Kartesia supports Bertin Technologies’ expansion through the acquisition of VF Nuclear with add-on unitranche financing

Kartesia, the European specialist provider of capital solutions for small and mid-sized companies, is pleased to announce it has provided an add-on unitranche facility to support FCDE and Bertin Technologies (“Bertin” or “the Group”) in the acquisition of Czech company VF Nuclear (“the Company” or “VF”, that will be henceforth known as “Bertin VF Nuclear”), a leading global supplier of equipment and systems for radiation control and protection.

Founded in 1992 and based in Cerna Hora near Brno (Czech Republic), VF Nuclear is a company at the cutting edge of technology and services in the field of radiation protection and radiological measurement. The company designs, develops, produces, installs and maintains high-performance, highly reliable radiation monitoring systems, capable of withstanding harsh operating conditions. VF Nuclear is one of the few players in the market capable of maintaining these systems, installed at the heart of nuclear power plants, and thus guaranteeing their performance over the long term.

VF’s product portfolio is highly complementary to that of Bertin Technologies. With solid experience in the development and qualification of safety-classified radiological measurement equipment, VF is enabling continuous monitoring of radiation levels for nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Together, Bertin Technologies and VF Nuclear have a unique position in Europe and can offer a complete portfolio of radiation detection equipment for Health Physics and Nuclear Safety. The Company currently has 208 employees, one third of whom are seconded directly to the Czech nuclear power plants of Dukovany and Temelin, and the rest to the Slovak nuclear power plants of Mochovce and Jaslovské Bohunice.

This strategic move will allow Bertin to: i) accelerate its development on high-end and complex systems, ii) acquire additional technological bricks in Health Physics & Nuclear Safety, iii) strengthen its portfolio of products and iv) pursue its ambitious innovation strategy, notably in the field of civil nuclear instrumentation for export markets.

Kartesia is providing an add-on unitranche facility to support the acquisition of VF Nuclear by the Group, with the capital deployed from Kartesia’ Senior Opportunities strategy. The deal team at Kartesia included Charles-Henri Clappier, Alexis Midol and Antonin Ramon.

Charles-Henri Clappier, Partner & Head of KSO France and Business Development at Kartesia, commented: “We are delighted to support Bertin Technologies in the acquisition of VF Nuclear. We were really impressed by the specialist and differentiated positioning of VF, which provides high-performance radiation monitoring systems for highly demanding end-applications and will complement Bertin’s existing technologies very well. We look forward to continuing to work with FCDE and Bertin’s Management team to carry out the Group’s ambitious strategic growth plan.”