Nouvel Atlas invests 1 million euros in equity in PadelShot, company founded in 2017 by Jérôme Doligé. He becomes the reference shareholder alongside its founder.

 PadelShot is developing a network of sports clubs dedicated mainly to the practice of padel throughout France and today has 3 clubs: Caen-Mondeville (2022), Saint-Etienne (2022) and Lyon (2023). In total, the company has 23 tracks Padel, 10 badminton courts, 3 pétanque courts as well as other games for families and businesses wishing to get together around sport. Each club is organized around its restaurant offering only local products. Finally, a store (Proshop) allows you to equip yourself.

In 2022, PadelShot made nearly a million euros in turnover with its two clubs in Caen and St-Etienne. From 2, 2024 new clubs PadelShot will open in France. By the end of 2028, the company aims to open around twenty clubs, or 200 playing fields. Padel in France, and is targeting a turnover of 15 million euros. 

Le padel in France

A market with exponential growth:

– An 80% increase in licensees in 2023 vs 2022

– Around 400 players

– more than 1700 tracks. The FFT has set a target of 2000 tracks in France by 2024 and recently signed a framework agreement with the National Sports Agency aimed at supporting the creation of 500 tracks. padel in France, which will be added to the 500 others in which the FFT will invest.

“The entry of Nouvel Atlas into our capital will obviously provide the means to PadelShot to develop clubs everywhere in France, but that is not the main thing… At PadelShot, we are very attentive to the experience that we give our customers and I believe that it is a real opportunity for us to benefit from all the expertise in this area that the Lemarchand family has developed in Nature & Découvertes. Quality, Transmission, Simplicity, Respect and Passion are common values. I am happy and enthusiastic to grow PadelShot in these conditions alongside Nouvel Atlas! " underlines Jérôme Doligé, CEO Padels 

Antoine Lemarchand, CEO Nouvel Atlas, specifies: “My family and I are very enthusiastic about Jérôme Doligé’s project to become one of the three leaders in the French market of Padel. What convinced us? The high quality of the current facilities, the professionalism of the team, some members of which are French champions, and the development potential given the 4 million players in Spain compared to less than 400 in France. We will bring to Jérôme our perspective on the customer experience as well as the environmental impact of each club. »

This is Nouvel Atlas’ 11th investment in 2 years.

New Atlas continues the mission initiated by Nature & Découvertes

The Lemarchand family has chosen to continue the mission initiated by Nature & Découvertes (which it founded in 1990 then sold in 2019 to Fnac Darty) by supporting the rise of a new lifestyle centered around Being rather than to see her. It works alongside experienced and independent entrepreneurs, in search of a new model of society, attentive to societal and environmental issues.

Created in 2021 and a 100% subsidiary of Mercator, the historic Family Office, Nouvel Atlas is dedicated to direct participations in companies linked to Outdoor and Indoor sport, education and French artisanal know-how seeking strong growth in commerce offline and online.

Stimulate and transform innovative and responsible French ETIs and SMEs

Nouvel Atlas supports French companies demonstrating economic performance and strong CSR commitments, as the foundations of their sustainability.

"We want to coach management teams for a harmonious alliance between economic performance and pronounced CSR commitments. New Atlas particularly looks at the carbon footprint and its reduction on the 3 scopes, the participation of employees in the capital (in rate and in number) and the belonging of the company to a strong movement: B Corp or Enterprise with Mission.” underlines Antoine Lemarchand, CEO of Nouvel Atlas

To date, Nouvel Atlas has invested €17,5 million in 11 participations, most of them in a leading minority position and most of them being on the board of directors.

Each year, the assets of Mercator and Nouvel Atlas participate in the financing of the Lemarchand Foundation, a family foundation for the balance between Nature and Man, under the aegis of the Fondation de France. In 15 years, it has financed 800 projects with 334 associations in 35 countries for a total of nearly 11 million euros.

About New Atlas:

Created in 2021, and led by Antoine Lemarchand, CEO, Nouvel Atlas is a 100% subsidiary of Mercator, the historic family of the Lemarchand family. It is dedicated to direct participation in companies, ETIs, SMEs, scale-ups linked to Outdoor and Indoor sports, education and French artisanal know-how seeking strong growth in offline and online commerce. Antoine Lemarchand succeeded his father François as CEO of Nature & Découvertes for 12 years. At the end of 2019, the company joined the FNAC-DARTY group which now holds 100% of the capital.

About Mercator:

Mercator is the historic family office of the Lemarchand family. The company invests in low-consumption commercial real estate as well as in listed and unlisted funds dedicated to beneficial social and environmental impact in Europe. His team is 10 people.

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