YOUR CORPORATE FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Providing Independent Guidance on Valuation & Cross-border M&A since 2009

“Armor” taking its roots from the Breton language, means “guiding you through oceans”.

Based in Hong Kong, Astana, Paris, and Shenzhen, Armor Capital places this concept at the heart of its offer and has supported mid-cap business owners since 2009.

Armor Capital is served by a core team of experienced professionals and a global network of expert sources. Our partners Guillaume Caillet, Jean Giorgis, and Alain Ghiretti combine 60 years of experience in the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Enhanced by practical knowledge and motivated by the success of our clients, our team has a commitment to ethics, integrity, and performance. We boast expertise in corporate finance, private equity, venture capital, business development, and entrepreneurship.

Long-term client commitment:

We are fully aligned with our clients’ interests by placing the highest value on the enduring nature of our relationships
Customized solutions:

Our experienced team is able to deliver solutions tailored to our clients’ needs
Independence:

We guarantee an absence of conflict of interest by dedicating our services to a limited number of clients in each industry
Entrepreneurial:

We develop a flat organizational structure that favors creativity, complementarity, and efficiency

Notice to Stakeholders

(Armor Capital’s response to unsolicited emails sent in the name of Armor Capital asking for private lending or business loans.)

The purpose of the notice is to inform our stakeholders that Armor Capital has been under internet fraud and hacker attacks. We have been made aware of unsolicited emails being sent claiming to be from Armor Capital and referring “as direct private lenders for business loans”. These emails have NOT been generated by Armor Capital.

Here is our security advice regarding the scam risk:

Be suspicious of unsolicited emails, even if they look like they are from a trusted source. Armor Capital will never ask you to disclose personal or payment information by unsolicited email or if you are not an already existing client.
If you have any doubt about the authenticity of an email, please DO NOT follow any links, open any attachments, disclose any personal details, or respond to it. Please forward the email to Armor Capital (admin@armor-capital.com) and then delete it.

Should you have more questions or inquiries, please email us. Thanks for your kind notice.

Services

Capital Raising, Financing, and Restructuring

Equipped with extensive insights and a large network in the global financing industry, Armor arranges different financing deals, including:

Equity financing
Debt financing
Restructuring

Equity financing:

Raising capital through equity can be an appealing solution to finance the growth of your business and allow you to benefit from the experience of new investors. However, the process can be demanding and company value can be lost due to poor advice.

Our team provides early stage (up to series C) fundraising services to start-ups and mid-size companies, suited to their needs. Armor Capital has a strong network of Venture Capital and Private Equity firms and often takes part in equity financing by becoming an investor in your company.

Our capabilities for series A, B, and C fundraising rounds:

Assessing the funding requirements
Defining the fundraising strategy with your team
Identifying potential investors
Negotiating terms between new and existing investors
Performing business valuation

Debt financing:

As an independent advisor, we are incentivized to negotiate the most attractive financing terms for our clients. We act as an intermediary between our clients and the market, including banks and other financial institutions, to obtain financing for different general corporate purposes, as well as working capital, capital expenditures, and supply chain and trade financing solutions.

Armor Capital is experienced in complex financing solutions across a range of sectors and debt instruments. Our team provides its clients with independent advice on the most suitable and competitive ways to secure capital.

Our capabilities:

Assessing the company’s financials to estimate the capability of raising debt
Providing debt structuring advice (balloon loans, instalment loans, bridge loans, letter of credit, etc.)
Identifying different banks within our wide network of financial institutions
Preparing the bank loan application including multiple supporting documents
Negotiating with a number of institutions to obtain optimal terms and conditions in the market
Actively supporting our clients throughout the whole process to ensure a smooth closing of the deal

Restructuring and refinancing:

We assist, analyze, and plan solutions such that companies can fulfill their obligations to prevent liquidation scenarios and to maximize the recoverable portion of their debt. We work on both the asset and liability side of restructuring to offer an exhaustive panel of options.

