Ardian Acquires Stake in Ariane Systems

Ardian, an independent private investment company, has acquired a minority stake in Ariane Systems, a leader in self check-in technology solutions for the hospitality industry, for €3 million.

Ardian's investment will allow the founders of Ariane Systems to regain control of the group, and will provide a partner to accelerate the firm's international expansion.

Founded in 2001 by Laurent Cardot and Michel Lavandier, Ariane Systems provides hotels with online software to streamline the check-in and check-out process, along with self-service kiosks and keycard dispensers.

Through its subsidiaries, the company has an existing presence in Europe and the United States, supplying more than 2,500 sites in 20 countries.

Ariane Systems' products can be used with the majority of other industry providers' technology, including hotel management software (Oracle Micros, Protel, Infor, Cenium), magnetic card and RFID access control systems (VingCard, Kaba, Onity, Salto), payment systems (Verifone, Ingenico, Six Card) as well as with a range of other applications centered around concierge services and upselling (Iris, Runtriz, Nor 1, Guest Driven) where Ariane is developing partnerships.

Online service and the broader client experience are both key challenges for major hotel groups. Ariane Systems partners with groups such as such as the Louvre Hotels Group, (Campanile, Premiere Classe, Kyriad, Golden Tulip), Mövenpick, B&B and Scandic as they seek to differentiate their service and innovation provision.

Laurent Cardot, Managing Director of Ariane Systems, said, "We found in Ardian the partner that we were looking for to help us develop our offer and international positioning. With the support of their expertise and network, we are able to move to the next stage in our company's growth plan. We are looking to capitalize on underlying trends in the hospitality market, focusing on consumers' ever-changing demands, notably toward a focus on personalization of offers, mobility and self-service."