Quadrivio Group receives prize at 21st edition of Claudio Dematté Private Equity of the Year® The group wins the Small Buy Out award for its Autry International exit.

Quadrivio Group ‒ a private equity operator active on its market for over 25 years now ‒ has won the Claudio Dematté Private Equity of the Year® Small Buy Out Award for the Autry International exit. The awards ceremony was held in Milan on Thursday 19 December, at the city's Museum of Science and Technology.

Now in its 21st edition, the event was organised by AIFI - the Italian private equity and venture capital association, alongside its main partner Intesa Sanpaolo, with support from EY, and with the involvement of the Corriere della Sera and Il Sole 24 Ore newspapers, the SDA Bocconi business school and the Borsa Italiana stock exchange.

This year too, as is customary, the shortlist featured 25 operations carried out by 24 private equity and venture capital investors, and which were the object of divestment between August 2023 and July 2024.

The jury ‒ chaired by Innocenzo Cipolletta and made up of illustrious sector professionals ‒ voted to assign the award to Quadrivio Group for the Autry International exit operation.

This Italian brand that produces and distributes sneakers standing out for their iconic '80s style was bought in 2021 by Lifestyle Fund I ‒ the Quadrivio & Pambianco private equity apparatus for investing in Italian excellence. The new arrival became part of Fine Sun, the fashion hub that today also includes 120% Lino, (a firm leading its sector in the production of linen apparel), Dondup (specialized in creating denim garments), and Rosantica (known for its gem bags).

During its years in the Quadrivio portfolio, Autry recorded outstanding growth, going from the €30 million of 2021 to a turnover of more than €110 million in 2023. The sale of Autry, in March 2024, sealed a return exceeding four times the capital invested and an IRR of 75%. Profitability too more than quadrupled, taking the consolidated EBITDA from €8 million to over €33 million. Quadrivio & Pambianco currently holds a share in the company. They reinvested through Lifestyle Fund II, the group's new financial vehicle focusing on lifestyle and fashion.

Walter Ricciotti, CEO of Quadrivio Group, commented on the prize: “The Claudio Dematté Private Equity of the Year Award is unquestionably the most prestigious recognition for us sector operators. Being its recipient gives us great satisfaction and once again confirms the value of our investment and just how our private equity funds can really create value for their portfolio companies, for our investors and for the nation's economic system.”