Ethicas

What Ethicas does

Ethicas (legal name "ETHICAS di Fabrizio Palazzari") is a sole-proprietorship consulting firm founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. The company operates with a small team of 1–10 staff organized into three specialized units — Team Microcredito (business creation), Team Finanza di impresa (growth and development), and Team Compliance (business continuity) — led by founder Fabrizio Palazzari. Its service portfolio centers on microcredit facilitation (up to €50,000, leveraging an 80% state guarantee via the SME Guarantee Fund), subsidized-financing application support (Resto al Sud, SELFIEmployment, ON, Fondo Impresa Donna), SME growth finance advisory, compliance management under UNI ISO 19600:2016, business model/plan consulting, and customized training. The proprietary "Impresa Impàri" service, developed with Acanta MAG Coop and piloted with Comune di Dolianova in 2018, packages these capabilities for municipal and third-sector intermediaries.

Ethicas is recognized as a Territorial Operator of the Ente Nazionale per il Microcredito and is a Senior Associate of AssoCompliance, and has participated in European Interreg projects (DENTA, ATM for SMEs) spanning partners from six EU countries. The firm reports a 97% microcredit repayment rate and approximately three jobs created per loan, with 25 new businesses financed in Sardinia in 2020 at an average loan size of €30,000. The go-to-market is hybrid: direct, sales-led consulting (phone/email intake, personalized appointments) supplemented by community- and event-driven outreach to municipalities, third-sector organizations, and European project consortia. Distribution channels include one-on-one advisory sessions, municipal partnerships that act as referral intermediaries, and a content marketing presence (Ethicas Magazine blog, Rai Radio Sardegna, local press). Pricing is quote-based with multi-year engagement cadences; no public fee schedule exists.

Ethicas is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or subsidiary structure. Its "Valore dai valori" (Value from values) positioning frames microcredit access alongside socio-environmental impact, which is reflected in its brand identity and was recognized at SINNOVA 2019. The firm currently operates primarily in Sardinia with stated intent to serve the broader Euro-Mediterranean area, though expansion beyond Italy remains project-linked rather than commercial at scale.

Name

Ethicas

Legal name

ETHICAS di Fabrizio Palazzari

Website

https://ethicas.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ethicas is a Sardinia-based consulting firm (founded 2018 by Fabrizio Palazzari) that helps non-bankable individuals and SMEs access state-guaranteed microcredit, subsidized financing, compliance advisory, and entrepreneurship training, distributing services through direct consulting and municipal partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Equipment & Asset Finance (SME) (FSAKAGAF)

Keywords

• Microcredit facilitation
• Business consulting services
• Compliance management advisory
• Entrepreneurship support programs
• Sme growth financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cagliari

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Ethicas generates revenue through advisory and consulting services for business creation, microcredit facilitation, business finance optimization, and compliance management. Services are provided through direct client engagement with personalized consultation appointments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ethicas is a consulting firm that facilitates value-based microcredit access (up to €50,000 with 80% state guarantee) for non-bankable individuals and micro-enterprises, supported by business plan development, subsidized financing program guidance (Resto al Sud, SELFIEmployment, ON), compliance management, and entrepreneurship training. The company also provides the proprietary 'Impresa impàri' service for municipalities and third-sector organizations to enable local entrepreneurship pathways.

