INTESA SANPAOLO: THE INTERNATIONAL BANKS DIVISION PROMOTES GROWTH OF CEE COMPANIES WITH ELITE-EURONEXT GROUP

• The new Intesa Sanpaolo ELITE Lounge will guide a selected group of ambitious Central and Eastern European companies through a structured growth journey in partnership with ELITE.

• Paola Papanicolaou: “The new ELITE Lounge, and those to follow, represent significant added value in our product and service offering, and help reinforce our positioning in increasingly advanced markets.”

• Marta Testi: “This project is a tangible step towards the internationalisation of our ecosystem. Today, we welcome a group of Central and Eastern European companies, bank clients, to provide them with tools, expertise and strategic connections.”

Milan, 20 October 2025 – The International Banks Division of Intesa Sanpaolo has launched the first ELITE Lounge dedicated to SME clients of the Group’s international banks, in collaboration with ELITE, the Euronext ecosystem that supports companies in their growth and access to public and private capital markets.

The new Intesa Sanpaolo ELITE Lounge builds on the Group’s long-standing strategic partnership with ELITE and the Banca dei Territori Division. It will guide a selected group of ambitious Central and Eastern European companies through growth and advanced training programmes developed in partnership with ELITE. The aim is to support their development by providing access to new skills and promoting sustainability, internationalisation, leadership models and strategic vision.

The programme also benefits from the involvement of leading Italian and international business advisors, and gives participating companies access to a European network of entrepreneurs, top executives and institutional and private investors – facilitating entry into capital markets.

Since the beginning of the partnership in 2018, Intesa Sanpaolo and ELITE have launched 24 Lounges, involving more than 480 Italian companies. Many participating businesses have opened up their capital to new investors or completed mergers and acquisitions aimed at consolidation and growth. Twenty-five companies have issued structured debt through the Basket Bond model, raising a total of €160 million.

“Following the successful launch of the first minibonds in Central and Eastern Europe, the opening of the first ELITE Lounge by Intesa Sanpaolo’s International Banks Division is another key opportunity for clients of our international banks to grow their business, diversify financing channels and expand their network of relationships with the Italian and European business community,” said Paola Papanicolaou, Head of the International Banks Division at Intesa Sanpaolo. “The new ELITE Lounge, and those to come, represent real added value in our product and service offering and contribute to strengthening our positioning in increasingly sophisticated markets.”

“We firmly believe that every company, given the right conditions, can become a driver of change,” said Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE - Euronext Group. “With this initiative, we want to inspire entrepreneurs to invest in their potential and build the future with ambition and vision. We are proud to strengthen our partnership with Intesa Sanpaolo through the launch of the first ELITE Lounge dedicated to the International Banks Division. This project is a concrete step towards the internationalisation of our ecosystem. Today we welcome a group of Central and Eastern European companies, clients of the bank, to provide them with tools, expertise and strategic connections to accelerate their growth, support access to capital markets, and accompany them on a sustainable long-term growth path.”

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Media relations

Intesa Sanpaolo

Corporate & Investment Banking and Governance Areas

stampa@intesasanpaolo.com