Znext, the initiative supporting innovation launched by Zanichelli Holding, announces the completion of its first M&A transaction with the acquisition of a majority stake in Factanza Media, an Italian company specialising in the production of editorial and informational content for younger generations.
The transaction, worth a total of €5.1 million, forms part of Znext’s strategy to build an integrated platform of technology companies in the education, employment and wellbeing sectors. The agreement also enabled the exit of the previous investors, Primo Capital and Prana Ventures.
By joining Factanza Media, Znext is becoming part of an organisation that has established itself as a recognisable presence in the world of editorial content and digital news. Over the years, Factanza Media has built up a community of over one and a half million people keen to gain a better understanding of the world around them. Underpinning this growth is a consistent editorial effort that translates complex topics into accessible language, tackling current affairs, economics and social issues with an approach tailored to the younger generation.
This complementary partnership forms the basis of the venture. Factanza Media brings distinctive expertise in content creation and native digital editorial language. Znext provides the scale, operational structure, technological expertise and an industry network capable of accelerating its development.
Our shared ambition is to guide Factanza Media through a process of evolution from a digital media platform into an increasingly structured organisation, opening up new opportunities for growth. Factanza Academy is part of this initiative; it extends the company’s established position in the world of content into the field of training and forms part of the company’s ongoing evolution.
The acquisition of Factanza Media is part of Znext’s strategy to build a portfolio of companies operating in the fields of education, employment and wellbeing, all united by the common goal of developing solutions to support lifelong learning and skills development.
Within this vision, venture building and M&A represent two complementary levers of the same industrial strategy. On the one hand, Znext creates new business ventures; on the other, it identifies and supports existing companies with distinctive expertise, accelerating their development through technology, operational capabilities and an industrial network.
The founders of Factanza Media, Bianca Arrighini (CEO) and Livia Viganò (COO), will continue to lead the company’s day-to-day operations, ensuring strategic, editorial and cultural continuity. The Factanza Media brand will remain autonomous and continue to operate under its own identity, building on the independence and market positioning established over the years. Znext will support the management team on their growth journey, adopting an approach focused on the medium to long term and on developing internal expertise.
“Bianca and Livia have achieved something difficult: they have taken complex topics and made them accessible to a young audience without trivialising them. This is an achievement that cannot be attained by taking shortcuts, but only through years of serious editorial work. For us, this is exactly the kind of partnership we want to build something lasting with,” comments Elena Lavezzi, CEO of Znext, in a statement (pictured here with Arrighini and Viganò)
“When we assess a company, we don’t just look at the figures, but at the quality it has built up over time. Factanza Media combines a large and engaged community, original content and editorial credibility.” “Our aim is to support its growth whilst preserving what has made it one of the most recognisable new media platforms in the country,” adds Marco Parente, Corporate Venture & M&A Lead at Znext.
“We built Factanza Media with the conviction that information and education are a single tool for making a real impact on the world around us. Znext’s arrival marks the start of a phase we have been eagerly awaiting, one that will bring many new developments,” says Bianca Arrighini, founder and CEO of Factanza Media “We will expand in the education sector, with new products and training programmes; we will strengthen our relevance as a media outlet; and we will further develop our agency model, working alongside businesses and large organisations that genuinely want to engage with the younger generations, not just reach them. We will remain at the helm, upholding our long-standing identity and values, but with more tools to do an even better job.”
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