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Koinos Capital SGR, an independent multi-strategy investment firm, has acquired a majority stake in People Design – based in Bologna and specialized in R&D consulting and mechanical design of industrial plants and machinery – and in ManganoRobot, a Turin-based group focused on consulting, installation, and support in software/PLC programming and robotics for automation systems. The entrepreneurs of the two companies will retain their key roles within their respective organizations and will be co-investors in Futur-A Group, a new aggregation platform in the R&D engineering for the manufacturing sector. Its goal is to become the national leader in the reference market. Following the transaction, People Design and ManganoRobot will be integrated into the new platform Futur-A Group, which will own 100% of both companies.
Discussions are already underway with several other successful companies, expected to join the platform in the coming months, with the goal of reaching €100 million in revenues within the next 4–5 years.
The investment structure of Futur-A exemplifies Koinos Capital SGR’s entrepreneurial and industrial buy-and-build strategy for creating sector-focused platforms of excellence, capable of scaling and leading the Italian market by enhancing technical know-how, fostering growth, and boosting competitiveness.
The creation of Futur-A Group fits into a €6 billion national market for R&D engineering applied to manufacturing, of which approximately half is served by specialised firms. The sector is expected to grow with a 6% CAGR in the coming years. It has proven highly resilient during economic downturns and remains extremely fragmented, with over 350 active operators, many of which are SMEs with revenues below €10 million, and lacks a single centre of excellence capable of acting as a one-stop-shop, serving multiple end-markets, making substantial investments in technology and innovation and being perceived by engineers – the driving force of the project – as the Italian benchmark player.
The launch of Futur-A Group is a concrete response to this gap, aiming to become Italy’s leading hub in the sector through investments in technology and innovation and the gradual integration of other synergistic companies operating in a wide range of verticals – including design, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering, industrial software/PLC programming – and serving a broad spectrum of end-markets (such as industrial machinery, robotics and automation, luxury automotive, motorsport, aerospace, defence, naval, rail, healthcare, agritech, and more).
The new Group will be led by Christian Solari (CEO of Futur-A Group) alongside Stefano Bordogna (CFO), both professionals with a strong entrepreneurial mindset and extensive experience in aggregation projects and growth initiatives supported by private equity funds. The founders of People Design and ManganoRobot will continue to support the Group’s management.
As part of Futur-A Group’s development and consolidation path, Koinos Capital SGR will also support the platform in implementing its ESG plan, promoting strategic initiatives across Governance, People, and Community, and in driving its continued technological evolution.
“We are particularly proud to launch Futur-A Group by bringing together two sector champions such as People Design and ManganoRobot,” stated Roberto De Carlo, Partner at Koinos Capital SGR. “This initiative represents a new chapter in our entrepreneurial vision and strengthens our industrial approach by supporting a strategic segment for the Italian economy – the manufacturing sector – which we consider vital for the country’s future. We have already identified several promising development opportunities, which we are analysing with care.”
“Joining Futur-A Group allows us to accelerate investments in advanced research and digitalization, to attract, train, and retain top talent, and to offer them tangible growth paths in a highly dynamic sector. With Koinos’ support, we will also strengthen our investment capacity in training and technology, laying the foundation for sustainable growth,” commented Denis Luci, founder of People Design, and Daniele Mangano, founder of ManganoRobot.
In the transaction, Koinos Capital SGR was assisted by Marco Polo Advisor (M&A advisor for People Design) by the team composed of Filippo Maria Rozzanigo and Endri Dobi, EY (financial advisor for ManganoRobot), Gelmetti Studio Legale Associato (legal support and legal due diligence), Roland Berger (commercial due diligence), Spada Partners (financial due diligence), Russo De Rosa Associati (tax due diligence and structuring), BDO Law S.r.l. Sta (HR due diligence), ERM (ESG due diligence), and Eudai Partners (ESG development plan).
The Koinos Capital SGR team involved in the transaction included Roberto De Carlo, Francesco Fumagalli, Valeria De Pergola, Michele Dal Pozzo and Carlo Carusillo.