Atos announced on Wednesday that it had launched a due diligence phase with Airbus for the purchase of its BDS (Big data & security) business, for which the European aircraft manufacturer is proposing an enterprise value of between 1.5 billion and 1.8 billion euros.

"Currently at a preliminary stage, discussions concern "the entire BDS perimeter", says the company in a press release.

It added that it had received two letters indicating non-binding interest in its BDS business.

In addition, the IT services group indicated that "the initially planned size of Eviden's capital increase" would be reduced, as part of negotiations with Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky's company EPEI.

Atos' Tech Foundations division is to be sold to EPEI for two billion euros, in return for Daniel Kretinsky's 7.5% stake in the cybersecurity division that Atos would retain, renamed Eviden.

"The company is examining with EPEI the legal and financial conditions under which EPEI could be released, in whole or in part, from its commitment to participate," Atos says.

Atos is also in discussions with its banks to arrange the repayment and financing of its debts, notably through the sale of assets, including its BDS business.

The company is considering asset disposals "well in excess of the 400 million euros mentioned in the press release of July 28, 2023, in order to meet its financing deadlines".

If the transaction with EPEI does not go ahead, the company is considering additional asset disposals.

Atos is also planning two six-month extensions to its 1.5 billion euro loan, the first of which will take effect on January 29 (Gaëlle Sheehan reports, edited by Blandine Hénault).