Azimut Libera Impresa SGR (“ALI”) – on behalf of the Private Equity fund Demos 1 – has completed the purchase of 65% of Sicer S.p.A. (“Sicer”), a company based in Fiorano Modenese (Emilia Romagna region) and one of the world leaders in the design, production and distribution of special chemical products for the glazing and decoration of ceramic tiles.

Equita K Finance (Clairfield Italy) assisted Sicer’s shareholders as financial advisor while legal assistance was provided by Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Studio Legale Associato. The ALI team was assisted by: Giovannelli e Associati Studio Legale (legal advisor), Long Term Partners (business advisor), EY (financial and tax due diligence), ERM (environmental due diligence).

Following the transaction, the new corporate structure will see ALI hold control of Sicer alongside the entrepreneurial partners Gianfranco Padovani, reconfirmed Chairman, and Giuliano Ferrari, who both remain shareholders, while B.Group, an industrial holding company, will sell its entire shareholding. The new shareholder places full trust in Mr Padovani and Mr Ferrari, who, in the role of Managing Directors, will be entrusted with guiding the Sicer Group towards new decisive goals through a path of continuous and robust growth.

Sicer, which operates globally with production and sales plants in Italy, Spain, Mexico, Indonesia, Poland, Turkey and India, provides top-quality products and customized solutions for glazing and decorating ceramic tiles, guaranteeing specialized technical assistance. In 2019, the Sicer Group recorded a consolidated turnover of approximately 73 million Euro, achieved mainly abroad.

Demos 1, launched by the Azimut Group and managed by Azimut Libera Impresa SGR, is the first closed-end retail Private Equity fund in the world, today joined by over 9,500 clients who will benefit from the growth potential of the portfolio companies. The fund has been operational since March 2020 and has an endowment of approximately 300 million euros. To date, there are approximately 18,000 subscribers to the funds managed by Azimut Libera Impresa SGR.