PAI partners is one of the oldest and most experienced private equity firms in Europe with its origins dating back to Paribas Affaires Industrielles, the historical principal investment activity of Paribas, the pan-European merchant bank which merged with BNP in 1999. PAI partners has been a constructive participant in the inception and development of some of the European leading industrial companies. PAI has developed an in-depth knowledge of the automotive sector, the packaging sector, the building materials sector and the professional distribution sector through numerous investments in these industries. PAI has also built expertise in the pharmaceuticals & healthcare sector. Historically, PAI contributed to the successful development of Cepa (specialty pharma) as a majority shareholder, Alphamed (private hospital), Jouan (bio-instrumentation). © PAI partners