Cegid

In 1983, Jean-Michel Aulas founded Cegid in Lyon, France, with a vision to create accounting software for small businesses. This was the era of the personal computer's rise, and Aulas, an entrepreneur at heart, saw an opportunity to bring professional-grade tools to the masses. The company, whose name stands for 'Compagnie Européenne de Gestion par l'Informatique Décentralisée', focused on providing management solutions tailored to specific industries. Cegid's journey took a significant step in 1986 when it went public on the Lyon stock exchange. This IPO provided the capital for a long-term growth strategy, which included expanding its software offerings and acquiring smaller competitors. For decades, the company grew steadily, becoming a major player in the European software landscape, particularly for sectors like retail and public accounting. A major turning point came in 2016. The US-based private equity firm Silver Lake, in partnership with the UK's AltaOne, launched a bid to acquire Cegid. The acquisition was completed, leading to Cegid's delisting from the stock market. This move marked a new chapter, shifting the company from a publicly traded entity to a privately held one, backed by investors known for scaling technology companies. Under this new ownership, Cegid accelerated its transition to a cloud-based, SaaS model and continued its international expansion, notably acquiring the American company 'Talentsoft' in 2021 to bolster its Human Capital Management offerings.