Over 2,000 companies and 200 partners admitted to the ELITE network since its launch in 2012

Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo and Paris – 14 October 2022 –Euronext celebrates today the 10-year anniversary of ELITE. Launched in Italy in 2012 and now part of Euronext, ELITE is the European network of private SMEs that helps accelerate the process of accessing private and public capital markets. ELITE’s mission is to support companies by connecting them to capital, skills and network to drive their sustainable growth in the long term. With over 2,000 companies and 200 partners admitted to its network since its launch, ELITE has become a successful ecosystem. With its integration into Euronext, ELITE is now ready to expand its reach across Europe, developing its network and launching its activities and services to more Euronext countries. Euronext is the leading pan-European market infrastructure, operating regulated exchanges in Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal. Euronext is the number one equity listing venue in Europe and the world leader in bond listing.

On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, ELITE announces today its expansion across Europe. Working with local partners and the Euronext network, leveraging on the Euronext pre-IPO programmes and complementing the recently announced Euronext Tech Leaders initiative, the expansion of ELITE to more Euronext countries will be rolled out from 2023, with the long-term ambition to make ELITE a point of reference for private companies operating in traditional sectors and businesses across Europe.

A number of initiatives have already been launched in 2022. These include the launch in France in 2022 of the first French-Italian Accelerator, the first joint programme between France and Italy to guide the growth of companies in both these markets. Through dedicated training sessions it aims to increase business opportunities among companies in the two countries to support their growth and international expansion processes, together with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), Bpifrance and Team France Export. 

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, in 2022 ELITE and Euronext Amsterdam won the “One Single Hub” tender promoted by RVO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, operating under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. The multi-year programme is focused on the aggregation or upscaling of proven successful initiatives in partnership with relevant local stakeholders, while introducing a successful SME growth programme.

Since ELITE’s launch, more than 2,000 companies have been part of the ELITE network, which today counts 1,300 companies with an aggregate revenue of €100 billion, representing 34 sectors and employing over 600,000 people. ELITE has been a success story, providing concrete support to many companies to accelerate their growth: €816 million raised with direct support from ELITE for over 190 companies leveraging on the Basket Bond® model, 55 companies have been listed raising €3.7 billion, 119 companies issued 187 bonds raising €2.8 billion, and 322 companies managed over 1,000 M&A deals. 

Marta Testi, CEO of ELITE, said: “We are excited to celebrate this important anniversary: ten years of ELITE. It has been ten years of working alongside companies, supporting entrepreneurial excellence in their growth path. ELITE’s aim to help SMEs finance their growth is fully aligned with Euronext’s mission to connect European economies to global capital markets, to accelerate innovation and sustainable growth. ELITE is assessing opportunities to further build its value proposition in Euronext countries, leveraging on the strong footprint of local Euronext teams”.