INTESA SANPAOLO AND DAM CAPITAL ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP ON MIDDLE-MARKET LOANS

Agreement marks Italian debut of mezzanine loans for companies with high growth potential and requisites for industrial success

Milan, January 25, 2008 – Intesa Sanpaolo and Dam Capital, a specialty finance company focused on mezzanine loans, announced the signing of a strategic partnership to provide credit support for middle-market companies in Italy.

Under the agreement DAM Capital – which currently has Euro 600 million available for investment – will provide non-securitised subordinated mezzanine loans for Italian corporate clients of Intesa Sanpaolo. The target market is mid-sized companies active in any sector, with EBITDA of at least Euro 5 million.

The partnership will allow Intesa Sanpaolo to broaden its range of financial solutions for corporate clients, and give DAM Capital access to potential beneficiaries of its mezzanine loans.

“Commercial collaboration with DAM Capital will enable Intesa Sanpaolo to offer the mezzanine loan – used in Italy until now only in leveraged finance transactions – to companies that lack an investment grade risk profile but present strong growth potential and the requisites for industrial success,” said Giuseppe Castagna, Corporate Relations Manager for Intesa Sanpaolo. “The decision to support our clients with innovative tools is an important move, especially in light of present financial market trends and the impact that Basle 2 will have on companies with weaker asset structures.”

“The agreement with Intesa Sanpaolo is part of a wider strategy at DAM Capital, which, as a long-term lender, has numerous commercial partnerships with the leading European banks,” commented Dirk van Daele, DAM Capital co-CEO. “These synergies enable DAM Capital to maintain a pan-European perspective and simultaneously to respond to the specific needs of each market, combining the local knowledge of each country’s leading domestic banks with DAM Capital’s own structuring skills in providing mezzanine loans for middle-market borrowers.”

The Intesa Sanpaolo Corporate Relations Division manages corporate clients with revenues above Euro 150 million. The first Italian bank to set up, 5 years ago, a private equity division, a year ago it created a “Special Situations” group to manage mid-sized companies with financial constraints; now, in addition to existing Intesa Sanpaolo products, these clients will have access to DAM Capital mezzanine loans.

DAM Capital* provides flexible capital solutions for middle-market borrowers throughout Europe. It was founded in 2003, originally in sole partnership with Dresdner Bank, to specialise in acquisitions, restructuring and refinancing for middle-market companies. It is 100% owned by the Anschutz Corporation, privately owned by Philip F. Anschutz. DAM Capital is headquartered in Luxembourg, with offices in Milan, London, Cologne and Berlin. To date it has committed almost Euro 500 million in total debt facilities and currently has Euro 300 million of outstanding loans.

*DAM Capital operates in Italy through DAM Capital Srl con socio unico, registered with the Bank of Italy as a financial intermediary with the number 39347, pursuant to article 106 of Legislative Decree no. 385/93.

 

Intesa Sanpaolo
Rapporti con i Media
Simone Blasi
tel. +39.0287963851
stampa@intesasanpaolo.com

DAM Capital
Luciano Luffarelli
(Maitland Comunicazione d’Impresa)
tel. +39 335 7697351
luciano.luffarelli@maitland.it