PRESS RELEASE 22 MAY 2017
ITALEAF: The Board of Directors approves the 2017 update of the strategic development plan. Focus on holding activity to create value
- In the plan update: strengthening of the holding business resulting in reorganization of the operating structure, increasing of value creation from the investee companies, risk reduction through diversification of asset allocation and increasing of the investment turnover in companies, improving the real estate return, increased investment capacity through the "Club Deal" formula (concerted transactions between Italeaf and other shareholders), transfer of the strategic headquarter to Milan (close to market)
- Confirmed the target ratios PFN/Shareholders' equity lower than or equal to 0.8x and IRRs by each exit higher than or equal to 30%
- Value creation target: NAV per share equal to or higher than the index Ftse Italia Small Cap
The board of directors of Italeaf , holding company and first Italian company builder active in cleantech and smart innovation sectors, listed on on NASDAQ OMX First North, has approved the update of the Strategic Development Plan 2015-2017 "Increase the value creation focusing on holding activity". The presentation slides of the plan are available on the company's website at www.italeaf.com .
The Chairman and CEO of Italeaf , Mr Stefano Neri , stated: " The revision and updating of the Strategic Development Plan coincides with my appointment as CEO, for the first time in the history of our holding. I intend to put my commitment, my skills and my experience in the service of this exciting, new phase. In the three-year period 2015-2017, net of depreciations of non-strategic equity investments in two banks, the targets have been achieved. In the Plan update, our founding idea is confirmed in its goodness and validity, with a necessary evolution in the direction of growth, also due to the remarkable experiences gained and the overall context. The introduction in the national context of instruments such as PIRs, which give undue tax advantages to investors, will contribute to channeling savings towards the real economy and, in particular, to SMEs. We will therefore move to promote the creation of a platform for investment in innovative industrial initiatives, strengthening the identity of a dynamic operator in the investment sector towards SMEs of excellence with high growth prospects. To this end, we intend to boost the investment turnover process by favoring the exit process, including through the entry of new majority shareholders or investors, denying to Italeaf a conglomerate destiny that would slow down the development dynamics ".
"INCREASE THE VALUE CREATION FOCUSING ON HOLDING ACTIVITY": KEY STRATEGIC LINES Italeaf aims to consolidate its position as the first Italian independent company builder active in the cleantech and smart innovation sectors, enhancing focus on investment in innovative companies and value-added from equity management. The updating of the plan "Increase the value creation focusing on holding activity", therefore, bases its assumptions on a strong core businesss positioning in the direction of operational holding activity. The value creation model through the "Company Building" business is redefined, reducing the risk through the growth of the size of the investee companies. This target will be pursued scaling the stage of venture capital business, ranging from startup to early growth companies. This action will make it possible to resize the weight of the "global service" activity previously provided by Italeaf to the investee companies and subsidiaries, due to focus on the holding mission, resulting in a reorganization of the operating structure through a strong recovery in efficiency and a significant increase in the value of production. This will lead to a contraction in operating costs, which will result in a parallel decrease in service revenues. Similarly, the target is to increase the return on real estate assets, to be allocated in terms of contribution to equity investment (the "Company Building" model) in industrial initiatives with high growth prospects. The update of the development plan highlights, on the strategic side, a more pronounced tendency to diversify investment and industrial sectors of interest, with particular reference to cleantech, digital energy, internet of things, additive manufacturing and 3D printing, drones, green chemistry. It will be also intensified the value-generation for Italeaf's shareholders and return investments through diversified exits (eg M&A, IPO or new majority shareholders or investors), accelerating the turnover process. Within this target, Italeaf intends to increase its investment capacity and the size of the same through the "Club Deal formula", giving life to investment or co-founding transactions concerted between Italeaf and some Shareholders and Investors, with a focus on companies or technologies with high growth potential. In order to foster a relationship with the capital market and the main italian banks, Italeaf intends to transfer its strategic headquarters to Milan (close to market), differentiating the role of the headquarter in Umbria, which will have industrial, productive and operational goals, enhancing its technological vocation. Confirmed the quantitative targets for the expected IRR for each investment equal to or higher than to 30% and NFP reduction with a NFP/Shareholders' equity ratio lower than or equal to 0.8x. To promote a greater visibility for the value creation process, a target for the NAV per share ratio is identified, corresponding to a percentage growth rate equal to or higher than the Ftse Italia Small Cap Index. The plan provides for a revision of the dividend policy compared to the one announced in the previous strategic development plan, released in 2015. In the future, Italeaf intends to distribute a significant percentage of the value created by the abovementioned exit transactions, compatible with the target to reduce NFP. From the strategic point of view, Italeaf expects to optimize the financial structure of operational needs, leveraging the value created by the subsidiaries and the startups to make new investments in business with high growth rate, to reward shareholders, to ease relations with the world of credit, to accelerate the development of industrial and commercial activities related to the new technology developed by the newcos or by the investee companies.
Italeaf SpA is obliged to make public this information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 20.30 CET on 22 May 2017.
This press release is also available on the Company's website: www.italeaf.com
Certified Adviser
Mangold Fondkommission AB, +46 (0)8 5030 1550, is the Certified Adviser of Italeaf SpA on Nasdaq First North.
For further information please contact: Filippo Calisti CFO - Italeaf S.p.A. E-mail: calisti@italeaf.com
Italeaf SpA, established in December 2010, is a holding company and a business accelerator for companies and startups in the areas of innovation and cleantech. Italeaf operates as a company builder, promoting the creation and development of industrial startups in the fields of cleantech, smart energy and technological innovation. Italeaf has headquarters and plants in Italy at Nera Montoro (Narni), Terni, Milano and Lecce; has international offices in London and Hong Kong and a research and development centre in the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. The company controls TerniEnergia, listed on the STAR segment of the Italian Stock Exchange and active in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency and waste management, and Skyrobotic, in the business development and manufacture of civil and commercial drones in mini and micro classes for the professional market, Numanova, operating in the field of innovative metallurgy and additive manufacturing, and Italeaf RE, a real estate company. Italeaf holds a minority stake in Vitruviano LAB, a research center active in the R&D sector for special materials, green chemistry, digital transformation and cleantech.
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