Welcome Real-Time Partners With AXA Private Equity

Welcome Real-Time Partners With AXA Private Equity

June 06, 2007

    PARIS, June 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- In a management
buyout, AXA Private Equity has acquired the majority of the
shares of Welcome Real-time, a global provider of payment
software for financial institutions and payment networks.
The remaining shares were purchased by the current
management team.

    Sebastien Guillaud, Welcome's CEO, said, "Our
performance has been very good over the past few years, and
our biggest and fastest growth is still to come. Having a
fresh, new major investor on board is critical during this
transition phase. AXA Private Equity is very excited about
our potential and will give us all the support we will need
to achieve our goal of becoming irresistible to banks
everywhere and a standard in the payment industry."

    Welcome has bank customers in 21 countries around the
world. Revenues have been growing at 50% per year. The
company's 140 employees are based in Aix-en-Provence,
Singapore, Sao Paulo, Paris, London, Milan, Madrid,
Miami and Shanghai.

    Aneace Haddad, Chairman and founder, said, "AXA
Private Equity is an ideal partner to drive us forward in
this new, exciting phase of our history. Later, when we
look back, I am convinced that we will see pre-2007 as a
preparation phase and post-2007 as the true growth phase of
Welcome."

    Laurent Foata, Director, AXA Private Equity's Venture
team, said, "We are delighted to support Welcome in
its high profitable growth in the booming market of payment
services and systems. Thanks to its strategic vision and its
ability to execute, the management team has succeeded in
ensuring the international deployment of Welcome's
disruptive technology."

    Arnaud Dufer, Director, AXA Private Equity's Small Cap
Buy-Out team, added, "This deal was made by leveraging
the know-how of both our venture and buy-out teams to tailor
a buyout solution matching Welcome's strong growth and
managerial commitment."

    1. Buyer

    -- AXA Private Equity:

    -- Venture : Laurent Foata, Jean-Marc Fiamma

    -- Small Cap Buy-Out : Arnaud Dufer, Baudouin
d'Herouville

    -- Legal advisors: Lovells (Monique Sentilles Dupont,
David Guez)

    -- Financial advisors: Grant Thornton (Marc Claverie,
Pascale Scolaro)

    -- Strategic advisors: Tioga Venture (Frederic Halley)

    -- Intellectual Property advisors: Cabinet Santarelli
(Luc Santarelli)

    -- Insurance advisors: Marsh Private Equity (Romain
Mefflet)

    2. Bank and mezzanine finance

    -- CIC: Francois Petit, Guillaume Rico, Antoine Arlet

    -- Palatine: Etienne Pirard, Julien Meir

    -- Euromezzanine: Francois Carre, Charles Mercier

    -- Legal advisors: Berwin (Colin Millar, Guy Abehsera)

    3. Management

    -- Legal advisors: Jeantet (Bruno Solle)

    4. Vendors

    -- Legal advisors: Hogan & Hartson (Jean-Marc
Franceschi)

    About AXA Private Equity

    AXA Private Equity ( http://www.axaprivateequity.com ),
an AXA Investment Managers company, is a world leader in
private equity investments. It offers a wide selection of
funds across a full range of asset classes: Buyout,
Expansion and Venture Capital, Co-Investment, Mezzanine and
Funds of Funds (primary, early secondary and secondary). AXA
Private Equity manages and advises private equity funds with
assets in excess of EUR10 billion for major European and
international investors and has offices in Paris,
Frankfurt, London, Milan, New York and Singapore. With a
constant focus on transparency, performance and sustainable
profitability, AXA Private Equity is distinguished by the
expertise of its staff and its international reach.

    About Welcome Real-time

    Welcome Real-time ( http://www.welcome-rt.com ) is the
leader in card marketing enhancements that create added
value at the moment of payment. Welcome Real-time adds
value to the traditional payment transaction through an
enhanced payment experience that provides benefits to
cardholders, retailers and financial institutions.
Welcome's technology drives credit and debit card programs
in 21 countries across the globe and has received industry
awards such as the "ROI of the Year Award" by The
Banker magazine (2004) and the "Frost & Sullivan
Industry Innovation & Advancement Leadership
Award" (2006). Welcome Real-time is headquartered in
Aix-en-Provence, France, with offices and R&D
facilities in Singapore, London, Milan, Madrid, Miami,
Shanghai and Sao Paulo.


    For more information, please contact:
    
     Marjorie Banes
     Welcome Real-time
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]
    
     Brigitte Julien
     AXA Private Equity
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Web:   http://www.welcome-rt.com
            http://www.axaprivateequity.com