Finkey

Finkey operates as a corporate finance advisory firm, providing strategic guidance on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies. The company was established in Lyon, France, in 2017. The founding history traces back to 2012 when co-founders Florent Jacques and Adrien Pelletant began their careers at prominent financial institutions, including Siparex and Edmond de Rothschild, where they specialized in high-level financial and legal operations such as capital transfers and leveraged buyouts (LBOs).

The firm primarily serves business owners and managers looking to undertake financial transactions like company sales, acquisitions, or fundraising. Finkey’s business model centers on developing tailored capital strategies and structuring financial operations. This involves a long-term, personalized approach that can span several years and multiple transactions. In 2020, the company introduced a new model leveraging a proprietary digital tool to streamline the sales process for smaller enterprises. This platform connects a national network of partners, pooling their buyer networks to grant clients confidential access to a broad range of industrial acquirers.

Finkey's service portfolio includes advising on various capital evolution scenarios, from LBOs and owner buyouts (OBOs) to external growth and fundraising. For business sales, the firm manages the entire process, which typically lasts 6 to 12 months, from valuation and creating a comprehensive information memorandum to deploying the sale transaction and managing the handover to the new owner. For growth financing, Finkey assists companies at different maturity stages in securing the necessary internal or external financial resources. The firm operates in a transaction range of €1 million to €50 million and has built a European network of over 80 expert partners, including investment banks and M&A firms.

Keywords: corporate finance advisory, mergers and acquisitions, M&A for SMEs, capital strategy, business succession, leveraged buyout, owner buyout, fundraising advisory, company valuation, external growth financing, SME transactions, mid-cap M&A, business transfer, proprietary digital finance tool, European M&A network, corporate finance Lyon, capital structure optimization, deal advisory, sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory