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- ELITE partners with Cassa depositi e prestiti and NUO Capital, who will acquire minority stakes in ELITE SpA
- ELITE is London Stock Exchange Group’s innovative SME support and capital raising platform
- More than 600 companies from 25 countries comprise growing ELITE community
ELITE, London Stock Exchange Group’s (LSEG) innovative SME support and capital raising platform announces today that it has attracted external investment to support its global expansion. ELITE was launched by Borsa Italiana in 2012 and rolled out by LSEG in the UK in 2014 and across the rest of Europe and internationally in 2015.
Cassa depositi e prestiti (CDP), the Italian National Promotional Institution, and NUO Capital (NUO), the Milan headquartered investment company of Hong Kong investment firm, World Wide Investment Co, founded by Sir Yue-Kong Pao will partner with ELITE to consolidate its role as an international platform and strengthen its expansion across Europe and Asia.
CDP and NUO share ELITE’s values and are both focused on supporting the long term growth of SMEs and recognise their potential to innovate and drive economic prosperity. Independent of this project, CDP has previously publicly committed more than €160 billion over five years across different projects to stimulate European economic growth, with a particular focus on SMEs. NUO, recently founded by Stephen Cheng, Chairman of NUO, is an investment company dedicated to investing in high growth SMEs and supporting their expansion across the Asian markets, through NUO’s network of private and institutional relationships.
Subject to regulatory approval, CDP and NUO will acquire a minority stakes of 15% and 10% respectively in ELITE SpA. The value of the stakes are undisclosed.
More than 600 companies comprise ELITE’s growing community. ELITE companies represent 25 countries across 36 sectors, generating €50 billion in combined revenues and account for over 215,000 jobs across Europe and beyond.
Raffaele Jerusalmi, Director of Capital Markets, London Stock Exchange Group, CEO of Borsa Italiana and Chairman of ELITE SpA:
“The partnership with Cassa depositi e prestiti, one of the main national promotional institutions in Europe, and with NUO Capital, the European financial arm of one of the largest family offices in Hong Kong, confirms the growing interest and support for ELITE. These new experienced investors will contribute significantly to ELITE’s development strategy and consolidate its role as a platform to support the growth of SMEs globally.”
Luca Peyrano, CEO, ELITE SpA:
“Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and NUO Capital will boost ELITE’s international expansion and position ELITE as a global platform to support the growth and funding of ambitious businesses. Our partnership with CDP and NUO will also further strengthen ELITE’s innovative offering for companies, supporting them in streamlining their capital raising process and raising their visibility to an international investor audience.”
Fabio Gallia, CEO, Cassa depositi e prestiti SpA:
“The investment in ELITE is part of CDP’s wider strategy to provide excellent businesses with easier access to alternative and complimentary financing sources outside of traditional channels. Together with a qualified and institutional partner such as ELITE, CDP will promote the development of alternative financing and the spread of a capital-markets culture among SMEs. Through ELITE, SMEs will gain access to all of CDP Group’s instruments to allow them to growth and expand internationally.”
Tommaso Paoli, CEO, NUO Capital:
“Our investment philosophy, characterised by a long term view and by a respect for a company’s values and management, has allowed us to find in ELITE the ideal partner. ELITE owns the technology and the platform to connect private companies to private capital, protecting entrepreneurial values of family owned businesses. Our investment in ELITE together with CDP will allow us to contribute to building a cultural and business bridge to foster SME growth in Asia."
