Atos, which provides secure communications for the French military and intelligence agencies and produces servers for supercomputers, is currently undergoing a restructuring process to address its significant debt. The government has been actively working for several months to finalize a deal that would allow it to maintain control over Atos' critical technological assets within France.
The objective is to finalize a share purchase agreement by May 31, coinciding with the end of an exclusivity period, according to Atos. The company indicated that an initial payment of 150 million euros would be made upon the signing of the agreement.
The total offer could potentially rise to 625 million euros, including performance-related earn-outs.
"It is the responsibility of the French State to ensure, as a shareholder when warranted, the sustainability and growth of the industrial activities that are most vital to our sovereignty," stated French Finance Minister Antoine Armand in a separate announcement on Monday.
Atos' cybersecurity division, BDS, encompasses Advanced Computing, Critical Systems, and Cyber Products, employing approximately 4,000 individuals and generating around 900 million euros in annual revenue, as reported by a French Finance Ministry official to Reuters in April.
Additionally, Atos announced plans to initiate a formal sales process for BDS's Critical Systems and Cyber Products.
Considering the divestiture of the computing unit, Atos now anticipates its financial leverage for 2027 to range between 1.8 and 2.1 times its core earnings.
Earlier this month, the parliament's Finance Commission approved an amendment that could pave the way for the nationalization of Atos.