Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a global investment group, has announced the acquisition of a significant minority interest in QIMA, a provider of supply chain compliance solutions.

"This investment will allow the company to continue driving its strategic growth plan focused on both acquisitions and the expansion of its service offerings into new geographies and sectors," it said in a statement, noting that the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Founded in 2005, QIMA is a fast-growing global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) company and a digital pioneer in the sector that has invested heavily in developing an industry-leading technology platform.

The company is active in the food, consumer goods and life sciences markets with over 15,000 clients in over 120 countries.

QIMA has a broad global presence with a presence in 88 countries.

CDPQ said QIMA has developed a differentiated value proposition through its own supply chain quality management SaaS platform, QIMAone, which facilitates transparency and collaboration by enabling customers to have real time visibility of their entire procurement ecosystem and a shared view of quality and compliance performance. 

"We are thrilled to welcome CDPQ and begin a new chapter in the development of QIMA," said Sebastien Breteau, founder and CEO at QIMA. "As consumers' expectations surrounding quality, safety, and environmental impact continue to rise, widespread disruptions are simultaneously making global supply chain management more complex than ever. With the support of CDPQ, QIMA is in a unique position to help. By combining an industry-leading technology platform with our global experts' presence on the ground, we'll continue to bring more transparency and traceability to the products consumers are using every day." 

Martin Laguerre, executive vice-president and head of Private Equity and Capital Solutions at CDPQ noted that QIMA has enjoyed "significant growth thanks to its superior level of digitalization and ability to successfully integrate numerous acquisitions over the last few years while also continuing to serve a growing base of blue-chip clients." 

"With this investment, we look forward to partnering with QIMA and its strong management team as they continue to support a broad range of clients across the world with fast, accurate and transparent data that is essential to ensuring quality products that improve consumer safety and confidence."