Banyan Software, a global acquirer of vertical market software businesses (VMS), opens a Paris office. Its leadership is entrusted to Ghislain Rouësse, a software entrepreneur, co-founder of Billee (acquired by Zenchef) and former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Zenchef.
The Group offers technology SME founders a third path between private equity and corporate acquirers: a committed, permanent shareholder whose objective is to help businesses reach their full potential.
Backed initially by a €100 million investment envelope, Banyan France targets several acquisitions as early as 2026.
Founded by David Berkal in 2016 and based in Toronto, Banyan Software has established itself as a global reference in business-critical software, particularly in healthcare, logistics, education, government and hospitality.
The group today manages a portfolio of 100+ companies and employs thousands of people across its subsidiaries. Banyan has appointed Ghislain Rouëssé to lead its French office, drive its deployment strategy, and build direct relationships with founders and specialized financial intermediaries (brokers) to source the best opportunities in the market. He is supported in this effort by Héloïse Mimran (formerly with Rothschild & Co and Roland Berger) and Tristan Chevalier (formerly with Septeo, Minlay, and Mazars), with plans to grow the team by around ten hires by the end of 2026.
An entrepreneur in his own right, Ghislain founded, grew, and sold his own company before driving the growth of Zenchef. He brings Banyan his experience in scaling technology businesses and the credibility needed to engage as a peer with founders and key players in the French technology ecosystem.
Banyan Software’s entry into France addresses the concrete concerns of technology SME founders generating between €2 million and €30 million in revenue. Amid the technological acceleration driven by the rise of artificial intelligence, founders’ anxiety has shifted beyond valuation multiples to the structural resilience of their business: will it still be standing in five years? What will remain of the company culture, its employees, its know-how, and its solutions?
To protect a lifetime of work, Banyan Software positions itself as a “permanent home” for vertical software publishers: an acquirer that buys with no intention of reselling. Concrete proof of this commitment: not a single business has been sold since the group was founded.
Through its “Buy & Grow” philosophy, Banyan systematically reinvests profits into growth and innovation, rather than focusing solely on margin optimization. This approach rests on the principles of decentralization and “accountable autonomy”: each acquired company retains independent management, its brand, and its culture. At the same time, it benefits from the support of Banyan’s centralized team, which provides access to experts in AI, sales and marketing, engineering, and recruitment.
It is through this distinctive positioning that Banyan addresses the two defining transitions in today’s software market. On one hand, the sector is facing an unprecedented wave of ownership transitions (the “Silver Tsunami”), driven by founders from the 1990–2000 generation reaching retirement age. On the other hand, in the face of predictions about AI triggering a total disruption of the sector (the “SaaSpocalypse”), Banyan holds a different conviction: vertical and business-critical software will be at the heart of the ongoing revolution and a major driver of AI democratization across enterprises.
Banyan does more than “use AI”: the group has transformed it into an industrial capability. An internal team of top-tier AI experts, works directly with subsidiaries to drive agentic coding, modernize code and build ambitious AI products that drive real value for customers.
At the global level, the Banyan Software Foundation embodies this same commitment: endowed with $100 million in stock, it supports equitable access to education, the skills of tomorrow, and technologies addressing climate change.
ABOUT BANYAN SOFTWARE
Banyan Software is the best permanent home for software businesses that serve specialized industries, their employees, and their customers. With a buy-and-hold-for-life approach and a permanent capital base, Banyan acquires and grows companies worldwide, honoring founder legacies and helping portfolio companies modernize through shared AI expertise and operational discipline. Founded in 2016, Banyan operates more than 100 portfolio companies across North America, the UK, EU, and APAC. The group has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list for five consecutive years.
