Aksìa-backed Valsa completes acquisition of I Maestri del Forno
- Deal is Valsa’s sixth add-on under Aksìa’s buy-and-build strategy in savory baked specialties
- Combined group revenues are expected to reach €180 million following the deal
- Selling shareholders and I Maestri del Forno’s management reinvested, retaining a minority stake
Aksìa Capital V, a fund managed by Aksìa, has completed the acquisition of I Maestri del Forno through its portfolio company Valsa, marking the platform’s sixth add-on deal. I Maestri del Forno, based in Pastorano in Italy’s Caserta province, produces ambient baked goods such as saltimbocca, pucce, panuozzi and pizza bases for the retail channel.
The deal expands Valsa’s product portfolio in the segment of high-quality baked specialties with an artisanal character, and is part of the buy-and-build strategy Aksìa is pursuing to build an international center of excellence in high-quality savory baked specialties with a clean-label positioning, according to the company. Valsa’s offering spans frozen, chilled and ambient production technologies and reaches the retail, HoReCa and industrial channels. Group revenues are expected to reach 180 million euros following the deal.
Founded in 2018, I Maestri del Forno is a fast-growing industrial company whose production emphasizes ingredient selection along with long leavening processes and baking techniques intended to preserve artisanal quality, according to the company. Selling shareholders and I Maestri del Forno’s management team have reinvested, retaining a minority stake in the business.
The development plan drawn up by the target’s management team, with the group’s support, envisages expansion in international markets through Valsa’s commercial network, while preserving I Maestri del Forno’s premium positioning and drawing on the group’s research and development expertise, the company said. The company is also finalizing investments aimed at doubling its production capacity.
Editor’s note: This news brief was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
