"Credito F.A.C.I.L.E." loans for Lombardy's SMEs and professionals / FINLOMBARDA SpA (LOMBARDY REGION): EUR 15 MILLION WILL BE INVESTED TO SUPPORT THE REAL ECONOMY BY FINANCING LOCAL SMEs THROUGH OCTOBER'S TECHNOLOGICAL LENDING PLATFORM

Finlombarda Spa, the in-house public financial institution 100% owned by Lombardy Region, supports the revitalization of the productive environment of Lombardy with the alternative financing initiative "Credito F.A.C.I.L.E.", designed in response to the liquidity needs of micro, small and medium enterprises and professionals in the area.

Finlombarda has recently concluded the selection process and identified the "October Sme IV" fund, in which up to 15 million euros will be invested to support the real economy. The fund, which operates in Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, will operate by deploying in Lombardy a sum equal to at least the value of the investment made by Finlombarda.

The investment of the regional financial institution is in addition to over 150 million euros made available by various institutional investors at European level, including the European Investment Fund (EIF), Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the French Public Investment Bank (Bpifrance).

October lending platform allows companies to obtain further financing compared to the traditional banking system, thanks to support of private and institutional investors who identify the lending marketplace as an innovative investment opportunity to support the real economy.

"Credito F.A.C.I.L.E. is a real example of how a synergic action between all the players of the financial ecosystem is the right way to support the economic revitalization of our region, using financial instruments complementary to traditional financing. We remind you, among those already active at Finlombarda, of the Minibond in partnership with other institutional investors and ELITE Basket Bond Lombardia in co-partnership with CDP," said Michele Vietti, Chairman Finlombarda Spa.

"This initiative is a further step in October's commitment in supporting SMEs and the real economy. A strategic partner like Finlombarda allows us to provide Lombardy’s SMEs not only financial resources but also know-how and technology, creating the framework for a profitable collaboration between institutional and private players to the benefit of real economy" said Sergio Zocchi, CEO October Italia.

About: Finlombarda Spa (www.finlombarda.it) is the in-house public financial institution 100% owned by Lombardy Region. It has been contributing to the realization of regional economic development programs in Lombardy since 1971.It offers financing opportunities to companies, professionals and public administrations through soft loans and grants and structured finance (minibonds, project financing, leverage financing, acquisition financing, turnaround investing, etc.) - with its own resources, those of the Lombardy Region and the European Union. It operates both as the sole lender and in partnership with other financial intermediaries and institutional investors with the aim of promoting the leverage effect between public and private finance to the benefit of the final recipients of the initiatives. It supports Regione Lombardia in structuring financial operations in strategic areas for the attractiveness and competitiveness of the territory.

About: October is the pan-european leading SME lending marketplace (source Altfi 2020). It operates in France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. On October’s lending platform, SMEs can borrow directly from private and institutional lenders. October creates an efficient, transparent and customer-friendly alternative to the traditional bank system and offers creditworthy SMEs faster and simpler access to financing. In 6 years, October has financed more than 1600 companies for a total amount of more than 600M€. October is backed amongst others by Partech Ventures, CNP Assurances, Matmut Decaux Frèes Investissements, Idinvest and Allianz. Leading European financial institutions are also commited alongside October to support SMEs: European Investment Fund, Bpifrance, Intesa Sanpaolo Group, La Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, El Instituto de Credito Oficial, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. October has launched October Connect, its neolending technology for financial institutions that offers an efficient and secure credit process for banks to provide a better credit experience for professionals. For the second time in 2021, October has been listed in the French Next40 ranking as a scale-up with the potential to become a world-class technology leader.