Milan (Italy), November 19th, 2020 - Kyma Investment Partners SGR S.p.A (“Kyma”) is a new independent asset management company based in Milan which has received authorization to operate from Banca d’Italia. The company was born from the initiative of four partners with a long experience in the private equity and digital industries.

Kyma is launching a new growth buy-out fund dedicated to Italian SMEs with high potential, an EBITDA between 3 and 7 M€, focused on traditional sectors (i.e., ICT, education, services, mechanics, etc. ...), and the ambition and the potential to transform their businesses digitally. This transformation will not only make the business models more performing and efficient in the long run due to the introduction of digital technologies / skills, but also more sustainable. Consolidation of the sector in which the targets operate, and internationalization will be the other key levers on which Kyma will focus the growth strategy of its portfolio companies.

Luciano Hassan, Chairman of Kyma, comments: “With the authorization of the Bank of Italy we are pleased to announce the launch of our fund to support Italian SMEs in their process of digitalization. Today, more than ever technologies are significantly impacting the way companies compete in global markets. Companies need to adapt to the new environment and will need to adapt even more in the future also due to the impact of Covid-19. Kyma aims to make the world of traditional companies talk to the world of technology, making the latter accessible to the best Italian companies so that they can continue to excel and compete on a global scale.

The KYMA team can count on a unique mix of skills due to the synergic and complementary background of its private equity professionals and managers experienced in digitalization, sustainability and buy & build on a global scale. In addition to the Chairman Luciano Hassan, former head of Intesa San Paolo Private Equity and senior advisor of Alpha Private Equity, the team is composed by Gianluca Losi, former partner of TEC, the club deal platform of Mediobanca and previously director of Alpha Private Equity, and Michele Fontana Sabatini, former director of KKR Pillarstone and Bregal Capital, a pan-European growth buy-out fund based in London. The team is completed by Carlo Privitera in the role of Digital & Operations Partner, with a past experience in InvestIndustrial in New York, where he was Operating Partner and responsible for the digitalization of portfolio companies and in Luxottica where he held, among other roles, the global responsibility for the E-Com & Digital Innovation project.

The target size of the new fund, launched following the authorization by Banca d’Italia, is 130 M€. Kyma is in advanced discussions with Fondo Italiano d’Investimento for the role of anchor investor. Other investors will be banks, foundations, insurance companies and family offices.