# Nature & Découvertes

Nature & Découvertes is a Corporate Investor based in Versailles, France.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Corporate Investor
- **Headquarters:** Versailles, France
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** 11 rue des Etangs Gobert, 78000 Versailles, France
- **Founded:** 1990
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** natureetdecouvertes.com
- **LinkedIn:** linkedin.com/company/nature-&-découvertes

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Nature & Découvertes began in 1990 when François Lemarchand opened a store in Versailles, blending retail with an early commitment to environmental philanthropy. The Lemarchand family held the business privately through Mercator SA until 2019, when Groupe Fnac Darty acquired the chain, folding its 100-plus French stores into the larger retail group. The family's wealth originates from building one of France's most recognizable specialty retail brands, anchored in the 'discovery of nature' ethos. Since the acquisition, the investment arm operates through Mercator SA and co-investment vehicles rather than a standalone office. Confirmed direct deals include partnering with LBO France to acquire Origine Cycles, a French high-end bicycle manufacturer. The portfolio spans retail, outdoor equipment, and well-being products, with a geographic footprint concentrated in France and continental Europe. The firm's corporate investment posture favors buyouts and co-investments in consumer brands that align with its sustainability and outdoor lifestyle positioning—sectors such as cycling, garden equipment, and educational toys. Professional operations remain closely held, with founder François Lemarchand serving as Chairman of Mercator SA, and his son Antoine Lemarchand—former Nature & Découvertes CEO—now leading Nouvel Atlas, a separate family venture. The family office maintains a real asset base that includes the La Canopée headquarters in Versailles, a mixed-use property in Wissous, and a permaculture site on the Versailles grounds. In May 2024, the firm continued its active retail operations under Fnac Darty while the family holding quietly pursued its proprietary deal pipeline. What distinguishes this structure is its hybrid nature: a corporate investment vehicle embedded within a publicly traded parent but directed by the founder's family office. Mercator SA gives the Lemarchands a direct conduit for private deals outside the public-company perimeter—co-investing with institutional partners like LBO France—while the retail brand's B Corp status and 1% for the Planet membership impose a sustainability filter on all investment decisions.

## Sectors

- Retail
- Consumer Goods
- Lifestyle

## People

- François Lemarchand — Founder
- Antoine Lemarchand — Former CEO

## Questions

### How is the Lemarchand family's wealth origin tied to the brand's sustainability mission?

The family built Nature & Découvertes as a pioneer in retail philanthropy—the first French company to achieve B Corp certification and a longtime member of 1% for the Planet, which commits 1% of sales to environmental causes. This ethos now filters into the family office's investment criteria, focusing on outdoor, well-being, and sustainability-aligned consumer brands.

### What investment structures does Mercator SA use?

Mercator SA engages in direct equity deals and co-investments. A known structure is partnership with institutional funds: the Origine Cycles deal was done alongside LBO France. The office favors buyouts and growth equity in French and European consumer brands.

### Which sectors does the office explicitly avoid?

Given the B Corp heritage and 1% for the Planet membership, the family office avoids sectors that conflict with its environmental and social governance standards. Fossil fuels, heavy industrials, and extractive industries are absent from known portfolio activities, which center on consumer goods, outdoor equipment, and well-being products.

### What is the extent of the Lemarchand family's real asset holdings?

The family office owns La Canopée, the Versailles headquarters of Nature & Découvertes; a mixed-use property in Wissous; and a permaculture site on the Versailles grounds. These assets are held through private family entities and are not part of the Fnac Darty corporate perimeter.

## Related profiles

- [Nature Capital](https://altss.com/profile/nature-capital)
- [Natureza](https://altss.com/profile/natureza)

---

Last updated: 2026-07-06T00:36:34.106Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/nature-d-couvertes

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology