Paris, 6 May 2010

Bruno Montanari has joined Crédit Agricole Private Equity as Life Sciences Investment Manager in the Venture Capital team, which is dedicated to investments in innovative companies. The Life Sciences team, under the direction of Dr. Philippe Guinot, is now comprised of four investors. The team has invested about a hundred million euros since its creation in 2002.

Bruno Montanari, age 36, holds two degrees, a PhD in pharmaceuticals from the Université René Descartes (University of Paris V) and a Masters from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC, Paris).

He began his career in London in 1999 as an analyst for a team specialising in the pharmaceuticals sector for Deutsche Bank's investment banking arm before joining Merrill Lynch. In 2002, he was named Life Sciences Investment Director for the Paris office of CDP Capital Technology Ventures. In 2004, he joined Atlas Venture, where he was responsible for the growing portfolio of companies specialising in medical devices and drug development.

With 430 million euros under management, Crédit Agricole Private Equity's Venture Capital team invests in young companies with strong growth potential in the information technology and life sciences sectors.

Crédit Agricole Private Equity's Venture Capital team, which ranks among the most active European investors, is now comprised of 11 investment professionals.