The European Investment Fund (EIF) is committing €50m (£43.4m) to Kartesia’s asset-based finance fund, which provides financing to mid-cap firms and SMEs across the continent.
Kartesia Asset Finance III (KAF III) is managed by Flexam Invest, a specialist asset management firm focused on financing tangible industrial assets, which was acquired by Kartesia in 2023.
KAF II, which has now raised nearly €200m at its second close, has a target fund size of €500m.
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The EIF commitment is partially backed by the InvestEU programme, which mobilises investment for EU policy priorities such as the green transition and continued support for SMEs.
“We are very pleased to seal this new partnership with Flexam Invest, a leading player in real asset financing,” said Marjut Falkstedt, managing director of the EIF.
“With its team of experts, we are strengthening our commitment to SMEs. Our core mission is to support European small and mid-cap companies by facilitating their access to financing, helping them achieve their growth and transformation goals.”
The fund is focused on funding the growth and transformation of European mid-cap companies and SMEs involved in projects driving growth and sustainable innovation.
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It will support around 30 transactions, each secured by mobile assets that are essential to the borrowers’ operations, with a focus on decarbonisation, transformation and growth of European SMEs.
“We are very proud to sign this financial partnership with the EIF, a leading European institutional player with a focus on the financing of sustainable European SMEs,” said Florian de Sigy, chairman and partner of Flexam Invest.
“This vote of confidence demonstrates our strong presence in the European industrial landscape and the strength and relevance of our positioning to support the real economy, while respecting the Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability criteria of the EIF. This commitment also reflects the quality and maturity of the work carried out by our teams and will give us the resources to launch new sustainable financing operations in the coming months.”
