Hivest Capital Partners acquires VMI-Jokon Group alongside its management team

Paris, 10 September 2026

Hivest Capital Partners has acquired VMI-Jokon Group, a Franco-German specialist in technical components and systems for the mobility markets, alongside its management team. Structured as a majority buyout and completed on 30 July 2026, the transaction followed a process run by Financière de Courcelles, acting as advisor to Marc Laisné, the Group’s majority shareholder, and to the manager-shareholders. On this occasion, Marc Laisné and the management team together retain close to 40% of the share capital.

Created in 2009 through the acquisition by Marc Laisné and his teams of Molex’s connector activities, and heir to a recognised industrial know-how in automotive connectivity, VMI is a French specialist in the design and manufacture of electrical connectors for the automotive industry. From its site in Villemur-sur-Tarn (Haute-Garonne), the company relies on design-to-cost engineering and an in-house testing laboratory to deliver more than 350 million parts each year to wire harness manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers of the automotive industry.

Founded in Germany in 1948, Jokon designs and manufactures lighting and signalling systems for motorhomes and caravans, buses, trailers and agricultural machinery. European leader in the recreational vehicle market, the company relies on an integrated model combining 100% in-house development and largely internalised production, and on a catalogue of close to 3,000 references serving more than 600 customers from its industrial sites in Bonn (Germany) and Folschviller (Moselle, France). Jokon joined VMI in 2012, when it was acquired by Marc Laisné, thereby forming VMI-Jokon Group.

VMI-Jokon Group generated close to €60m of consolidated revenue in 2025 and employs approximately 270 people, mainly in France and Germany. Positioned in technical niches with high barriers to entry – notably OEM homologations, proprietary designs, patents and tooling – the Group benefits from a diversified customer portfolio and long-standing relationships with major international mobility players.

Hivest Capital Partners’ investment will support VMI and Jokon in the next stage of their respective development, backing in particular the development of new products, the move upmarket of their offering and accelerated external growth in Europe and North America. Several acquisitions are currently under review.

Following the transaction, Hivest Capital Partners becomes the Group’s reference shareholder. Marc Laisné remains a significant shareholder and the management team increases its stake. Operational management is led by Romain Bontemps, Managing Director of VMI, together with Martin Zavelberg, Managing Director of Jokon, and Ludovic Weiss, Chief Operating Officer of Jokon, who will drive the Group’s development plan under the authority of Marc Laisné and alongside Hivest Capital Partners.

Marc Laisné, founder and shareholder of VMI-Jokon Group, said: “Over seventeen years, VMI and Jokon have become two technical benchmarks in their respective markets. With operational leadership now handed over to two experienced management teams who will continue to develop VMI and Jokon, I can rely on this new partnership with Hivest Capital Partners to launch our external growth strategy.”

Antoine Nguyen, Hivest Capital Partners, added: “We are delighted to partner with Marc Laisné and the teams to support this new phase of growth. Hivest Capital Partners will put its resources and strategic support at the service of the Group’s development ambitions, while preserving its industrial roots.”

About VMI-Jokon

VMI-Jokon is a Franco-German industrial group specialising in the design and manufacture of technical components and systems for the mobility markets. The Group brings together VMI, a specialist in electrical connectors and precision metal components for the automotive industry, and Jokon, a leading player in lighting and signalling systems for recreational and professional vehicles. VMI-Jokon generates close to €60m of revenue and employs approximately 270 people in France and Germany.

About Hivest Capital Partners

Hivest Capital Partners is an independent European private equity firm, approved by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). In buyout or capital expansion projects, Hivest Capital Partners invests in SMEs and mid-cap companies with a turnover generally between €50m and €500m. Its mission is to help companies reach their full potential through operational performance improvements and innovative growth strategies. Funds managed by Hivest Capital Partners total more than €900m and the firm has offices in France, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Press contact: antoine@hivestcapital.com

PARTIES INVOLVED

Acquirers: HIVEST CAPITAL PARTNERS – Cédric Lépée, Antoine Nguyen, Maximilien Pignal ; MANAGEMENT

Advisors to the acquirers

Corporate counsel: HOGAN LOVELLS – Stéphane Huten, Ali Chegra, Eliott Fourcade, Josette Mokuba Iklawa, Laurine Offroy

Financing counsel: CABINET HERICOTTE – Erwan Héricotte

Structuring advisor: CJ ASTORG – Jean Goncalves

Financial DD: ADVOLIS-ORFIS – Damien Bourg, Xavier Nicolas, Claire Evain, Lou-Anne Dupont, Robin Latorre Sanchez

Strategic DD: STRATEGIA – Thomas Chevre, Othmane Haoudi, Marc Médevielle, David Roisman, Isabelle Radulescu

Legal, Tax and Employment DD: UGGC – Charles-Emmanuel Prieur, Pauline Somon, Antoine Bronchard ; HEUKING – Dr. Helge-Torsten Wöhlert, Marion Sangen-Emden, Astrid Luedtke, Sebastian Pollmeier

ESG DD: ANSA – François-Xavier Carayon, Marine Contzen

Financing

Senior debt: SOCIETE GENERALE – Aurélien Saurin ; BNP PARIBAS – Guillaume Escat ; LCL – Frédéric Morel ; ARKEA – Anne-Laure Toinon

Counsel: CMS – Alexandre Chazot, Thomas Bos, Alexis Imbert

Advisors to the seller

M&A advisor: FINANCIERE DE COURCELLES – Jonathan Bursztyn, Maxence Chouvenc

Financing advisor: Laurence de Rosamel

Corporate counsel: BALTHAZAR ASSOCIES – Véronique Lacarelle

Tax counsel: JEAUSSERAND AUDOUARD – Carole Furst

Financial VDD: GRANT THORNTON – Nicolas Tixier, Tanguy Guilbaud

EHS VDD: AXA CLIMATE – Emmanuelle Serhrouchni, Delphine Godin