IRD Invest

About IRD Invest

IRD Invest is the investment arm of Groupe IRD, a Hauts-de-France regional development sponsor with €2.6 billion of assets under management as of December 2024, founded in 1991 and based in Marcq-en-Barœul near Lille. The firm operates 11 funds plus 4 sponsored vehicles, providing regional French capital across the full lifecycle from seed venture (€100K minimum tickets) through to mid-cap LBO transactions, serving the Hauts-de-France regional ecosystem.

Investment thesis

IRD Invest targets Hauts-de-France headquartered and operating companies primarily, with selective extension to broader French opportunities. Sector focus spans Business Services, Consumer, Industrials, IT Services, Real Estate and Healthcare, deploying across venture capital, growth equity and buyout strategies depending on company stage and capital needs. The regional sponsor mandate combines commercial return discipline with broader regional development objectives supporting employment and economic activity across northern France.

Recent activity

Recent realised exits include Sophie Lebreuilly (consumer, 2025) and SFEIR (IT services, 2022), reflecting selective distribution activity across the regional portfolio. The platform tracks 4 funds, 117 active portfolio companies and 2 realised exits, with the long-duration regional mandate supporting patient capital deployment across the Hauts-de-France economy.

Frequently asked questions

What investment strategy does IRD Invest focus on?

IRD Invest focuses on VC, Growth, Buyout strategies in the private equity space.

How many portfolio companies does IRD Invest have?

IRD Invest has 127 active portfolio companies and 8 completed exits and 4 funds tracked on GP Intel.

Where is IRD Invest headquartered?

IRD Invest is headquartered in Lille, France.

What is IRD Invest's assets under management?

IRD Invest manages approximately €2.6B in assets under management.

When was IRD Invest founded?

IRD Invest was founded in 1991.

What sectors does IRD Invest invest in?

IRD Invest invests across TMT, Industrials, Consumer, Healthcare, Business Services.

What are IRD Invest's recent exits?

Recent realized exits by IRD Invest include: Hopper (2026) to CHARIOVALIE; Clicar (2026) to IRD Invest (FE2T), SOCADIF and management; Champicarde (2025) to Philippe Mares and IRD Invest (Nord Croissance); TalentView (2023) to Kelio (Groupe Bodet); Elsker Group (2023) to Hygie31; Mapwize (2021) to ServiceNow; A-Volute (2020) to SteelSeries; JetFreeze (2018) to Groupe Mousset.