Taylor Wessing advises Geneo Capital Entrepreneur on its acquisition of a stake in Pastacorp (Lustucru)

Taylor Wessing advised Geneo Capital Entrepreneur on its acquisition of a stake in Pastacorp (Lustucru) through its Geneo Mezzanine fund. Following a structured family transition, Antony and Bernard Cohen-Skalli became majority shareholders of the Group, alongside Geneo Capital Entrepreneur and two long-term co-investors of Crédit Agricole: Socadif and C2AD.

Pastacorp (parent company of Lustucru), a long-standing player in durum wheat processing, is France's second-largest pasta manufacturer, processing more than 110,000 tons of French durum wheat per year. Pastacorp employs 400 people in France and accounts for 10% of the market for pasta sold in supermarkets in France.

Geneo Capital Entrepreneur is a management company with nearly €740 million under management. Geneo Mezzanine, an investment vehicle launched by Geneo Capital Entrepreneur, supports French SMEs and mid-cap companies through hybrid instruments such as convertible bonds, OBSAs, and a mix of shares and bonds.

This capital restructuring will enable the Pastacorp Group to perpetuate its family-owned business model, continue production in France, and roll out its industrial project based on value creation, innovation, sustainable performance, and regional impact.

As part of this transaction, Taylor Wessing advised Geneo Capital Entrepreneur on the following aspects:

• Corporate, with Nicolas de Witt (partner), Sébastien Pottemain and Loïc Douguet (associates);
• Labor and employment, with Claudia Jonath (partner), Julie Filliard (counsel) and Anaïs Edet (associate);
• Public law and projects, with Sophie Pignon (partner) and Damien Kebdani (associate);
• Financing, with Eric Charvillat (partner) and Lisa Romani (associate);
• IP/IT, with Marc Schuler (partner), Inès Tribouillet (counsel) and Laura Huck (associate);
• Insurance, with Pierre-Olivier Leblanc (partner) and Morghane Lanquette (associate);
• Commercial and competition law, with Evelyne Friedel (partner), Axel Ferly (counsel) and Marine Boullenger (associate);
• Real estate, with Amandine Joulié (partner) and Ghislain Dillet (associate).