What IBLA CAPITAL does

IBLA Capital is an independent Italian private equity investment company founded in 2015 in Rome by Alessandro Lo Savio, focused exclusively on control investments in Italian small and medium-sized manufacturing and service companies with annual turnover between €10 million and €50 million. The firm operates two closed-end funds — Ibla Industries (constituted with Clearsight Investments as asset manager) and Ibla Industries II (which reached its €30 million hard cap in March 2020) — and invests with a 3-7 year horizon across mechanics, components, packaging, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics. Its limited partner base comprises top-tier European and US institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies, universities, and foundations), investing directly or through leading European asset managers, with IBLA Capital's own managers co-investing personal capital alongside LPs.

The firm pursues a hands-on operating model built on four pillars: selective management integration and corporate governance frameworks, financial rebalancing to resolve capital structure tensions, a replicable operational improvement playbook spanning production, supply chain, pricing, and working capital, and a buy-and-build strategy executed through targeted acquisitions in the same or adjacent markets. It specializes in three transaction archetypes — carve-outs from larger groups (BorgWarner/BWR 2025, SolarEdge/Cutting Edge 2024, Manuli/MAN Oil & Marine 2020), turnaround situations (Natural Way Laboratories 2016 exit in 2021, Heila Cranes concordato preventivo 2023), and succession or build-up situations (Seko Industries 2022 with the 2024 Kongskilde acquisition from CNH; Se.Fa 2022 creating a rubber articles pole). To date, IBLA Capital has executed at least nine platform acquisitions and five exits (Natural Way Laboratories, Presotto Industrie Mobili, Assio, Se.Fa, and the BWR group), earning the Premio Dematté Private Equity of the Year in 2021 from Il Sole24Ore and AIFI.

Revenue is generated through capital appreciation on portfolio companies realized at exit, with carried interest shared between the GP and LPs; management fees are governed by fund agreements with institutional investors and are not publicly disclosed. The firm's current portfolio spans power electronics (BWR Power Systems/Electro System, exiting July 2026), automation machinery (Cutting Edge), marine cranes (Heila Cranes), livestock feeding equipment and agricultural machinery (Seko Industries including Kongskilde), rubber articles (Se.Fa, exited July 2025), and marine hoses (MAN Oil & Marine). Operations are concentrated in Italy (Rome headquarters at Piazza B. Cairoli 2), while end-markets served by portfolio companies span Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania.

Name

IBLA CAPITAL

Legal name

Ibla Capital s.r.l.

Website

https://iblacapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IBLA Capital is an independent Italian private equity firm founded in 2015 that makes control investments in small and medium-sized Italian manufacturing and service companies with €10-50M turnover, specializing in carve-outs, turnarounds, and succession scenarios with a 3-7 year hold.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Investment Returns: IBLA Capital generates returns through capital appreciation of portfolio companies, realizing gains upon exit. The firm invests in small and medium Italian enterprises (€10–50M turnover) across sectors including mechanics, components, packaging, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics. Investments are made through control positions with a 3–7 year horizon, targeting sustainable value creation via operational improvement, carve-out management, turnaround, and succession scenarios. Revenue is realized through exit proceeds, with carried interest typically shared between the GP and LP investors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IBLA Capital is an independent private equity investment company that manages control investments in Italian small and medium-sized manufacturing and service companies with turnover between €10 million and €50 million. The firm operates investment funds (Ibla Industries II with a €30 million hard cap) and participates actively in portfolio company management to drive operational improvement, capital rebalancing, and buy-and-build growth over a 3–7 year horizon, with a focus on mechanics, components, packaging, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics sectors. Revenue is generated through capital appreciation upon exit, with typical fund economics of management fees and carried interest shared between the GP and LPs.

