Arca Space Capital invests in Maffei Group, an Italian excellence in the fresh pasta sector

Milan – 24 June 2026

Space Capital Advisors and Arca Fondi SGR, in the name and on behalf of the Arca Space Capital fund, announce their investment in Maffei Group (the "Group"), a leading Italian player in fresh pasta production and a leader in fresh semolina pasta, through a majority acquisition aimed at supporting an ambitious path of industrial growth and international expansion.

The transaction represents the fund's sixth investment and entails the acquisition of 65% of Maffei Group's share capital by Arca Space Capital, with the reinvestment of the remaining 35% by entrepreneur Ignazio Maffei, who has driven the Group's strong growth in recent years and will retain the role of Chief Executive Officer. The partnership is intended to expand production capacity and strengthen the Group's presence in foreign markets and in the Ho.Re.Ca. channel.

Maffei: over 60 years of history in Italian fresh pasta

The Group is well-known in the fresh pasta sector, holding a leadership position in the production of fresh semolina pasta, as well as egg pasta, gnocchi and filled pasta. The Group acts as a single point of contact for large-scale grocery retail chains, thanks to a comprehensive portfolio of branded (around 50% of total revenue) and private label products.

In recent years Maffei Group has recorded significant growth, underpinned by innovation, quality and industrial efficiency, generating revenue of Euro 67 million in 2025. Maffei Group – comprising Il Pastaio di Maffei Savino & C. S.r.l., Pastificio Valleoro S.r.l. and Pastificio Salento S.r.l. – is historically headquartered in Barletta and operates two additional production sites in Sogliano Cavour (LE) and Aprilia (LT), employing more than 130 people. Thanks to the support of Arca Space Capital and the strengthening of the management team alongside Ignazio Maffei, the Group aims to double in size with targeted acquisitions and by accelerating its growth in international markets.

To support Ignazio Maffei on this new industrial path, Gianluigi Zenti has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. A manager with decades of experience in the pasta sector having held senior roles in Italy and abroad at leading international groups. In addition, a new Export Manager has already been hired from a company in the sector to further accelerate export sales.

Statements

Ignazio Maffei, Chief Executive Officer of Maffei Group, said:

"The entry of Arca Space Capital marks the start of a new phase of growth for Maffei Group, founded and managed over the years by my father Savino Maffei. The results achieved to date are the result of the work of the entire Maffei team, which has contributed to this extraordinary journey. With our new partner we intend to strengthen our presence in domestic and international markets, broaden our offering and consolidate the relationship of trust with Italian large-scale organised retail."

Carlo Pagliani and Alessandro Grassi, Partners of Space Capital Advisors, commented:

"Maffei is a story of industrial excellence in the Italian food sector, with distinctive positioning and strong potential. The fresh pasta sector shows significant growth dynamics, both in Italy and abroad, driven by consumers' perception of the quality of fresh product, its health-related characteristics and its short cooking times. We are excited to support Ignazio Maffei and the Group's management in this new growth plan, providing financial resources and managerial expertise to accelerate its development."

Ugo Loeser, Chief Executive Officer of Arca Fondi SGR, concluded:

"We are pleased to support Maffei Group in this new phase of development. We believe that the Group's distinctive positioning and the strengthening of its management path can sustain a further acceleration of its growth, including at an international level. This transaction represents the sixth investment completed in just three years since the launch of the Arca Space Capital fund – a result that reflects the sustained pace of our investment strategy in small and medium-sized Italian companies that are leaders in their respective sectors."

Advisors to the transaction

Arca Space Capital was assisted by Target as legal advisor, by PwC for financial and tax due diligence, by ERM on ESG and EHS matters, and by Studio MBA as financial advisor. Business due diligence was carried out with the support of GEA and the contribution of Dr. Gianluigi Zenti as industry expert.

Maffei Group was assisted by Russo De Rosa Associati as legal advisor and by Mediobanca as financial advisor.

The transaction was supported by a pool of banks led by the Corporate & Investment Banking Division of BPER (acting as Global Coordinator, Agent Bank, Bookrunner and MLA), Banca Popolare di Puglia e Basilicata and Banca Sella (both acting as Bookrunner and MLA). Orrick acted as legal advisor to the banks.

ARCA SPACE CAPITAL

Arca Fondi SGR, founded in 1983, is today one of the leading players in the Italian asset management landscape, thanks to the quality of its products and services. With assets under management that reached Euro 50 billion in 2024, Arca Fondi SGR is a leader in the segment of Individual Savings Plans (PIR), in Target Date Funds, Open Pension Funds and ESG investments. Arca's products are distributed through a broad and far-reaching network which, thanks to well-established partnerships with more than 50 banks and financial institutions, can rely on over 4,500 branches. Since 2019, Arca has been part of the BPER Banca Banking Group.

Arca Space Capital is the private equity fund born from the partnership between Arca Fondi SGR and Space Capital Advisors, with a size of Euro 206 million. To date the fund has completed six investments: RINA (leading operator in the testing, inspection and certification sector), Mosaiq Group (packaging for the luxury and fashion sector), Eurosirel (leader in the wound care and cosmetic masks sector), Unifarco (scientific dermocosmetics and nutraceuticals for the pharmacy channel), Rogelfrut (leader in the production and distribution of fresh and frozen fruit-based ingredients for artisanal gelato) and, as of today, Maffei Group.

Space Capital Advisors is the company established by partners Carlo Pagliani, Edoardo Subert, Alfredo Ambrosio, Laura Selvi and Alessandro Grassi, dedicated exclusively to the Arca Space Capital initiative. Since 2013, the Space team has promoted the formation of four SPACs for a combined total of approximately Euro 1 billion, which brought four sector-leading companies to the STAR segment of Borsa Italiana (FILA, Avio, Aquafil and Guala Closures). In 2019 the Space team launched a club deal platform, which carried out two private equity investments in SMEs (Adler Ortho and Bruno Generators Group) for a total value of approximately Euro 100 million, with the aim of supporting entrepreneurs in the growth journey of their companies.