Our capabilities:

Assessing the asset structure and advise through a smooth transition
- Non-core asset divestiture
- Cost restructuring of existing activities
- Capital expenditures restructuring
- Sale of business entities
Assessing the liabilities structure and propose value-adding solutions
- Debt refinancing
- Interest repayment negotiation
- Debt write-off
- Debt equity swap
- Convertible notes

Mergers & Acquisitions

Armor Capital provides insightful advice to business owners and c-suite executives during sell-side or buy-side transactions and closely supports them through each stage of the process. Our goal is to identify risks and opportunities early on to provide our clients with a comprehensive understanding of the different objectives and milestones.

M&A Buy-side:

Armor Capital assists its clients in completing mid-market acquisitions in order to achieve their strategic objectives through inorganic growth.

Our capabilities:

Outlining the acquisition strategy and timeline
Screening, identifying, and approaching potential targets
Further researching and analyzing short-listed targets
Assessing target company valuation using income and market approaches
Actively providing support and advice during negotiations with target companies
Coordinating the due diligence by third parties
Hands-on management during the final closing

M&A Sell-side:

Armor Capital has a solid track record in advising clients who wish to exit their businesses. Our goal is to enhance value for our clients by conducting a structured sales process to maximize the number of interested parties and optimize the timing of the transaction.

Our capabilities:

Defining and planning the sale process
Drafting high-quality marketing materials (teaser, information memorandum, etc.)
Business valuation
Approaching potential acquirers
Setting up and managing a secured data room
Managing the bidding auction
Actively supporting our clients in the final round of negotiations and closing

Advisory & Valuation

Recently, Armor Capital has realized the following services:

Project finance advisory (infrastructure finance)
Third-party valuation report
Business modeling
Performance review
Restructuring and divestment
Business improvement and development
Post-merger integration
Stock option plan
Shareholder deadlock resolution
Exit/entry of a new shareholder(s)
Liquidation
Strategic consulting and market research

Corporate Services

Armor Capital can assist with your corporate, tax and accounting, and human resources (HR) needs to help you with compliance and governance in all jurisdictions. Our corporate services include:

Company secretarial services
Accounting, audit, and book keeping
Company set-up and domiciliation services
Tax and CFO advisory
Tax filing and reporting
Human resources (HR) compliance
Payroll and pension
Compensation scheme
Employee tax return filing

To learn more about our approach & methodology for your advisory needs, scroll down the page to complete the contact form and we will get in touch with you.

Team

Guillaume Caillet

Managing Partner

Guillaume Caillet is responsible for the overall management and operations of Armor Capital. He brings 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and corporate finance in the United States, Europe and Asia. Prior to founding Armor Capital, Guillaume led the North American & Asian divisions of Natixis Pramex International, growing the firm to a team of 25 consultants and advised over 300 companies. In 1998, he founded a New York based hi-tech startup that sold products to Fortune 500 companies including IBM. Guillaume holds an Executive MBA from Columbia Business School, London Business School and Hong Kong University with a focus on Entrepreneurship. He is fluent in English and French.

Jean Giorgis

Partner

Based in Astana, Jean has accumulated 25 years working experience in Kazakhstan. Prior to joining Armor Capital, he was the former General Manager of Thales Kazakhstan Engineering. Specialized in General Management in Central Asia, he is in charge of providing Business Development & Strategy services. Jean holds a BA in Marketing from the Institut de Preparation à la Gestion and a Master of Management & Economy from Pantheon-Sorbonne University. He is fluent in French, English and Russian.

FABRICE GOVIN

Partner

Fabrice has over 15 years’ international experience, delivering broad enterprise improvements in operations turnaround, P&L management, M&A, and global procurement transformation & optimization across Asia - Europe in best-in-class automotive and electronic & services companies. He has strong business performance acumen, and a proven track record of driving business unit restructuring, transition management, and new strategies to deliver growth & profitability. Fabrice is an entrepreneur and active investor in several ventures in Asia, with extensive experience in China, Korea, SE Asia, and Japan. Fabrice holds an Executive MBA from HEC Paris. He is fluent in French and English.

