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Family HoldingAllocates capital directlyActive · deal in last 18 monthsLAST VERIFIED Oct 2026 · 8 SOURCES

Sofival

Also known as Groupe Sofival, Valmont Capital

Paris family group (Blas and Lemoine families): Alpine ski areas and hotels, majority LBOs in energy transition and urban services, minority co-investments and 50+ PE fund commitments.

USEFUL FOR Fund managers raising capital · Business owners seeking a long-term partner · Co-investors

Family & background

FAMILY
Blas and Lemoine
WEALTH ORIGIN
Val d'Isère ski lifts (STVI, sold to Compagnie des Alpes in 2007); earlier dairy industry (Genvrain)
HEADQUARTERS
Paris, France
FOUNDED
1991
OUTSIDE CAPITAL
No — own capital only

Investment approach

SECTORS
Climate & EnergySoftware & SaaSHealthTechIndustrial & ManufacturingConsumer & E-commerce
GEOGRAPHY
France
STAGES
GrowthBuyout
ROUTES
Direct investments · Funds (as LP)
STRATEGIES
Direct investmentsPrivate equityFunds (as LP)Real estate
TICKET
Up to €20M
LATEST DEAL
Syxperiane (Minority co-investment alongside MBO+ (Flex fund) and Ouest Croissance) · Jun 2025

Overview

Sofival is the holding company of the Blas and Lemoine families, heir to the Société des Téléphériques de Val d'Isère, which the family controlled from 1972 and sold to Compagnie des Alpes in 2007. It operates the Avoriaz, La Rosière and Valmorel ski areas and a Rhône-Alpes hotel division, and since 2008 has invested in companies: majority holdings in energy transition and urban services, minority stakes and co-investments, and commitments to more than 50 private equity funds over 20 years. It reports dozens of direct and over 400 indirect holdings and a consolidated balance sheet of about €1bn, and invests up to €20M of own funds per deal in mature B2B companies.

Investment thesis

Invests up to €20M of own funds (more with partners) in mature B2B companies with several million euros of EBITDA run by strong managers, through OBO, MBO or LBO deals; seed and turnaround deals are excluded. Hotel acquisitions target 50+ room properties in south-east France / Rhône-Alpes.

Holdings & investments (22)

People

  • Manuel Soumet
    Deputy CEO, holdings and investments · source
  • Etienne Allilaire
    Investment Director (unlisted: direct, co-investment and funds) · source
  • Jean-François Blas
    Chairman and CEO · source
  • Alain Blas
    Deputy CEO, ski areas and hotels · source
  • Jérémie Blas
    Head of Strategy and Development · source
  • Christophe Ramoisy
    Operating Partner · source
  • Christophe Bozon
    Directeur des Services Supports · source

Classification

Family Holding. A family's holding company that owns stakes in several separate businesses or invests beyond its own group, without calling itself a family office. How family capital is classified →

FAQ

Sofival is a family holding based in Paris, France, founded in 1991.

Sofival invests on behalf of the Blas and Lemoine family (Val d'Isère ski lifts (STVI, sold to Compagnie des Alpes in 2007); earlier dairy industry (Genvrain)).

Sofival invests directly in companies and in third-party funds as an LP. Its stated asset mix includes direct investments, private equity, funds (as lp) and real estate.

Sofival invests at Growth and Buyout stages in Climate & Energy, Software & SaaS, HealthTech, Industrial & Manufacturing and Consumer & E-commerce.

Sofival's stated ticket size is Up to €20M.

Key people at Sofival include Jean-François Blas (Chairman and CEO), Alain Blas (Deputy CEO, ski areas and hotels), Manuel Soumet (Deputy CEO, holdings and investments) and Jérémie Blas (Head of Strategy and Development).

Sofival's holdings and investments include Acapace (Sandaya, Les Jardins d'Arcadie), Dedalus, Groupe RC, Groupe IXIO, Cogelan, AKTID, Bremaud and Castellet Hospitality, among others.

The most recent publicly reported investment by Sofival is Syxperiane (Minority co-investment alongside MBO+ (Flex fund) and Ouest Croissance), announced in Jun 2025.

No. Sofival invests its own capital and does not raise money from outside investors.