For this primary MBO led by Pierre Cosentino, director and founder of Nautil Voyages, together with management, the Riccobono family office, Cap Invest, has become a minority shareholder of the company alongside them.

The transaction allows both a settlement with co-founder Stéphane Letessier, who wanted to step down after supporting 20 years of dynamic, and also provides Nautil Voyages with the resources to bounce back very quickly after the health crisis and to seize growth opportunities.

Founded in 1999 by Pierre Cosentino and Stéphane Letessier, Nautil Voyages (Oovatu and Mauritius-Travel) is a digital pure-player agency that designs high-end customised travel packages. The company has grown strongly in recent years to become the largest independent player in the market with sales of over €42m in 2019.

The COVID-19 crisis afflicted the wider travel sector, but the digital nature of the company, combined with a nimble internal organisation and high-performance tools, enabled the group to maintain a solid structural position and to balance the books in readiness to embrace the recovery. Driven in recent years by a loyal clientele and the opening of many new destinations, Nautil Voyages wants to continue developing its services and may also consider acquisitions in the coming months to extend its destination portfolio.

Thomas Riccobono, General Manager of Cap Invest: “We are delighted to support the development of Nautil Voyages. In addition to its mastery of the various digital acquisition channels and its high-performance tools, the company won us over with its high-end, customised services and proven expertise in the destinations it offers. Nautil Voyages is a great integration platform to digitalise the sector”.