ELITE hosts the 5th edition of ELITE Day “Purpose-driven companies: lead the future with impact” and launches the first ELITE Impact Observatory showcasing a strong average turnover growth of +52% for ELITE companies

• Today, ELITE hosts the 5^th edition of its strategic Think Tank ELITE Day “Purpose-driven companies: lead the future with impact” with 350+ international C-Level representatives of ELITE network companies, partners and investors

• Launch of the first ELITE Impact Observatory, a unique research measuring the impact of ELITE, in terms of financial performance and employment, on the companies belonging to the network

• Over 2,300 companies and 200 partners in Europe are part of the ELITE network            

Milan – 14 October 2024 – ELITE, the Euronext ecosystem supporting privately-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their sustainable long-term growth, today launches the ELITE Impact Observatory on the occasion of ELITE Day 2024. The analysis measures the impact of ELITE in terms of financial performance and employment for the companies within the network.

The research is based on a sample of 500 ELITE companies, representative of the main sectors in ELITE and selected based on their specific ATECO code. The selected companies have a turnover of between €10 million and €300 million. The ELITE sample was then compared with a benchmark sample of around 1,200 companies. The benchmark sample was defined using a statistical approach based on the following criteria:

• built according to financial parameters and ATECO code in line with the ELITE sample;
• structured to maintain, in percentage terms, the weight of each geographic area within the ELITE sample;
• numerically larger than the ELITE sample.

The analysis, covering the period from 2019 to 2022, observed trends in revenues, EBITDA, and employment. These three variables are significant for assessing company growth in terms of size, margins, and the ability to create jobs, and therefore also impact employment.

In terms of revenues, the ELITE sample recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +11.8% over the four years analysed, compared to a CAGR of +7.8% for the benchmark sample. Looking at absolute values, from 2019 to 2022, the ELITE sample saw a 52.2% greater average revenue growth than the benchmark sample.

Regarding margins, the ELITE sample recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of EBITDA of +17.1% over the four years, compared to a CAGR of +12.4% for the benchmark sample. In absolute terms, from 2019 to 2022, the ELITE sample recorded 37% higher average EBITDA growth compared to the benchmark sample.

In terms of employment, the ELITE sample recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +15.5% in the number of employees, compared to +0.8% for the benchmark sample. In absolute terms, from 2019 to 2022, the ELITE sample saw an average employee growth rate of 1,825% higher than that of the benchmark sample.

The analysis results clearly indicate how ELITE's typical managerial, governance, planning and financial tools create a highly positive impact on the already virtuous and forward-thinking companies that are selected to join this ecosystem, which is dedicated to the sustainable growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.

ELITE Day – Purpose-driven companies: lead the future with impact

The fifth edition of ELITE Day, held today in Milan at Borsa Italiana’s premises in Palazzo Mezzanotte, aims to analyse how companies driven by a clear and shared purpose are not only transforming their sectors but also shaping the future by creating a broader, significant and lasting impact.

The event, supported by the United Nations Global Compact Network Italy (UNGCN Italy), includes debates, interviews, in-depth panels, and opportunities for discussions between entrepreneurs, top managers, investors, and advisors in the ELITE network. It provides a platform to explore the priorities of virtuous companies, drawing inspiration from CEOs and business leaders who align their growth objectives with tangible and lasting impact for customers, employees and all stakeholders.

ELITE Day reaffirms itself as a strategic Think Tank attracting a European audience of over 350 C-Level representatives from companies, partners, and investors in the network, exposed to renowned speakers and testimonials. These include Eric de Montgolfier, CEO of Invest Europe; Federico Grom, Serial Entrepreneur; Eleonora Briolini, Board Member and Head of Tax at BDO Italy; Cédric Lowenbach, Development Director at Bpifrance; Tommaso Paoli, CEO of NUO; Jorge Portugal, General Manager of COTEC; Marco Frey, President of United Nations Global Compact Italy; Emanuele Preve, Shareholder CFO & Board Member of Riso Gallo; Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability Officer and Institutional Affairs of Kering; Andrea D'Onofrio, Head of Data & AI Western Europe Microsoft; Pasquale Gravina, Leadership & Training Advisor.

View the ELITE Day programme.

ELITE’s numbers and European expansion:

Since ELITE’s launch, more than 2,300 companies have joined the network, with an aggregate turnover of over €189 billion, representing 42 sectors and employing over 660,000 people. 

ELITE is a success story in providing concrete support to many private companies in accelerating their growth: over 260 companies have raised €947 million with ELITE’s direct support, leveraging the Basket Bond^® model; 73 companies have listed, raising €4 billion; 180 companies have issued over 300 corporate bonds raising €3.6 billion; and around 600 companies have invested in inorganic growth through over 1,800 M&A operations.

Since joining Euronext in 2021, ELITE has been closely aligned with the Group’s strategy to promote European capital markets and support private companies in financing their long-term growth. Currently, the focus is on expanding ELITE into other Euronext geographies.

In the Netherlands, in 2022, ELITE and Euronext Amsterdam won participation in the "One Single Hub" promoted by RVO, the Dutch government agency for enterprises under the Ministry of Economic Development, and launched a multi-year programme focused on aggregating and enhancing successful initiatives in collaboration with local stakeholders, while introducing a growth programme for successful SMEs.

In July 2023, ELITE officially launched in Portugal with an initial group of Portuguese companies joining the programme, now consisting of 25 of the country’s most promising companies.

Other European expansion initiatives include the Italy-France Accelerator, launched in 2021 and followed by a second edition in 2023, the first joint programme between France and Italy to drive the growth of companies in these two markets. In early October 2024, ELITE welcomed its first group of companies in France, marking a significant milestone in the development of its network.

More than 100 companies have joined ELITE since the beginning of 2024, including companies in Italy, as well as those set to begin their journey within the pan-European programme on Tuesday 15 October 2024, which covers growing companies from all over Europe, including Italy, France, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE, commented: “Our purpose serves as the compass guiding every decision and action we take. We firmly believe that connecting businesses and capital is essential for creating sustainable, long-term value. Our goal is to support companies in their growth journey, helping them become stronger, more competitive, and resilient in the global landscape. The ELITE Impact Observatory clearly demonstrates how companies in our ecosystem have experienced significant growth in terms of size, margins and their ability to create jobs. These results, along with the pan-European expansion of ELITE through its integration into the Euronext Group, confirm the key role ELITE plays in accelerating companies' access to the capital and expertise needed for growth.”

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