyping and innovation platform, opens its capital to "French Tech Accélération" and Prodways Entrepreneurs

information fournie par Actusnews •10/06/2015 à 07:00

Today, Usine IO welcomes French Tech Accélération, the venture capital fund operated by Caisse des Dépôts and managed by Bpifrance as part of the Investment for the Future program, and Prodways Entrepreneurs, a subsidiary of Groupe Gorgé, which provides dedicated support and financing for European businesses in the 3D Printing sector. An initial funding round took place in June 2014 with Kima Ventures, OCP Finance, Time for growth, Jacques-Antoine Granjon, Arnaud de Ménibus, Henri Seydoux and Hugues Souparis.

Usine IO is a technological innovation facility located in Paris' 13th district, which provides hardware resources and a technical expertise and networking department to assist inventors, entrepreneurs, SMEs and larger corporations with the design and prototyping of objects and their preparation for manufacture.

In its 1,500 m2 facility, Usine IO combines design space and workshops in wood, sheet metal, electronics, chemistry, textiles and 3D printing, with office space and a dedicated team of professional experts (CAD methods, electronics, etc.).

This second funding round with French Tech Accélération and Prodways Entrepreneurs will enable Usine IO to strengthen its design and manufacturing support services, consolidate its team of experts and launch its development on a European scale.

Just nine months following its opening, Usine IO already has an enviable position in the French hardware landscape, accommodating more than 130 subscribed clients (designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, employees of large corporations, students) each month, and hosting events of national and international stature. During the first few months of business, its team of technical experts supported more than 150 projects, from the upstream stage of prototyping to preparation for manufacture.

Usine IO, which positions itself as the leading rapid prototyping facility dedicated to startups in the hardware world, has a one-of-a-kind business model in Europe, which allows innovators and product creators to ramp up their development and facilitates their transition into industrial production.

Gilles Schang, Director of Investments at Bpifrance, explains: "Becoming a privileged partner of Usine IO was very important for French Tech Accélération. Usine IO forms an essential building block in the French ecosystem to accelerate the development of object-oriented startups. This project's high caliber and its positioning make Usine IO a remarkable accelerator in its segment, with strong growth potential in France and internationally."

Raphaël Gorgé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Gorgé, states: "With its unique concept, Usine IO is revolutionizing the way in which European startups, SMEs and large industrial groups innovate by supporting them from idea through to product. Groupe Gorgé is delighted to participate in the development of Usine IO which fits within the 3D printing field of excellence that Prodways Entrepreneurs seeks to facilitate."

Ideally positioned in technologies of the future (robotics, drones, 3D printing, etc.), Groupe Gorgé intends to play an important role in the development of new design and manufacturing methods. Through Prodways Entrepreneurs, Groupe Gorgé strives to encourage and support the creation of a 3D Printing field of excellence in Europe.

The French Tech Accélération fund, launched at the beginning of December 2014 under the French Tech initiative with 200 million euros of funding provided by the Investment for the Future program, promotes the expansion of "startup accelerators" in France. In general terms, the French Tech initiative aims to support French startup ecosystems by financing startup accelerators, but also by structuring and promoting startup ecosystems in France and internationally. With this transaction, the French Tech Accélération fund undertakes its second investment.

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About Usine IO
Usine IO is a product innovation platform with a 1,500 m2 facility in Paris, equipped with a range of machinery, workbenches and offices. It is an open space for the development and prototyping of electronic, design and mechanical products. Operating on a subscription model for inventors, entrepreneurs, SMEs and large corporations, Usine IO offers shared access to a comprehensive range of tools for machining, prototyping, measurement and testing, in addition to providing ongoing professional coaching. Usine IO is managed by Benjamin Carlu, Gary Cigé and Agathe Fourquet.

www.usine.io - @usineio

About French Tech
French Tech is a new generation of talented entrepreneurs who are creating startups and setting their sights on becoming global leaders in their segments. It is a collective assembled under a brand or, more accurately an emblem, of all those, from entrepreneur to investor to developer, who innovate and contribute to the dynamism and growth of French startups.

It is an innovative public initiative working for this collective to position France among the leading startup nations, through three lines of action:

- mobilize a collective throughout France;

- accelerate the growth of startups;

- promote and extend the influence of France and French Tech internationally.

About the Caisse des Dépôts group
Caisse des Dépôts and its subsidiaries together form a public group, a long term investor serving general interest and the economic development of the country. Its mission was reaffirmed by the Economic Modernization Act (Loi de modernisation de l'économie) of August 4, 2008.

