Groupe SEB Invests in CHEFCLUB ; the FoodTech Brand Which Generated the Strongest Growth on Social Media Worldwide In 2020

ECULLY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

Groupe SEB (Paris:SK) has announced a new partnership agreement with Chefclub, as well as the acquisition of a minority stake via its investment company, SEB Alliance.

Simplifying cooking and making it accessible to all: that’s what Chefclub, the start-up created in 2016 by three brothers, Thomas, Jonathan and Axel Lang, has set as its corporate mission. Chefclub has rapidly become a leading brand in the production and dissemination of cooking content. It has already sold 700,000 books and launched a series of innovative products for kids, which more than 150,000 families have enjoyed so far, all created in collaboration with its online community. Groupe SEB, always at the forefront of innovation, decided to partner with Chefclub, in its new round of financing, for its appeal of experiential content and direct access to online communities which represents the future of e-commerce.

100 million followers: direct access to a powerful global online community

Free dissemination of quality content has enabled the brand to attract a community of tens of millions of followers. A true Digital Native Vertical Brand (DNVB), Chefclub has built a relationship of trust with its users, who they can consult and involve in the development of their products. Each product is designed based on the tastes of and requests and comments from the online community, expressed at different stages of the creation process.

More than one billion views per month: unrivaled visibility

Unlike traditional DNVBs, however, Chefclub stands out thanks to one key strength. As viewers switch from television to social media, Chefclub promotes its brand and its products via inspirational and amusing video recipes viewed all over the world: in December 2020, more than 50 million Americans and close to 15 million French viewers watched Chefclub’s recipe videos.

And a strategic brand license: “Chefclub by Tefal”

This acquisition is also part of joint efforts which will be stepped up in H1 2021 with the launch of a range of products under the brand license “Chefclub by Tefal”, including skillets, saucepans, kitchen tools and small domestic appliances. Created in collaboration with the Chefclub community, this range combines Chefclub’s expertise in the development of creative recipes with Tefal’s sustainable design for simple products to make cooking easier. It will be launched shortly in France and internationally (Germany, Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Canada, Spain, the UK and Mexico), and will be sold via all offline and online channels as well as directly to customers (DtoC) on the Tefal and Chefclub websites.

The new brand “Chefclub by Tefal” benefits from unprecedented visibility on social networks and will broaden Groupe SEB’s reach, particularly with Millennials, who are discovering or rediscovering the joys of cooking thanks to the start-up’s content. By joining forces with Groupe SEB, world reference for small domestic appliances, Chefclub has access to recognized industrial expertise, the renown of the Tefal brand and a broader retail network which will enable its community to discover its products via the Group’s retail channels.

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Regarding this partnership, Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, Chairman and CEO of Groupe SEB, commented: “In these extraordinary times, cooking is now more than ever a safe haven. While numerous studies show that French people, and indeed people all around the world, are cooking more and more, they seek fun content, simple and creative recipes, innovative products and original ideas to accompany them in their achievements. We are proud to step up our development of digital cooking initiatives, reach new audiences and we are therefore delighted to benefit from Chefclub’s expertise. This collaboration will enable us to go even further in offering innovative services to home chefs.”

Thomas Lang, Chairman and Co-Founder of Chefclub, added: “Not long ago, we started Chefclub in the kitchen of our apartment. Today, we are signing a global partnership with an industry leader. It is with great pride and pleasure that we join forces with a group that has succeeded in remaining agile despite its scale. With limited resources, we had already succeeded in building an unprecedented social media following and creating a community that is actively involved in developing our products. This ambitious project with Groupe SEB represents a new chapter for us, one that will enable our users to benefit from Chefclub’s inspiration at every step of the cooking experience.”

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Next key dates - 2021
February 25 | before market opens	2020 sales and results
April 22 | after market closes	Q1 2021 sales and financial data
May 20 | 3:00 p.m.	Annual General Meeting
July 23 | before market opens	H1 2021 sales and results
October 26 | after market closes	9-month 2021 sales and financial data

Find us on www.groupeseb.com

World reference in Small Domestic Equipment, Groupe SEB operates with a unique portfolio of more than 30 top brands including Tefal, Seb, Rowenta, Moulinex, Krups, Lagostina, All-Clad, WMF, Emsa, Supor, marketed through multi-format retailing. Selling more than 360 million products a year, it deploys a long-term strategy focused on innovation, international development, competitiveness, and service to clients. Present in over 150 countries, Groupe SEB generated sales of €7.3 billion in 2019 and has more than 34,000 employees worldwide.

SEB SA ■

SEB SA – N° RCS 300 349 636 RCS LYON – with a share capital of €50,307,064 – Intracommunity VAT: FR 12300349636