The Grand Ouest’s leading independent advisory firm specialising in public funding for R&D and innovation is reorganising its shareholding structure around its managing director, Emmanuel Cognet, with the support of Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, BNP Paribas, and Crédit Agricole Atlantique Vendée.
Founded in 2010, Dix Septembre has established itself as a reference player in public funding advisory for companies across the Grand Ouest and beyond. The firm supports over 400 clients in accessing public funding mechanisms, including the CIR and CII (French R&D and innovation tax credits), the JEI scheme (tax-advantaged status for young innovative companies), and regional, national, and European grants, and operates across three offices in Saint-Herblain, Les Herbiers, and Paris, with a headcount of 27.
A transition in service of growth
Having joined the firm’s shareholding structure in November 2012 and taken over as managing director in the summer of 2017, Emmanuel Cognet and Julien Bouteiller jointly drove the firm’s development. As part of this MBO, Julien Bouteiller is divesting his entire stake; Emmanuel Cognet becomes the reference shareholder.
““This transaction marks an important milestone for Dix Septembre. It enables me to fully drive the firm’s next phase of development, with the ambition of strengthening our role alongside our clients and supporting them ever more effectively in their innovation and transformation projects,” said Emmanuel Cognet.
The deal was structured with the participation of three banks, Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, BNP Paribas, and Crédit Agricole Atlantique Vendée, and is intended to enable Emmanuel Cognet to strengthen the firm’s structure, accelerate its commercial development, and consolidate its expertise in non-dilutive financing.
A market in consolidation, a national ambition
The public funding advisory market is in a consolidation phase, with European grants as the primary growth driver. In this evolving landscape, independent boutiques capable of delivering comprehensive advisory on public funding for R&D and innovation and operating at a national scale are gaining ground.
Dix Septembre has the assets to claim its place: strong brand recognition, a solid client portfolio spanning SMEs, industrials, and beyond, excellent client satisfaction, and a well-established referral network among chartered accountants, competitiveness clusters, and banking institutions.
True to its demanding advisory approach and its commitment to business owners, Dix Septembre intends to establish itself as the national reference in public funding advisory.
Transaction advisors
Financial advisor: Hugo Ponce, Nada Ibrahim, Finpact
Legal counsel (seller): Maître Patrick Marès, Bosco Avocats
Legal counsel (buyer): Maître Nolwenn Hadet-Kaziras, Synegore
About Dix Septembre
Founded in 2010, Dix Septembre is an advisory firm specialising in public funding for R&D and innovation. Headquartered in Saint-Herblain, with offices in Paris and the Vendée, the firm advises companies across their growth, innovation, and transition projects.