Recognized for its expertise in managing project mandates, the Group focuses its actions on four strategic lines of transition for France's long-term development, namely: territorial, ecological/energy, digital and demographic transition.

http://www.caissedesdepots.fr

About Bpifrance
Bpifrance's equity investments are run by Bpifrance Investissement. Bpifrance, a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts and the French State, the partner of choice of entrepreneurs, supports businesses from pre-seed through to stock market listing, with loans, guarantees and equity investments. In addition, Bpifrance provides advisory and enhanced support services for innovation, external growth and export, in partnership with Business France and Coface.

Bpifrance offers businesses a continuum of financing alternatives at each key stage of their development and a range of options adapted to specific regional features.

With 42 regional offices (90% of decisions are made regionally), Bpifrance is a tool provided to entrepreneurs to achieve economic competitiveness. Bpifrance acts in support of public policy, issued at State and at Regional level, to address three objectives:

• support the growth of businesses;

• prepare for tomorrow's competitive environment;

• contribute to the development of an ecosystem that favors entrepreneurship.

With Bpifrance, businesses benefit from a powerful and effective partner that is close at hand to address all their needs for financing, innovation and investment.

For more information go to: www.bpifrance.fr – http://investissementsdavenir.bpifrance.fr/ - Twitter: @bpifrance

About Groupe Gorgé
Groupe Gorgé is an independent group in high tech industries. The Group is currently active in the safety and protection of people and property in extreme environments and in the 3D Printing sector through its subsidiary, Prodways Group. Present in eight countries, the Group employs approximately 1,400 people and directly exports 38% of its business. Set up in 1988 by Jean-Pierre Gorgé, the Group's activities are anchored to a strong entrepreneurial culture.

For more information go to: www.groupe-gorge.com - Follow us on Twitter: @GroupeGorge

About Prodways Entrepreneurs
Prodways Entrepreneurs provides dedicated support and financing for European businesses in the 3D Printing sector or those seeking to migrate their production to 3D printing. Prodways Entrepreneurs is a subsidiary of Prodways (Groupe Gorgé) which assists large industrial players with their innovations and production processes by offering premium solutions for additive manufacturing (machines, 3D printing resources and services).

For more information go to: http://www.prodways-entrepreneurs.com - Follow us on Twitter: @Prodways_Ent

Disclaimer

This press release could contain statements on past events and forward-looking statements including statements regarding future goals or targets. Forward-looking statements reflect current expectations for results and future events.

Such forward-looking statements and targets depend on known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated herein. All these risks and uncertainties could affect the Group's future ability to achieve its targets. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements and targets include, among other things: the risks and uncertainties possibly mentioned in this press release; the strength of competition; the growth of the market; currency fluctuations; interest rate fluctuations; raw materials and freight price fluctuations; armed conflicts or political instability; control of costs and expenses; changes in tax legislation, rules, regulation or enforcement; our ability to successfully keep pace with technology changes; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and key-men; the evolution, interpretation and uniform application and enforcement of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), according to which we prepare our financial statements; supply chain bottlenecks; the performance of our business partners (subcontractors, agents, suppliers, etc.).

Some of these risk factors are set forth and detailed in our Document de Référence (Registration Document including the annual financial report filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers). This list of risks, uncertainties and other factors is not limitative. Other non-anticipated, unknown or unforeseeable factors could also have material adverse effect on our targets. The Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements or targets potentially contained in this press release to reflect any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

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@GroupeGorge

About Groupe Gorgé

Established in 1990, Group Gorgé is an industrial group operating in different areas of expertise:

Smart Safety Systems – Using technology to work in risk environments;

Protection in Nuclear Environments – Protecting people and securing buildings operating with radioactive materials;

Industrial Projects & Services Conducting Robotics and Fire protection systems projects for industry and service-sector player;

3D Printing – Enabling major industry players to find new routes to successful innovation and production processes by providing systems, 3D printers and new premium material.

In 2014, the Group reported revenue of €223.3 million. It is backed by 1,370 employees and operations in over ten countries.

More information available on www.groupe-gorge.com

Groupe Gorgé is listed on Euronext Paris and on the US OTC market in the form of ADR.

Euronext Paris:

Compartment B.

ISIN code: FR0000062671

Ticker code: GOE

US OTC market:

CUSIP NUMBER: 399451 103

ISIN NUMBER: US3994511034

Ticker Code: GGRGY / GGRGF

Contacts

Groupe Gorgé - Raphaël GORGÉ – CEO - Tél. : 01 44 77 94 77 - E-mail : contact@groupe-gorge.com

Actus Finance - Anne-Pauline PETUREAUX - Analysts/Investors Relations - Tél. : 01 53 67 36 72 - E-mail : apetureaux@actus.fr

Actus Finance – Jean-Michel MARMILLON – Press Relations - Tél. : 01 53 67 36 73 - E-mail : jmmarmillon@actus.fr

Image 7 – Lauranne Guirlinger – Press Relations – Tél. : +33 1 53 70 74 18 – E-mail : lguirlinger@image7.fr