FARO Alternative Investments is a Luxembourg-based umbrella fund managed by Crestbridge Management Company S.A.R.L with FARO Value S.p.A. S.B. operating as lead advisor.
The new fund comprises 3 sub-funds: FARO Real Economy, FARO Fashion, Luxury, and Design, and FARO Innovation; each sub-fund is managed by one or more specialized advisory companies.
The fund aims to fundraise €1B.
Milan, April 8th, 2024 – Faro Alternative Investments SCSp SICAV-RAIF (the SICAV) is launching: as a Luxembourg-based umbrella fund which offers diversified asset allocation to globally eligible investors. The fund is managed by Crestbridge Management Company S.A.R.L. with FARO Value S.p.a Società Benefit (“FARO Value”) operating as lead advisor.
The fund is launching with 3 industry-specialized sub-funds: FARO Real Economy, FARO Fashion, Luxury, and Design (in the process of approval), and FARO Innovation. As a scalable investment platform, the SICAV will add new sub-funds to cover other investment strategies in the future. Each sub-fund is supported by one of more advisory companies, each of which is specialized by industry and investment strategy and led by experienced executives in their respective areas. All advisory companies will be coordinated and supervised by FARO Value, the lead advisor, which will advise Crestbridge in the management of the SICAV and identify new investment strategies.
FARO Alternative Investments was founded by four partners: Augusto Balestra, Sergio Serra, Mario Gardini, and Giancarlo Galeone. Augusto Balestra serves as the CEO of FARO Value, and Giancarlo Galeone serves as Chairman.
The fund aims to fundraise €1B. The SICAV is reserved to ‘eligible’ investors, globally, and operates within specific industrial sectors with high potential, with a particular focus on ESG aspects.
FARO Real Economy
The FARO Real Economy sub-fund invests multiple sectors including agri-food, cosmetics, mechanical, aerospace, and others where Made in Italy represents excellence. More specifically, the sub-fund targets small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe with high growth potential. The sub-fund is supported by 3 advisory companies to address various investment needs:
Orienta Capital Partners (Orienta) focuses on (majority) buyout operations and is led by Mario Gardini and Sergio Serra. Mario Gardini is the President and co-founder of Orienta where he has led over 20 deals since 2017 with three exits to date (Passione Unghie, Sidac, and New Penta) and a 3-year average holding period. Mr. Gardini previously held executive roles in multiple industries in Italy and France. Sergio Serra is Partner and co-founder of Orienta, with prior experience as an internal auditor and expert in extraordinary operations, acquisitions, and generational transitions.
IC-Flex manages growth capital operations through co-investment and flex equity instruments. The company is led by Monique Deloire, a seasoned private equity professional, specializing in domestic and cross-border transactions.
IRTOP Consulting provides corporate and financial advisory to pre-IPO, IPO, and post-IPO companies, particularly on Euronext Milan. The company is led by Anna Lambiase CEO of IR TOP Consulting, who also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CDP Venture Capital SGR, on the board of Invitalia S.p.A. and other listed companies, and as Vice Chairman of Assonext.
FARO Fashion, Luxury, and Design
The FARO Fashion, Luxury, and Design sub-fund targets global companies with strong brand recognition and high business potential. The sub-fund is supported by the advisory company FOREL, focused active management focused on operational performance, and in particular talent development.
FOREL is led by Marco Bizzarri, the luxury executive whose global experience includes President & CEO of Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Stella McCartney, and CEO of the Kering Fashion & Leather Goods Division. The FOREL team includes industry experts and private equity professionals who boast a vast network of information and talent, a deep understanding of the industry, and a concrete vision of its future evolution.
FARO Innovation
The FARO Innovation sub-fund invests globally in Fintech, Artificial Intelligence, SpaceTech, and other disruptive industries, as well as in top venture capital funds in Silicon Valley. The sub-fund is supported by 2 advisory companies:FNDX focuses on venture capital and in specifically, in providing both M&A Advisory to talented founders and Strategic Advisory to venture capital funds. FNDX is led by Fabio Nalucci, an entrepreneur and investor who advises funds in identifying the start-up investment opportunities. Previously, Mr. Nalucci founded two B2B software companies, SPSS Italia and i4C Analytics, as well as an innovation platform for B2B software, GELLIFY.
SM Capital focuses on fintech and is led by Stiven Muccioli, a tech entrepreneur and Angel investor in startups and scaleups such as SpaceX, NuBank, Palantir, Realty Mogul, and Golee. Mr. Muccioli is also the co-founder and CEO of BKN301 (Fintech), having previously exited Tippest (E-commerce) and Ventis (Fintech).
Augusto Balestra, CEO of FARO Value, stated: ‘FARO brings entrepreneurial vision to the world of investment, with a new model for asset allocation in illiquid instruments. FARO combines specialized expertise through advisory companies, with a strong network and a scalable platform, which can be extended through a plug-and-play approach.”
Giancarlo Galeone, Chairman of FARO Value, added: “We are working on a robust pipeline of investment opportunities, with the aim of overturning the usual paradigm of capital-seeking employment. FARO Value and its advisory companies are joined by a common vision to leverage specialized know-how to collaborate with high-potential companies as business partners.”
