Italian Fintech AideXa Raises €45m Round And Buys Fide To Launch A Challenger Bank For SMEs
Italian fintech startup AideXa announces a €45M initial funding round aimed at creating an SME dedicated challenger bank. The startup is lead by Italian banking experts Roberto Nicastro and Federico Sforza, together 8 other top level professionals acting as promoters of the new project.
Set to target small businesses, the new bank has bought Fide Spa, a salary-backed loan business
The hope is that this acquisition will help the start-up secure a full banking licence. The start-up intends to use a mixture of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, open banking and the other opportunities of the Second Payments Directive (PSD2). The round included, among others the following investors: 360 Capital, Bertoldi Holding, Banca Sella, Banca Agricola Popolare di Ragusa, Generali Group, La Scogliera spa (holding of the Fürstenberg family and major shareholder of Banca Ifis), Banca Ifis, FB5 Investments (the parent company with which Sergio Bommarito controls the Messina-based credit servicer Fire Group spa), the ISA Institute of Trento, financier Francesco Micheli’s Micheli Associati and the communication company CloseToMedia.