With over €27 million in revenues and €5 million EBITDA, the Group is poised for a new phase of strategic growth.

The financing aims to optimize the capital structure and unlock new investments, including the finalization of the acquisition of Cast Alimenti, a renowned culinary school based in Brescia, nationally recognized for training top-tier professionals in cooking, pastry, and gastronomic arts.
The operation involved illimity Bank S.p.A. as agent bank, Cherry Bank – through the Structured Finance division – together with illimity SGR – through the “illimity Selective Credit” fund, the first Italian bank credit fund dedicated to performing SMEs – both as Mandated Lead Arrangers, and Fineurop Soditic as Debt Advisor.

This financing marks a key milestone in Plena Education’s industrial development. Following a rapid expansion through acquisitions, the Group is now entering a phase of internal consolidation and value creation, driven by a strong management team with a proven track record in the higher education sector. The aim is to extract value and synergies from an already integrated platform, leveraging past investments in faculty, digital transformation, infrastructure, and marketing.

Gianluca Losi, CEO and Founding Partner of KYIP Capital, stated: “Plena Education stands as a truly unique case in the Italian landscape: an integrated, diversified, and growing platform that enhances the excellence of Italian creativity with an international outlook. This financing allows us to further strengthen a high-impact educational infrastructure with strong growth potential, both geographically and academically. Plena Education is now a player capable of actively contributing to the transformation of Italy’s higher education system, making it more integrated, attractive, and focused on excellence. In line with our strategy, we aim to support the Group in consolidating the sector and building a leading European hub for specialized higher education.”

Alessandro Montel, CEO of Plena Education, commented: “Securing this financing represents an important recognition of the Group’s strength and its readiness to enter a new phase of development. Following a rapid and intense growth trajectory, Plena has evolved into a mature and integrated platform, ready to unlock its full potential in terms of synergies, innovation, and international appeal. With the continued support of KYIP Capital and our financial partners, we are now well-positioned to strengthen our educational model and pursue our goal of building an Italian educational hub with a distinctly European and multicultural identity.”

With more than 4,600 students enrolled in 7 Italian cities (Milan, Rome, Brescia, Padua, Bologna, Palermo, and Syracuse), Plena Education is now the 3rd largest private higher education group in the creative arts in Italy. The Group offers a full academic portfolio, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees, postgraduate programs, and short courses in design, fine arts, fashion, cinema, music, culinary arts, hospitality, and linguistic mediation.

Founded in 2022 as an industrial build-up project, Plena Education has brought together 7 academic institutions – Ferrari Fashion School, RUFA Rome University of Fine Arts, SPD Scuola Politecnica Design, Saint Louis Music College, UNI CIELS, MADE, and CAST Alimenti – each with strong identity and long-standing traditions, evolving into a nationally recognized platform. Over the years, the schools have obtained national and international accreditations – including from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and the British Teesside University – and launched joint programs and double degree pathways. As a result, international students now represent 15% of total enrollment – a significant milestone for institutions that were originally focused on the domestic market.

The Group is now entering a new growth phase in a fragmented market, focusing on high-demand creative disciplines and high-potential territories. With a solid financial foundation and an active pipeline of complementary opportunities, Plena Education is a mature and scalable platform, ready to strengthen its positioning in high value-added segments of higher education.