Product overview

IBLA CAPITAL operates as an independent private equity investment company, not as a product company with its own unified product or platform. Rather, the company manages a portfolio of industrial portfolio companies through its Ibla Industries II fund, each operating as independent businesses in distinct industrial sectors. The portfolio includes power electronics (BWR Power Systems), marine cranes (Heila Cranes), livestock feeding equipment (Seko Industries including Kongskilde brand), industrial automation machines (Cutting Edge Automation Machines), rubber articles (Se.Fa), and marine hoses (MAN Oil & Marine). Previously held portfolio companies included nutraceuticals (Natural Way Laboratories including Ellepharma) and furniture (Presotto Industrie Mobili and Assio). All products and services are offered by the individual portfolio companies, not by IBLA CAPITAL itself.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ibla Industries II Fund Closed-end private equity fund with a €30 million hard cap that invests in control positions of Italian SMEs with €10–50 million turnover across manufacturing and services sectors, with a 3–7 year horizon. The fund is offered to institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies, universities, foundations) directly or through leading European asset managers.
• Ibla Industries Fund (predecessor) IBLA Capital's first private equity fund vehicle, constituted with asset manager Clearsight Investments, used for control investments in Italian SMEs.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AIFI (Italian Private Equity, Venture Capital and Private Debt Association)coreOthersIBLA Capital is a member of AIFI, the Italian Private Equity, Venture Capital and Private Debt Association. AIFI organizes industry events, awards (including the Premio Dematté), and represents the private equity industry in Italy.
• PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment)minorOthersIBLA Capital is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), indicating commitment to incorporating ESG factors into investment practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Progressio SGR: Progressio SGR is an Italian private equity manager investing in Italian SMEs and mid-market companies, often through control stakes and buy-and-build. Directly comparable to IBLA Capital on Italian SME focus, lower-mid-market deal sizes, and active operational involvement.
• Wise Equity: Wise Equity (formerly Wise SGR) is an Italian private equity firm focused on control investments in Italian SMEs with operational improvement orientation. Comparable to IBLA Capital on Italian lower-mid-market focus, active management approach, and target company size band.
• Investitori Associati: Investitori Associati is a long-established Italian private equity firm focused on control investments in Italian mid-market companies. Comparable to IBLA Capital in target company size, Italian-only geographic focus, and active value-creation approach with operational involvement.
• Alcedo SGR: Alcedo SGR is an Italian private equity firm specializing in control investments in Italian SMEs. Comparable to IBLA Capital given shared Italian geography, SME target size band and active value-creation orientation.
• Charme Capital Partners: Charme Capital Partners is an Italian private equity firm investing in Italian SMEs and mid-market companies with a hands-on operational approach. It overlaps directly with IBLA Capital on size band (lower-mid-market), geography (Italy), sector focus (industrial SMEs), and control-investment style.
• QuattroR: QuattroR is an Italian private equity firm focused on turnaround and restructuring of mid-sized Italian companies. It is one of the closest direct peers to IBLA Capital given the shared Italian lower-mid-market focus and explicit distressed/turnaround special situations mandate, including concordato preventive-style restructurings.

Broad incumbents

• Mandarin Capital Partners: Mandarin Capital Partners is an Italian private equity manager with a focus on Italian SMEs and mid-market companies. Comparable to IBLA Capital on Italian SME focus and active management approach, though operating at a different scale and vintage.
• Eurazeo: Eurazeo is a large pan-European private equity and investment group with an established Italian mid-market practice. While much larger and more diversified than IBLA Capital, it increasingly competes for the same Italian carve-out and mid-market control opportunities.
• 21 Invest: 21 Invest is an Italian private equity firm managing several buyout and growth funds targeting Italian SMEs and mid-market companies. Comparable to IBLA Capital on Italian lower-mid-market focus and control-investment style, but with a larger fund platform.
• Clessidra Capital Partners: Clessidra is a long-established Italian private equity incumbent operating across the Italian mid-market. While it sits at a larger scale than IBLA Capital, it competes for many of the same Italian control deals and is a relevant incumbent benchmark for the lower-mid-market segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/iblacapital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibla-capital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 IBLA CAPITAL