Arca Fondi SGR launches its first Private Equity Fund: "Arca Space Capital"

Arca Fondi SGR, for 40 years a leading player in Italian asset management, is expanding into Private Markets. The company has indeed completed the launch of "Arca Space Capital", a Private Equity Fund created in partnership with Space Capital Advisors that will invest in Italian SMEs with significant growth potential.

The Fund, aimed at both Italian and international institutional and professional investors, closed the first phase of fundraising at approximately Euro 130 million and aims to invest in excellent Italian companies, leaders in their reference sector and with solid performance.

The objective is to act as a strategic partner supporting projects of corporate consolidation, international development, generational transition, mergers and acquisitions, and potential IPOs. The Fund will focus on three sector areas: energy transition, population ageing, and the circular economy.

The first closing saw the participation, alongside Arca Holding Spa, of pension funds, banking foundations, and Fondo Italiano di Investimento through two funds. The final fundraising target is Euro 250 million.

The Fund is managed with the support of advisor Space Capital Advisors, a company led by partners Carlo Pagliani, Edoardo Subert, Alfredo Ambrosio and Laura Selvi, professionals with proven experience and know-how in Private Equity, who have already promoted 4 SPACs and two Private Equity investments through a Club Deal platform, investing more than Euro 1 billion over the last ten years.

The Space team will be part of the Fund's Investment Committee and will support Arca Fondi SGR in selecting investment opportunities, executing transactions, and managing portfolio companies.

The Fund has an 8-year term (extendable) and will invest in companies with a target equity ticket per deal of between Euro 20 and 60 million, in companies with revenues of up to Euro 300 million, while also allowing for co-investment transactions with selected investors.

Arca Space Capital is a closed-end Alternative Private Equity Fund (FIA) classified as Article 8 under the European Union's SFDR regulation, and therefore pays close attention to ESG themes throughout every phase of the investment cycle.

With the launch of this initiative, Arca Fondi — among the first asset managers to support the real economy with the 2015 launch of Arca Economia Reale Equity Italia, and among the leaders in the PIR market — thus enters the world of Private Markets with the aim of supporting the Italian economic system and creating attractive return opportunities for professional and institutional investors.

Ugo Loeser, Chief Executive Officer of Arca Fondi SGR, stated: "40 years after its founding, Arca Fondi SGR takes an important new step with its entry into Private Markets, bringing investors the outstanding opportunities offered by the country's real economy. Arca Space Capital positions itself as a strategic partner for ambitious companies that want to open their capital to a professional investor in order to grow, innovate, and reach their full potential."

Carlo Pagliani and Edoardo Subert, Senior Partners at Space Capital Advisors, stated: "We are pleased to embark on this journey with Arca Fondi SGR, with whom we have a long-standing partnership, and we are ready to work synergistically, combining our respective areas of expertise, to achieve important results for the benefit of companies and investors. SMEs are a key driver of the Italian economy, with dynamic and talented entrepreneurs who offer excellent investment opportunities for a Fund specialised in this segment."

ARCA FONDI SGR

Founded in 1983, Arca Fondi SGR 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 36 billion in March 2023 and a broad and diversified product range, Arca Fondi SGR is the ideal choice for those seeking a reliable and professional partner for the management of their investments. Arca is a leader in the segment of Individual Savings Plans (PIR), in the Target Date Funds and Open Pension Funds segments, and in ESG investments. Arca's products are distributed through a broad and far-reaching network which, thanks to well-established partnerships with more than 100 banks and financial institutions, can rely on more than 8,000 branches. Since 2019, Arca has been part of the BPER Banca Banking Group.

For further information:

Arca Fondi SGR

Ad Hoc Communication Advisors

Tel. 02.7606741

Valentina Zanotto – email: valentina.zanotto@ahca.it – cell. 335.1415575

Simona Di Nicola – email: simona.dinicola@ahca.it – cell. 335.141557