Makila AI
- Canada
DATA & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR TALENT MANAGEMENT: MAKILA AI ACCELERATES ITS INTERNATIONAL GROWH WITH THE ACQUISITION OF BONANZA
With the acquisition of Bonanza, a leading player in HR marketing and employer branding, Makila AI, supported by its shareholder Crédit Mutuel Equity, is taking another step forward in its international growth strategy. This cross-border transaction between Canada and France, advised by Carmine Capital, marks Carmine’s first transatlantic deal.
AI and talent strategy: a new driver of performance
The integration of artificial intelligence into talent management is fundamentally transforming the way organizations attract, recruit, and manage their human resources. Companies are now seeking solutions that can link employer brand, workforce management, and performance within a data-driven framework.
This partnership between Makila AI and Bonanza is in line with this dynamic; the two complementary technology companies share a common vision of transforming organizations through data and artificial intelligence.
Makila AI, a platform designed to enhance organizational performance
Founded in Montreal by Alain Latry and operating in Paris since 2018, Makila AI is a provider of data management and artificial intelligence solutions. Makila AI develops advanced analytics solutions that enable organizations to make data-driven decisions based on predictive models and simulations.
In particular, its platform enables companies to anticipate staffing needs, manage payroll, and optimize financial performance.
In an environment where data is becoming a major strategic driver, Makila AI supports companies in transforming their management models.
With the acquisition of Bonanza, the company is expanding its offering by integrating a key dimension: talent attraction and HR marketing, now at the heart of overall performance.
Bonanza, a specialist in HR marketing and employer branding
Founded in 2016 in Paris by Franck Magnan and Mathieu Marziou, Bonanza is a software company specializing in HR marketing and employer brand management. Its solution uses artificial intelligence to automate and optimize candidate attraction and pre-screening campaigns.
Bonanza currently serves more than 80 clients, including major corporations, mid-sized companies, and public sector organizations such as Covéa, L’Oréal, RATP, Eiffage, Coopérative U, SMCP, A2micile, and Transgourmet. The company also has an international presence in Europe and North America.
The alliance between Makila AI and Bonanza enables the development of an integrated approach that links talent attraction, HR marketing, and performance management.
By combining their expertise, the new platform will enable companies to:
– anticipate their talent needs
– optimize their recruitment strategies
– link their HR policies to operational and financial metrics
– accelerate their transformation through data
This acquisition is part of Makila AI’s international development strategy, strengthening its presence in Europe and North America.
the key to success
A shared strategic vision and a clear industrial rationale.
This transaction marks a significant milestone for Carmine Capital, with the completion of its first transatlantic deal between Canada and France.
For Makila AI, the acquisition of Bonanza addresses a clear ambition: to enrich its platform by integrating an essential dimension of performance — talent attractiveness, digital recruitment automation, and employer branding — while strengthening its international growth.
Bonanza, for its part, shared the conviction that data and artificial intelligence would fundamentally reshape HR strategies.
Carmine Capital‘s advisory role helped structure this alliance, by highlighting the complementarity of the two companies and securing the entire process within a cross-border context.
Carmine Capital’s support was a key factor in the success of the entire process. Their in-depth understanding of our strategic challenges, their ability to orchestrate a transatlantic transaction, and the relationship of trust they built among all stakeholders made this merger a success.
Layla NASR - CEO of Makila
— PARTIES INVOLVED
BUYER:
Makila AI : Alain Latry (Founder & President), Layla Nasr (CEO), Paul Bourque (CFO)
Investor – Crédit Mutuel Equity : Ludovic André (General Manager, Canada), Emilie Ferrieu (Investment Director), Antoine Dehecq (Analyst)
M&A Advisory – Carmine Capital : Anne-Laure Saint-Marc Girardin (Founder & President) Mariia Krasnikova (Senior Manager)
Legal and Tax Advisory – Exco : Vincent Himber (General Counsel & Tax)
Financial due diligence – Exco : Ingrid Lair (Partner), Guillaume Ania (Senior Auditor)
Social due diligence – Exco : Laëtitia Livolsi (Manager, Labor and Employment Lawyer)
SELLER:
Bonanza : Franck Magnan, Mathieu Marziou
M&A Advisory: Marc Forestier (Partner, Kickston), Valentin Freudenreich (Partner, Integrity Advisory)
Legal Advice: Romain Franzetti (Partner, Berrylaw)