A long history of private equity investing

PAI is one of the oldest and most experienced private equity firms in Europe with its origins dating back to the original investment business of Paribas which began in 1872. Paribas was the main shareholder in a large number of French conglomerates which contributed to the industrialisation of France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

PAI has always taken an active approach to investing, and in 1998 raised its first third party private equity fund, the PAI LBO Fund.

Following the merger of BNP and Paribas, PAI's partners completed a management buyout of the fund management company in 2002. Today, PAI Partners SAS is an independent company, owned by its partners, which manages and advises dedicated third-party private equity funds. PAI's approach is still very much rooted in the long-term industrial approach to investment that characterised Paribas’ investment activities, and the sector specialisation that is core to PAI today has been a constant thread throughout its long history of investing.