Advised Groupe La Tête dans les Nuages and its founder on the entry of Byway Capital and Bpifrance into its share capital

Moncey Avocats advised La Tête dans les Nuages and its founder, Mickaël Aknin, on the equity investment by Byway Capital alongside Bpifrance, for an amount of €27 million.

Founded in 1992 and acquired in 2014 by Mickaël Aknin, La Tête dans les Nuages has become a leading indoor entertainment operator in France, with a network of more than 10 centers offering an immersive mix of arcade games, virtual reality and interactive experiences. This first-ever equity opening is intended to accelerate the group’s development in France and internationally, with the ambition of building a leading European player in the indoor leisure segment.

Structured as a flex equity transaction, this deal marks a new stage in the group’s development. Byway Capital, a new evergreen investment platform backed by family office Hartwood, is investing more than €20 million as a minority shareholder, alongside Bpifrance through its Tourism and Leisure team. The bank financing, of less than €30 million, is being provided by CIC and Société Générale. Mickaël Aknin is making a significant reinvestment and remains in control of the group.

La Tête dans les Nuages group and its founder were advised by a Moncey Avocats team composed of:

• Guillaume Giuliani, partner, Valentin Lefebvre, counsel, Vianney Birot and Aloïse Graveraud, associates, on corporate matters.

• Jonathan Devillard, partner, Hélène Tazé and Ines Ourabi, associates, on financing matters.

• Frédéric Bosc, partner, and Manon Vanbiervliet, associate, on tax matters.

• Camille Cournot, partner, and Alexandra Fabbro, associate, on employment law matters.