Product overview

Ethicas is a consulting company offering a portfolio of integrated services centered on microcredit, business creation, business finance, compliance, management consulting, and training. The core offerings include Microcredito valoriale (value-based microcredit), Startup di impresa (business startup support), Finanza per la crescita (growth finance), Compliance e continuità (compliance and continuity), Consulenza e management (consulting and management), and Formazione e ricerca (training and research). The company also developed the Impresa impàri service to facilitate local entrepreneurship pathways with municipalities. These services work together to support entrepreneurs from idea validation through business plan development and financing acquisition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microcredito valoriale (Value-based Microcredit) Value-based microcredit service facilitating access to financing up to €50,000 for startups and self-employed individuals without traditional banking guarantees, assisted by 80% state guarantee through the SME Guarantee Fund. Offered by an accredited Territorial Operator of the Italian National Microcredit Agency.
• Startup di impresa (Business Startup Support)
• Finanza per la crescita (Growth Finance)
• Compliance e continuità (Compliance and Business Continuity)
• Consulenza e management (Business Consulting)
• Formazione e ricerca (Training and Research)
• Impresa impàri Local entrepreneurship pathway service for public and third-sector entities (municipalities, associations, foundations) to facilitate local self-entrepreneurship paths with informational, training, and technical support tools through business plan development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% microcredit repayment rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Acanta MAG CoopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcanta MAG Coop is a key strategic partner for microcredit facilitation and business entrepreneurship training. Ethicas partners with Acanta MAG Coop for the 'Impresa impàri' service and collaborates on European projects. Acanta MAG Coop has been active in Sardinia since 2012 promoting mutualistic and solidarity finance principles.
• UNISULKY - Università Popolare del SulciscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNISULKY is a partner in the European DENTA project (Discovering European Neighbours in the Third Age). Ethicas developed a social innovation model for UNISULKY within this project, representing Sardinia and Italy alongside 8 organizations from 6 European countries.
• AssoComplianceminorOthersEthicas is a Senior Associate member of AssoCompliance, the national association for regulatory compliance management. This membership provides access to compliance best practices and standards (UNI ISO 19600:2016) for service delivery.
• ATM for SMEs (European Project Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATM for SMEs is a European Interreg Cooperation project aimed at developing entrepreneurial activities through improved access to credit for SMEs and micro-enterprises, as an alternative to traditional banking financing. Consortium includes partners from Hungary, Germany, Spain, Poland, Croatia, and Belgium. Regional Programming Center is a partner along with other European administrations and organizations.
• Ente Nazionale per il MicrocreditocoreOthersEthicas is a recognized Territorial Operator for the Ente Nazionale per il Microcredito (National Microcredit Agency), facilitating access to microcredit for business creation in its operational territory.
• DENTA - Discovering European Neighbours in the Third AgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partnership project on third-age living conditions. Ethicas developed a social innovation model for UNISULKY within this project. Involves 8 organizations from 6 European countries (Italy, France, Germany, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria) with the aim of fostering mutual recognition of experiences and European identity.
• Comune di DolianovacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst pilot project 'Patiolla 4.0' implemented in 2018 in the Municipality of Dolianova through the 'Impresa impàri' service, demonstrating the local entrepreneurship facilitation approach.
• IAS SchoolminorOthersListed as a partner organization, nature of partnership not detailed in available sources.
• Terra de Mesania AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the TESSIDA 2019 - Scuola delle Comunità Cooperative event. Ethicas participated in the 'Economy and Community' module presenting on institutional thickness and Sardinian pathways for business microcredit.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PerMicro S.p.A. Italy's largest pure-play microcredit operator, providing financing up to €50,000 to non-bankable entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises. Directly comparable to Ethicas on customer segment, ticket size, and reliance on public guarantee schemes (SME Guarantee Fund).
• Banca Etica: Italian ethical and sustainable bank offering credit, including microcredit lines, to individuals, businesses and NGOs with an explicit values-based screening lens. Comparable to Ethicas on ethical-finance orientation and non-bankable customer focus, though operating at much larger scale as a full bank.
• Etimos Foundation: Italian cooperative society operating in ethical finance, microcredit and impact investing across the Mediterranean and developing countries. Directly comparable on ethical-finance mission, microcredit facilitation and EU/Mediterranean project participation.
• Mag 2 Finance: Italian ethical finance cooperative providing microcredit, social lending and financial inclusion services. Comparable to Ethicas on cooperative/ethical finance values and focus on underserved micro-entrepreneurs excluded from traditional banking.
• Acanta MAG Coop: Active in Sardinia since 2012 promoting mutualistic and solidarity finance; Ethicas's stated strategic partner for the 'Impresa impàri' service. Closely comparable on Sardinian territory, mutualistic-finance values, and microcredit facilitation model.

Emerging players

• CGM Finance: Consortium of Italian social cooperatives offering financial services to enterprises in the social economy. Comparable to Ethicas on non-bankable customer base and ethical/social-finance positioning, though focused more on cooperative enterprises than individual micro-entrepreneurs.

Broad incumbents

• Fondazione con il Sud: Major Italian foundation supporting economic and social development in Southern Italy, including through grant-making to local entrepreneurship programs. Comparable as a funder/channel for southern-Italy entrepreneurship pathways that Ethicas also serves.

Others

• Ente Nazionale per il Microcredito: Italian national agency governing the territorial microcredit operator system, of which Ethicas is a recognized operator. Not a competitor — Ethicas is accredited through it — but the institutional ecosystem it operates within.
• Oltre Venture: Italian impact-investing fund supporting social enterprises and non-bankable entrepreneurship in Italy. Operates in an adjacent capital pool (equity/quasi-equity) rather than direct microcredit, but comparable on impact-driven SME finance in Italy.

Regional players

• Cooperfidi Italia: Italian mutual guarantee consortium (confidi) providing credit guarantees and facilitation for cooperatives and SMEs, including in southern regions. Comparable on SME credit facilitation mission in Italy, though serving cooperatives rather than individual micro-entrepreneurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Ethicas1
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ethicas1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ethicas

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ethicas