UniCredit S p A : facilitates landmark sustainability-linked acquisition

UniCredit underwrites 100% of private equity fund Ardian's EUR 200 m acquisition of martech specialist Jakala, as part of Italy's first ever syndicated sustainability-linked LBO.

UniCredit has drawn on its extensive ESG advisory expertise to provide 100% of the underwriting, as well as acting as Sole Global Coordinator, Sole Bookrunner and Sustainability Coordinator, on Italy's first syndicated sustainability-linked leveraged buy-out (LBO) for global private investment house, Ardian.

The transaction took the form of a EUR 200 m Term Loan B (TLB) in supporting the client in its primary buy-out of Jakala, the Italian leader in marketing technology, or 'martech', and one of the top five in Europe. This landmark deal also stands as the first fully underwritten Term Loan B (TLB) structure in Italy since 2018.

With 60% of the company's 1,000 employees being under 35 and an even gender split, Jakala also has a history of strong work on Environmental, Social and Governance matters, thus representing the perfect candidate for sustainability-linked financing.

[Benoit Remigi] at UniCredit said: 'We are proud to have supported Ardian in this transaction. By helping place large portion of the transaction with institutional debt funds, the bank capitalised on a growing appetite for Italian debt. The team set itself apart as it strived to provide the best possible solution to the client in a timely matter'.