Powell launches international growth phase with Cathay Capital

Powell, a provider of modern intranets, gains Cathay Capital as majority shareholder alongside co-founder and Chairman Cyril de Queral, CEO Edouard Payenneville and the entire team.

The strategic investment will strengthen Powell's position as one of the leading French and European providers of next-generation intranets. With Cathay Capital's support, Powell aims to accelerate its expansion in Europe and the US, increase its innovation through the use of Agentic AI and drive the consolidation of the dynamically growing digital workplace market.

The Cathay Capital team approached us with a customized project that addresses our challenges. Their international ecosystem and experience with ambitious scale-ups will take Powell to the next level.

Cyril de Queral, Founder and President of Powell

Dynamically growing market for digital workplaces

Traditionally, intranets were used purely as communication tools. Today, they are evolving into strategic platforms that are at the heart of IT, HR and corporate communications.

The drivers are hybrid working models, increased requirements in terms of cyber security, compliance and productivity as well as the need for greater employee loyalty. Next-generation intranets not only provide information, but also enable true collaboration and increased efficiency. New technologies such as Agentic AI open up additional potential for improving the employee experience.

10 years of profitable growth

Since its foundation in 2016, Powell has established itself as a leading provider in the field of digital workplaces with a modular platform that is fully integrated into the Microsoft environment.

• 550 customers worldwide, including Endress&Hauser, Diakonie, Hensoldt and SMS Group
• 70 employees on three continents
• 60% share of sales outside France
• Continuous double-digit growth since foundation

Powell helps companies create secure, high-performance and inclusive digital workplaces that seamlessly connect IT, HR and communications.

A new chapter with Cathay Capital

Cathay Capital's investment opens up a new phase of growth for Powell. The aim is to strengthen the strategic importance of the digital workplace, drive innovation, particularly in agent-based AI, and expand internationally.

This partnership illustrates our strategy: creating value through agile partnerships with entrepreneurs and long-term support from Cathay's platform.

Jean-Marc Prunet, Partner at Cathay Capital

Founded in 2016, Powell is a global digital workplace provider trusted by regulated industries in particular. The platform is fully based on Microsoft 365 and SharePoint and bridges the gap between IT, HR and communication needs. With offices in France, Germany, Australia and the US and a strong partner ecosystem, Powell helps clients worldwide to implement modern intranet solutions.