Fondo Italiano d’Investimento will manage Basket Eque Fund, established to support the growth of companies in the Campania region

Fondo Italiano d’Investimento will manage Basket Eque Fund, established to support the growth of companies in the Campania region. Up to 50 million euros allocated for SMEs

Approved by CDP and developed in collaboration with Sviluppo Campania and Elite | Gruppo Euronext, it represents the implementation tool for the "Garanzia Campania" program launched by the Campania Region

Milan, 5 September 2023 – Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR announces the launch of the Basket Eque Fund, an innovative financial instrument dedicated to private equity and quasi-equity co-investments in Italian companies based in the Campania region or with development programs in the same region.

The target size of the Fund is 45 million euros - with a hard cap of 50 million euros - and the first closing is expected by the end of 2023.

This initiative, approved by the Board of Directors of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA (CDP), is in line with the implementation of the "Garanzia Campania - Equity and quasi-equity" program (Basket Eque) and is realized in collaboration with the regional entity Sviluppo Campania, and Elite | Gruppo Euronext. They conducted a consultation process among various managers and identified Fondo Italiano as the most suitable and innovative project. In particular, the Fund aligns with the guarantee scheme devised by Sviluppo Campania to promote private equity in the Campania region.

The entrepreneurial fabric of Campania is characterized by the presence of over 10.000 small and medium-sized enterprises, with a turnover ranging from 2 to 50 million euros. These companies exhibit high integration into value chains and a strong propensity for internationalization and exports. Their growth projects require capital support for development.Top of Form

Within its investment policy, the Basket Eque Fund will leverage Fondo Italiano's network and will have the opportunity to co-invest both with the direct funds managed by Fondo Italiano and with those of third-party managers, particularly those within the portfolio of its Fund of Funds. Its objective is to facilitate co-investments in Campania-based SMEs, thereby supporting their growth and consolidation within the regional economic context. The Fund will also benefit from the guarantee managed by Sviluppo Campania against potential value losses in the portfolio investments, in accordance with Regional Decree (DGR) no. 544 of 30 November 30 2021.

The Basket Eque Fund, which reaffirms the concrete commitment of the CDP Group to SMEs and regional development issues, operates in continuity with the basket bonds previously structured by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti with the support of Sviluppo Campania. This represents a successful experience that has garnered attention from national and international observers. Elite has been working alongside the regional financial entity from the early stages of this project, aligning with its mission to support institutions and market operators in designing and promoting innovative tools for the benefit of businesses. It has collaborated with Sviluppo Campania in creating a mechanism inspired by the Garanzia Campania Bond but in the form of an equity intervention in companies.

Davide Bertone, CEO of Fondo Italiano d’Investimento, emphasizes: ”We are delighted to have been selected by Sviluppo Campania and Elite to collaborate on the implementation of a project that innovatively combines attention to SMEs and Made in Italy with a focus on the region. We also hope that it can serve as an example for other similar initiatives”.

Mario Mustilli, Chairman of Sviluppo Campania, states: “With the establishment of Basket Eque Fund, we intend to continue on the successful path already laid out by Garanzia Campania Bond, in order to design a future of growth for the productive fabric of the South through a virtuous collaboration between the public and private sectors. We are revitalizing these innovative financial instruments with the aim of contributing to the growth and organizational and managerial strengthening of our companies, making them more competitive in both domestic and international markets. Given the significant contribution that private equity instruments bring to entrepreneurial development, this measure will have the great merit of bolstering investment activity in risk capital, which is less dynamic in the South compared to the North of the country, and spreading it especially in Campania, where it is still relatively scarce”.

Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE, highlights: “With great pride, we announce today, alongside our partners, the launch of this significant initiative. Drawing on the experience gained from our most recent innovative finance programs in the Campania region, we are confident that this initiative will provide new opportunities to strengthen the competitiveness and internationalization of the Campanian productive system. This project is part of the synergistic model that ELITE has developed in collaboration with important national and regional institutions such as Fondo Italiano d’Investimento, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the Campania Region, and Sviluppo Campania”.

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 dedicated to channelling patient capital into the system of Italian companies of excellence, combining the objective of return on invested capital, in line with international benchmarks, with that of developing the Italian production system. Fondo Italiano manages 16 closed-end investment funds reserved for qualified investors, for over 3 billion euros and operates through 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.

Sviluppo Campania Spa

It is the in-house company of the Campania Region, operating since 2011 to support the development of competitiveness in the Campania region. Its operational headquarters are located in Naples at the "Monica Tavernini" Palace of Innovation and Knowledge. Through various in-house professionals, the agency manages incentives for businesses, facilitates access to credit as a manager of financial instruments, provides technical support to the region for internationalization and investment attraction, and supports startups through innovation-oriented guidance services for entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. The company, subject to the direction and control of its sole shareholder, the Campania Region, has 152 employees.

ELITE

ELITE, launched by Borsa Italiana in 2012 and now part of the Euronext Group, is an ecosystem that helps small and medium-sized enterprises grow and access private and public capital markets. ELITE's mission is to support companies in sustainable long-term growth by accelerating their access to capital, expertise, and networking opportunities. ELITE combines a schedule of workshops and coaching sessions with a range of services and solutions for businesses provided by a qualified network of partners and advisors. This supports entrepreneurs and executives in enhancing their skills, strengthening their strategic plans, and seizing business opportunities. ELITE also provides access to alternative sources of financing, including Basket Bonds^®, institutional investors, private equity, venture capital, and financial advisors, positioning companies to secure the essential capital for sustainable long-term growth based on their specific needs. With over 2.000 companies and 200 partners admitted since its launch, ELITE has established an excellent network highly focused on extraordinary financial transactions. To date, the companies in the network have completed more than 1.120 corporate finance transactions, with a total value of approximately 13 billion euros. For more information, please refer to the website elite-network.com.

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