# Talentsoft
Talentsoft was a French software company that sold cloud-based talent management and human capital management (HCM) software to corporate HR departments. Founded in 2007 in [Boulogne-Billancourt](https://www.edgepedia.org/boulogne-billancourt), near Paris, by Jean-Stéphane Arcis, Alexandre Pachulski, and Joël Bentolila, it raised more than $100 million from investors including [Goldman Sachs](https://www.edgepedia.org/goldman-sachs), Bpifrance, and [Francisco Partners](https://www.edgepedia.org/francisco-partners) before being acquired by Cegid in 2021 for an undisclosed amount.[1](https://www.investeurope.eu/about-private-equity/success-stories/talentsoft/) • [2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html)
| Fact | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Founded | 2007, France[3](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php) |
| Headquarters | Boulogne-Billancourt, France[4](https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros_635475) |
| Founders | Jean-Stéphane Arcis, Alexandre Pachulski, Joël Bentolila[3](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php) |
| Sector | HR technology (talent management and HCM software)[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) |
| Total raised | Over $100 million[1](https://www.investeurope.eu/about-private-equity/success-stories/talentsoft/) |
| Investors | Goldman Sachs, Bpifrance, Francisco Partners[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) |
| Peak scale | ~600 employees; ~2,000 clients; 9 million users in 130+ countries[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) |
| Outcome | Acquired by Cegid in 2021, price undisclosed[1](https://www.investeurope.eu/about-private-equity/success-stories/talentsoft/) |
## What Talentsoft did
Talentsoft sold a cloud suite covering recruitment, performance and talent reviews, compensation, learning, and core HR administration.[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) Its recruitment module, for example, tracks applications per job offer with candidate scoring against defined criteria and flags for internal mobility.[5](https://productdocumentationcontexthelp.talentsoft.com/TA/REC/HCnewUX/fr/100993-102257-new-ux-onglet-candidatures.html) The company pitched the platform as a way to manage competencies, career paths, projects, and training in one place.[6](https://www.frenchweb.fr/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-deuros-pour-accelerer-a-linternational/343635)
Named clients in the company's 2019 funding announcement included EDF, Vinci, Lacoste, MaxMara, Toyota Europe, ST Microelectronics, Deutsche Bahn, Dorchester Collection, and the [National Bank of Belgium](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-bank-of-belgium).[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) Le Figaro reported that Total and [Deutsche Bahn](https://www.edgepedia.org/deutsche-bahn) were strategic global client wins in 2018.[3](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php) Challenges reported that 40% of [CAC 40](https://www.edgepedia.org/cac-40) groups used the software.[4](https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros_635475)
## Founding and growth
The three founders established the company in France in 2007. Jean-Stéphane Arcis served as chief executive. Beyond their names and founding year, the retrieved record does not document the founders' prior backgrounds.[3](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php) • [2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html)
At its October 2015 funding round, the company served 5 million users at 800 companies in more than 100 countries across 22 languages, and expected about €29 million in revenue for 2015.[7](https://tech.eu/2015/10/27/talentsoft-funding-goldman-sachs/) By January 2019 it reported 600 employees on four continents, roughly 2,000 clients, 9 million users in more than 130 countries in 27 languages, and 200 new clients added in 2018, with revenue that [Le Figaro](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-figaro) put at more than €65 million, triple the level of three years earlier.[3](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php) • [2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) Arma Partners, the company's adviser on the 2019 deal, put 2018 revenue at $70 million with 33% top-line growth.[8](https://www.armapartners.com/advised-talentsoft-a-leading-european-cloud-native-talent-management-and-learning-software-company-on-its-50-million-growth-financing-led-by-francisco-partners/)
## Funding by the numbers
Two large rounds anchor the funding record. In October 2015 Talentsoft raised €25 million in a round led exclusively by the Merchant Banking Division of Goldman Sachs.[7](https://tech.eu/2015/10/27/talentsoft-funding-goldman-sachs/) In January 2019 it closed a $50 million round led by the technology investor Francisco Partners alongside existing investors [Bpifrance](https://www.edgepedia.org/bpifrance) and Goldman Sachs, according to the company's press release.[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) Le Figaro reported the same round as €45 million.[3](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php) Invest Europe puts total venture funding over the company's life at more than $100 million.[1](https://www.investeurope.eu/about-private-equity/success-stories/talentsoft/)
The 2019 money had a stated purpose. The company said it would fund international expansion, innovation in HR data, and a pivot from a SaaS model to an iPaaS model (Integrated Platform as a Service) with an open HR marketplace, which chief executive Arcis described as aiming to build the leading HR marketplace in Europe.[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html) Growth plans reported by Challenges included strengthening offices in Canada and Singapore, with revenue projections of €100 million in 2019 and €200 million by 2022.[4](https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros_635475)
## Business and market position
Revenue was concentrated at home: Le Figaro reported that about 60% came from French clients, many of them CAC 40 groups, with 40% from other geographies and about half of users outside France.[3](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php) The company said it had been cash-flow positive since mid-2018.[4](https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros_635475) The chief executive positioned Talentsoft as a European alternative to SAP and Oracle in its segment.[4](https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros_635475) How it compared quantitatively with competitors such as Workday, Cornerstone, Lucca, or [PayFit](https://www.edgepedia.org/payfit) is not addressed in the sources retrieved for this article.
## Acquisition by Cegid and outcome
Cegid, the French business software group, acquired Talentsoft in 2021 for an undisclosed amount.[1](https://www.investeurope.eu/about-private-equity/success-stories/talentsoft/) At acquisition the company had approximately 575 employees and had served 2,200 clients since its founding.[1](https://www.investeurope.eu/about-private-equity/success-stories/talentsoft/) Francisco Partners had held the company through its Francisco Partners V, L.P. fund (2017 vintage) and exited via trade sale in 2021.[9](https://www.gp-intel.com/company/talentsoft)
## References
1. [Talentsoft — Private Equity Success Stories, Invest Europe](https://www.investeurope.eu/about-private-equity/success-stories/talentsoft/)
2. [Talentsoft Completes $50 Million Funding Round to Accelerate Growth, PR Newswire (company press release)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talentsoft-completes-50-million-funding-round-to-accelerate-growth-853582471.html)
3. [Le champion français Talentsoft lève 45 millions d'euros, Le Figaro (9 January 2019)](https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/start-up/2019/01/09/32004-20190109ARTFIG00425-le-champion-francais-talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros.php)
4. [Talentsoft lève 45 millions d'euros, Challenges](https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/tech-numerique/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-d-euros_635475)
5. [Suivi des candidatures sur offre, Talentsoft product documentation](https://productdocumentationcontexthelp.talentsoft.com/TA/REC/HCnewUX/fr/100993-102257-new-ux-onglet-candidatures.html)
6. [Talentsoft lève 45 millions d'euros pour accélérer à l'international, FrenchWeb](https://www.frenchweb.fr/talentsoft-leve-45-millions-deuros-pour-accelerer-a-linternational/343635)
7. [French HR software company Talentsoft raises €25 million from (only) Goldman Sachs, tech.eu (27 October 2015)](https://tech.eu/2015/10/27/talentsoft-funding-goldman-sachs/)
8. [Arma Partners advised Talentsoft on its $50 million growth financing](https://www.armapartners.com/advised-talentsoft-a-leading-european-cloud-native-talent-management-and-learning-software-company-on-its-50-million-growth-financing-led-by-francisco-partners/)
9. [Talentsoft — Francisco Partners former portfolio, GP Intel](https://www.gp-intel.com/company/talentsoft)
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*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
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