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The Venture Codex

PSA Group

75 avenue de la Grande-Armée, Paris, 75116, France

Overview

PSA Group is a French multinational manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. With its three world-renowned brands, Peugeot, DS and Citroën, Groupe PSA sold 3 million vehicles worldwide in 2015. As Europe’s second largest carmaker, it generated sales and revenue of €54 billion in 2015.

Total investments
3
Lead investments
1
Investments · 12mo
0
Active investors
6

Sector focus

  • Automotive
  • Autonomous Vehicles
  • Manufacturing
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Investment portfolio

  • Livspace

    Participated · Series D · Sep 2020

    Livspace is an omni-channel home interiors and renovation platform that provides end-to-end design-to-delivery services via a proprietary technology platform. It operates a three-sided marketplace connecting homeowners, vendors and designers and maintains one of the largest digitally integrated supply chains in the home improvement industry. The company currently serves Singapore, Malaysia and 30 metro and non-metro areas in India, and has delivered over 100,000 rooms and sold over 7.5 million SKUs through its platform. Founded in 2015, Livspace has raised around USD 450 million in capital to date from investors including KKR, Ingka Group Investments, TPG Growth, Goldman Sachs, Bessemer Venture Partners, Jungle Ventures and others. With the fresh funding, the company plans to launch in new markets, double down on brand building in India and Singapore, invest further in its platform technology and digitally integrated supply chain, and hire and develop talent. It also intends to make strategic investments into innovative companies and replicate its playbook across APAC, MENA and Australia to scale its business. Livspace is a Mumbai-based home decor startup. The company closed a $90 million Series D round to support its business growth. The firm said the new capital will be used to further develop its technology platform, fund new market expansion, and create new market offerings. It also plans to expand its supply chain and launch private labels in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The Series D was positioned as a growth capital infusion to accelerate the company’s product and geographic expansion plans. Livspace operates a platform that links homeowners with designers and the supply chain, offering services such as 3D virtual renders, offline meetings at Livspace design centers, and customized furnishings to execute renovations. The company says its integrated model delivers cost savings to consumers and greater efficiency and higher rates for designers. Livspace raised $70 million last year from investors including Goldman Sachs and TPG Growth, and today has taken an undisclosed investment from Ingka Investments; the stake is described as minor. CEO and co-founder Anuj Srivastava (who started Livspace in 2015) said the Ikea investment offers strong strategic and commercial potential to build an omnichannel consumer experience. Specifics of how the companies will work together—such as whether Ikea products will be sold through Livspace—are still to be agreed. Management says there is no immediate plan for an acquisition, the company intends to remain independent, and any international expansion supported by Ikea would be exploratory with no near-term timeline. Livspace offers an integrated e-commerce platform for home interior design and renovations, combining consumers, designers and supply-chain partners. The company maps buildings to enable virtual mockups and 3D models and operates brick-and-mortar Design Centers for material and furniture previews and meetings. It is inherently local—designers and supply partners must serve specific cities—but the platform aims to standardize and aggregate demand and supply. Livspace is present in seven Indian cities and plans to expand to 13 cities in India by the end of next year, with broader ambitions to enter other Asian and Western markets. The company says it is on track to reach $100 million in annualized gross revenue by March 2019, has outfitted 5,000–6,000 houses, and runs 1,200–1,500 projects at any one time. Additional operating metrics in the article include a project completion rate of about one-third, an average project value around $15,000, a roughly 40% take rate for Livspace and about 7% for designers, and a platform of ~25,000 designer applicants (under 10% approved). Livspace is the country’s largest home interiors and renovation platform that offers a proprietary home-design platform called Canvas. The company has used recent funding to bolster Canvas and to grow its design partner community. Management says the business grew about 300 percent last year, driven by Canvas adoption. Canvas has received over 11,000 design partner registrations. The company reports some of the highest order-level profit margins in the industry. Leadership frames the investment as an endorsement of Livspace’s platform approach and is pushing to capture the $25-billion home-design market in India.

  • TravelCar

    Participated · Equity · Feb 2017

    TravelCar operates a peer-to-peer car sharing platform that enables travelers to rent their vehicles while they are away instead of paying for traditional parking. The service includes necessary insurance and support for drivers and for vehicles rented through its system. The company was founded in 2012 by Ahmed Mhiri, who is CEO, and is based in Paris, France. TravelCar reports a network of over 200 agencies and 300,000 users across ten European countries. It intends to use new funding to expand into the United States with car rental offers at Los Angeles and San Francisco airports. In February 2017 TravelCar raised €15m from backers including PSA Group and MAIF.

  • Koolicar

    Led · Equity · Apr 2016

    Koolicar operates a peer-to-peer carsharing service built around a connected box that enables keyless access, mileage tracking, lease-duration calculations and geolocation. The company emphasizes high quality, ease-of-use, a range of user options and customer-focused support, with insurance and assistance provided by MAIF. Koolicar was founded in 2011 by Stéphane Savouré and launched peer-to-peer operations in 2012. It is present in around 40 French cities and has over 60,000 registered users. With new funding, the company plans to equip up to 30,000 cars with its technology and expand its team from 30 to 100 employees in Paris and Montreal, hiring in IT, marketing and customer service. Koolicar aims to scale beyond its French footprint and become a global player in the growing carsharing market.

Team