Kenny Yiu

Managing Director

Kenny has 18 years of direct investment experience in Asia and China. Before joining Armor, he was the Head of M&A at Huhtamäki, a global sustainable packaging company. Prior to that, he was with CITIC Capital and AIF Capital as a private equity and venture capital investor. Kenny holds an MBA from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University of British Columbia. He is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Kitty YU

Senior Advisor

Kitty is the former head of APAC M&A with global listed MNCs, which are frequent investors in start-ups in China, the US, and Europe in consumer businesses. She pioneered corporate venture-type investments at Electrolux, a Swedish-listed global home appliances company. Kitty has over 15 years of investment experience, from start-up minority investment, full acquisition of growth stage, to mature companies. She also serves as an advisory board member or a mentor for various US, China, and Asia start-ups and incubator programs in the consumer, food, and tech sectors. Kitty holds a master of law from the University of Southern California. She is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Alain Ghiretti

Senior Advisor

A graduate from Mines and HEC Paris, Alain was a Former CEO of several companies in the heavy industry sector with over 25 years of experience. His expertise is in advising and negotiating in the industrial sector for company takeovers or new technologies development. Based in Morocco, Alain is fluent in English and French.

Frederick Chann

Senior Advisor

Fred is a Director & Senior Advisor at Armor Capital. He advises C-suite executives and boards of directors on strategy development and planning, corporate governance, equity & debt financings, IPO preparation, and M&A due diligence. In his consultancy practice, he draws upon two decades of experience in investment banking, fund management, and entrepreneurship. Fred has also served on the boards of listed and private companies as well as NGOs, in capacities including Chair, Governance Committee & CFO. For 10 years, he was a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors. He received both his BA (Hons.) & MBA (Dean’s Honour List) from the Ivey Business School (Canada).

Nathalie Tortellier

In-house counsel

Based in Hong Kong for 18 years, Nathalie is General Counsel of Armor Capital. With years of experience as a corporate advisor in private practices as well as legal counsel for international companies in Hong Kong, she is an expert in investment transactions and M&A, joint ventures and cross-border operations, legal writing, as well as contract and company law. Nathalie holds a Ph.D. in law from the University of Rennes 1 and an LL.M. from Sciences Po and authored a book about “Comparative study in French and Hong Kong company laws”. She is a speaker at law conferences in Hong Kong. She is fluent in English and French.

TJ FOO

Associate

Before joining Armor Capital, TJ was an Analyst at a corporate finance advisory firm based in Hong Kong, where he was involved in cross-border transactions. He also has experience in corporate finance, valuation, and transaction execution. TJ holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and Finance from The University of Hong Kong. He is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Malay.

Mancy YU

Marketing Manager

Mancy is in charge of the marketing and communications work at Armor Capital. She is a strategic communications and knowledge management professional with over nine years of work experience in Greater China and the US. Before joining Armor, Mancy used to work in the World Bank Group, Finance Centre for South-South Cooperation, and Phoenix TV. She holds a Master of Public Administration in International Finance and Economics from Columbia University, a Master of Global Political Economy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. Mancy is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Angela Ho

Office Manager

Angela is responsible for Armor Capital's office work. She supports all Armor's scheduling, meeting, and hiring tasks. Angela was born and raised in Paris, France. She comes from a food & beverage hospitality background and now specializes in administrative work with the primary duty to take care of everyone and the office. Angela is fluent in French, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Steven To

Analyst

Based in Hong Kong, Steven is an investment analyst at Armor Capital. Prior to joining Armor, he did an internship in the beauty division of a leading FMCG group in Paris within their strategy team. He also held several internship roles in business development, strategy, and fundraising with a Hong Kong-based tech start-up. Steven has a Bcom in Economics with a concentration in Global Strategy from McGill University. He is fluent in French and English.

Soukayna Airoud

Analyst

Based in Hong Kong, Soukayna is an investment analyst at Armor Capital. Before joining our team, Soukayna did an internship at Société Générale in Investment Banking division in Paris. Soukayna has a Master from ESCP Europe in Master in Managment, Programme Grandes Ecoles, and also a Bachelor from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Economics. She is fluent in French, English, and Arabic.

Guillaume Xing

Analyst

Before joining Armor Capital, Guillaume was a management consultant at PwC Hong Kong and specialized in providing advisory services to banks and insurance companies. Throughout his tenure, Guillaume has extensive project exposure in the realms of credit risk management, project management, and corporate governance. Guillaume holds a BBA in Economics and Marketing from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and is currently studying for a Master in Finance at Tsinghua University. Guillaume is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.