Fondo Italiano d’Investimento: Fondo Italiano Agri & Food - FIAF has concluded a round of founding at 225 million euros
Among the new investors European Investment Fund (EIF), Intesa Sanpaolo and Eurizon Capital Real Asset SGR
Milan, January 25th 2024 – Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR has successfully completed another round of funding for Fondo Italiano Agri & Food– FIAF, the fund dedicated to the Italian agri-food industry.
The Fund has raised 225 million thanks to the latest commitments by the European Investment Fund (EIF) and Intesa Sanpaolo, who will act as Cornerstone Investors and will join existing Cornerstone Investors BF and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), Eurizon Capital Real Asset SGR (ECRA) and other leading institutional investors.
The agrifood sector is one of the most relevant industries in Italy in terms of turnover, employees and export, representing a synonym for Made in Italy excellence in the world. The business generated amounts to more than 500 billion euros on an annual basis and employs about 3.6 million people. These crucial figures represent only a fraction of the industry's potential.
Fondo Italiano Agri & Food’s main goals are to foster the consolidation and modernisation of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the sector, with a special emphasis on those focusing on innovation, digitalisation, exports, and build-up processes. These objectives are in line with the objectives of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the European Green Deal.
The recent entry of FIAF with a majority stake in the share capital of Corradi e Ghisolfi, a leading Italian company in the design, construction, and maintenance of agricultural biogas and biomethane plants, fits into this context.
Pier Felice Murtas, Senior Partner of Fondo Italiano d'Investimento SGR and Head of the FIAF Fund, stresses, “The strategic value of agri-food companies has long clashed with general problems related in particular to the high fragmentation of the sector. Fondo Italiano Agri & Food, in line with the objectives of our Business Plan to 2025, intends to continue to strengthen its contribution, promoting synergies and investments that allow for increasing integration between agriculture and industry."
Roberto Travaglino, Senior Partner and Head of Distribution, Investor Relations and ESG, says "We are proud of the support of an institutional and international investor such as the EIF, and of primary players in the Italian market such as Intesa Sanpaolo and ECRA. As shown with the first completed deal, Fondo Italiano Agri & Food has a strong focus on climate and environmental sustainability issues that are well appreciated by investors."
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Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR
Fondo Italiano d'Investimento SGR was established in 2010 on the initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and is majority-owned by CDP Equity, with the remaining shares held by Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Fondazione ENPAM, Fondazione ENPAIA, ABI, Banco BPM and BPER Banca. Fondo Italiano d'Investimento SGR main objective is the management of closed-end investment funds with patient capital dedicated to leading Italian companies, combining the objective of return on invested capital, in line with international benchmarks, with the development of the Italian industrial ecosystem. Fondo Italiano manages 16 closed-end investment funds reserved to qualified investors, with over 3.3 billion euros under management and executes direct and indirect investments (funds of funds). Fondo Italiano considers sustainability a core value and is committed to integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into its investment activities.
For further information
Roberto Travaglino
Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR
+39 02 63532 208
roberto.travaglino@fondoitaliano.it
Thanai Bernardini
External press office Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR
+39 335 7245418
me@thanai.it
Alessandro Bozzi Valenti
External press office Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR
+39 348 0090866
alessandro.valenti@thanai.it