FII Tech Growth, managed by Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR, invests in Healthware Group
Milan, 30th January 2019 – FII Tech Growth, a fund promoted by Cassa Depositi e Prestititi and managed by Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR, announces today an investment in Healthware Group. The firm, headquartered in Salerno, with key offices in Milan, London and New York, operates in the field of communication and digital consultancy. Healthware offers innovative projects, applications and services to the healthcare industry and is expanding the areas of digital health and digital therapeutics.
Combining competences in marketing, communication and technology with strong consulting and product development capabilities, Healthware carries out advanced projects for major players and start-ups in the life sciences and insurance industries. The clients gain support in the creation of innovative solutions for digital communication with doctors and patients, as well as digital applications to support diagnosis and therapies.
FII Tech Growth will invest 6 million Euros in a capital increase, subscribing a minority stake alongside the current shareholders, who will also invest with the aim of boosting the growth of the group.
Overall, a total of 10 million Euros will be invested primarily in R&D activitiesto grow the core business, with a specific focus on digital health, digital therapeutics, innovations for health insurance, artificial intelligence and smart data in healthcare.
Healthware Group’s portfolio of clients includes, among others, companies such as Alnylam, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boston Scientific, Cardif, Menarini, Merck, Novartis, Orion, Pfizer, Polifarma, Roche, and Sanofi.
“Just 1 year after its launch, FII Tech Growth closes the fourth investment raising the amount of total capital invested to over 30 million Euros” – declared Carlo Mammola, CEO of Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR. “Once again – continued Mammola – “we are investing in a high-tech firm with excellent growth rate, our support will strengthen its competitiveness, establishing its leadership both in Italy and abroad. Moreover, I’m very proud to underline that for FII Tech Growth this is the first investment in Southern Italy and we hope that many others will follow”.
Roberto Ascione, Healthware Group CEO, said:
“Healthcare has started an extreme digital transformation, even stronger than the one that has been taking place in other industries in the last few years. Over the last 20 years Healthware has become a partner able to help all the players in life sciences, healthtech, medical devices and insurance sectors as well as emerging start-ups that are reshaping these sectors. The partnership with Fondo Italiano will allow us to improve our ability to cooperate with large corporations and start-ups, that are developing their new products”.
Mauro Pretolani, Senior Partner of Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR, who will join the Board of Healthware Group, declared:
“Healthware has the potential to become a global leader in digital health innovation and will play a strategic role in both the Italian and the European healthcare industry. Fondo Italiano d’Investimento is actively committed to Healthware’s development, offering both financial and operational support, in accordance with the investment strategy of FII Tech Growth fund”
FII Tech Growth
FII Tech Growth, managed by Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR, with a target commitment of Euro 150 million, is the first Italian late stage venture capital fund. It is entirely dedicated to equity investments in small and medium-sized technology-based Italian companies, which are either backed by other Venture Capital funds, like Supermercato24 and BeMyEye, or have been self-financed and are owned by entrepreneurs seeking further investment to grow, similarly to SECO and Healthware Group.
The fund announced its first closing in September 2017 with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti as cornerstone investor. Fondo Italiano d’Investimento SGR currently manages a total of eight investment funds, dedicated to institutional investors, for a total of about Euro 3 billion of Assets Under Management.
Healthware Group
Healthware is an integrated next-generation consulting group, that has offered for more than 20 years a unique set of services and expertise in strategic advisory, communication, technology and innovation to lead the digital transformation in the healthcare to large corporations and start-ups in the life sciences and insurance sectors. Healthware was founded in Italy and is led by CEO and founder Roberto Ascione, an entrepreneur and an international opinion leader with over 20 years of experience in marketing and communication, transformation of business processes and innovation in healthcare. Healthware, along with the joint venture partner Intouch, represents the first independent global player with a combined team of more than 1000 people and a strong international presence with offices in New York, Boston, Kansas City, London, Cologne, Milan, Rome, Salerno and Mumbai. Healthware supports marketing and sales for life sciences companies through its own full service agency and operates at the intersection of the digital transformation of commercial operations and digital health, with an integrated offer of innovative advisory services that combines consulting skills with technology, application development and venture incubator skills.
