FFN2 aims to raise €300 million to bolster small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-sized companies with expertise in the nuclear sector. EDF stated: “The aim of FFN2 is to support SMEs and mid-sized companies with significant expertise in the nuclear sector, in order to address the growing needs of the sector, which contributes to the challenges of energy sovereignty and defence.”
The fund will invest up to €50 million per company, either independently or through co-investments, taking majority or minority stakes. FFN2 has attracted new institutional, industrial, and private investors focused on energy sovereignty, reindustrialization, and decarbonization. The French nuclear industry, with over 2,000 companies and 220,000 employees, is the nation’s third-largest industrial sector, driving regional economic vitality.
FFN2’s first investment targets Ekoscan Integrity Group, a global provider of advanced non-destructive testing solutions for critical industrial applications, in collaboration with the company’s founder, management team, Eurazeo, and ALIAD (Air Liquide Venture Capital).
Benoit Desforges, Managing Partner of Fonds France Nucléaire, stated: “The establishment of the Fonds France Nucléaire 2 is in line with what the first fund successfully implemented, demonstrating the value of targeting both strategic objectives for industry players and financial performance objectives. I am very pleased to see the industry’s major clients subscribing to the FFN2 alongside EDF, and to see institutional investors joining them, thus strengthening the support system as well as the investment capacity.”
Xavier Ursat, EDF Group’s Executive Director for Strategy, Technologies, Innovation, and Development, added: “With the Fonds France Nucléaire 2, the objective is to prepare for the future by working alongside companies in the nuclear sector and giving them the means today to develop, innovate, and gain sovereignty.”
The initiative supports France’s nuclear industry by fostering innovation and strengthening domestic energy production, aligning with goals to meet sustainable energy consumption needs and enhance economic resilience.
