The days are counted for Carmat. As BFM Business had revealed this summer, the Commercial Court of Versailles will examine the only supply offer presented to save the French flagship of the artificial heart on Tuesday, September 30.
In a statement published on Wednesday, the company led by Stéphane Piat announced the suspension of the course of its action as the audience approaches. He also indicated that it is very likely “very soon liquidated.”
On the basis of significant financial difficulties, the company created in 2008 and entered the stock market in 2010, whose headquarters are in Vélizy-Villacoublay (Yvelines), requested at the beginning of the summer its placement in the judicial administration. A decision -making decision of this French medical innovation symbol, in lack of payment after not being able to gather the necessary funds to pay their creditors. However, Carmat had launched a donation campaign at the end of June, hoping to collect at least 3.5 million euros on June 30, as well as about 20 million euros at the end of 2025 … in vain.
1 million euros on the table
Therefore, a call for tenders was released, but only one buyer appeared before the deadline of July 31 to save Carmat. Son Pierre Basist, president of the Board of Directors of this company in Breath since June 2024. Former Chief of Schneider, Valeo and Thomson, already has 17% of the company.
According to its recovery offer, consulted in August by BFM Business, it puts on the table a million euros to occupy Carmat through its Belgian family company. The businessman also undertakes to bring 150 million euros for five years, including 40 million for next January.
It should be recognized that Pierre Basid has no shortage of motivation: he has already invested 60 million euros since 2017 in Carmat. And to finance its acquisition, it put a prestigious real estate asset in New York, estimated at $ 76 million.
An additional period granted to build the recovery offer
But the time to find a buyer, the task is still delicate. That is why the businessman asked and obtained a postponement of a month and a half of the hearing in the Commercial Court of Versailles, on August 19, to build his offer. Pierre Basidist had trusted BFM Business to study another financing track, which is not mentioned in the recovery offer presented on time. “I launched the sale of a business that I have, Eoliance. The process is following its course, there are positive signs,” he said.
It is still necessary to find a buyer for this company that specializes in the air management of buildings whose results are not charming: -2.07 million euros for Ebitda, -2.17 million for operational gain, -420,000 euros in net income. And the billing has dropped 8.4% in 2024.
What happens to the future of Carmat employees?
Above all, the additional period granted by the court must allow Pierre Basid to estimate the payroll it could more precisely. In fact, the acquisition offer we have consulted is ambiguous: in two different pages, it is mentioned that the employer intends to resume the entire workforce “necessary for the resumption of the activity” and “all contracts.”
Confined by BFM Business this Thursday, the businessman has not yet answered our questions about the evolution of his offer to recover the initial copy.
Finally, in case of validation of the commercial court, the offer must also be approved by the Ministry of the Economy before being ratified. In fact, Carmat officiates in the strategic public health sector and would then be addressed by a foreign company, in this Belgian case, which requires the posterior current of the government.
Source: BFM TV
