Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (“GBL”) has successfully completed the acquisition of a 45% co-control stake in Rayner (“Rayner”), a leading manufacturer of intraocular lenses and related products. GBL will invest €0.5bn of equity alongside incumbent shareholders CVC and the Rayner management team. Through this investment, announced on February 9, 2026, GBL will have co-control rights alongside CVC.

Rayner produces a full range of ophthalmic solutions (including lenses, surgical instruments, machines, eye drops), that help restore sight in patients undergoing cataract and refractive surgeries. Headquartered in the UK, Rayner markets its products through direct sales teams and distributors. The company has a global presence, with sales in over 80 countries across 6 continents, and direct sales teams in 16 countries.

This transaction aligns with GBL’s ambition (i) to invest in assets in which the group has control or co-control and (ii) to increase the share of direct private assets within its portfolio, as communicated at the group’s Mid-term Strategic Update in November 2024. This investment, the first of three1 announced this year, marks another in healthcare, which the group has identified as one of five priority sectors2. The healthcare sector, supported by favorable long-term demographic trends and growth perspectives, presents attractive investment opportunities. In addition, fragmentation across geographies and activities lends itself to ample value-creative M&A.

For additional information:

Xavier Likin Chief Financial Officer

Tel: +32 2 289 17 72 xlikin@gbl.com

For CVC: Nick Board Director, Communications

Tel: +44 20 7420 4200

nboard@cvc.com

For Rayner: marketingteam@rayner.com

About Rayner

Alison Donohoe Head of Investor Relations Tel: +32 2 289 17 64 adonohoe@gbl.com Since the implantation of the first Rayner intraocular lens by Sir Harold Ridley in 1949, Rayner has continuously pioneered intraocular lens (IOL) design with a goal to improve vision and restore sight worldwide. Today, Rayner continues to deliver innovative and clinically superior ophthalmic products that respond to the expectations of our global customers to improve the sight and quality of life of their patients. Headquartered in Worthing, UK, Rayner markets its IOL, OVD and dry eye portfolio, worldwide in over 80 countries. For more information: www.rayner.com

About CVC

CVC is a leading global private markets manager with a network of 29 office locations throughout EMEA, the Americas, and Asia, with approximately €209bn of assets under management. CVC has seven complementary strategies across private equity, secondaries, credit and infrastructure, for which CVC funds have secured commitments of over €257bn from some of the world’s leading pension funds and other institutional investors. Funds managed or advised by CVC’s private equity strategy are invested in approximately 150+ companies worldwide, which have combined annual sales of over €240bn and employ nearly 660,000 people. For further information about CVC please visit: www.cvc.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

About Groupe Bruxelles Lambert

GBL is an established investment holding company, with over seventy years of stock exchange listing and a net asset value of €13.3bn at the end of March 2026. As a leading and active investor in Europe, GBL focuses on long-term value creation with the support of a stable family shareholder base. GBL is focused on delivering meaningful growth by providing attractive returns to its shareholders through a combination of growth in its net asset value per share, a sustainable dividend and share buybacks.

GBL is listed on Euronext Brussels (Ticker: GBLB BB; ISIN code: BE0003797140) and is included in the BEL20 index. Press release – May 28, 2026 // Page 2 / 2 // For