Established in 1984 and headquartered in Milan and Brescia, OCS is the leading Italian provider of proprietary software solutions for the retail finance market. For over 30 years, OCS has supported the main Italian banks and specialized financial institutions, acting as a trusted technology partner for complex and innovative IT solutions for both consumer credit and asset finance.

With a team of c. 100 highly specialized professionals (engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists) and Sales of approximately €30 million in 2017 (with an average annual growth rate of 14% over the last three years), OCS was a private company owned by its three co-founders, Luciano Benedini, Francesco Cavagna and Lorenzo Cereda.

The OCS suite allows banks and specialized financial institutions to manage a wide range of financial products (including personal loans, credit cards, revolving credit, securitization and leasing) over the entire credit life cycle, from initial client interaction through to offering a broad spectrum of further credit activities.

The partnership with Charme will see the company continue to operate in a similar manner, with the three co-founders collectively retaining a 20% stake in the company and maintaining their current management roles. With Charme, OCS’ objective is to further develop its growth strategy in Italy and internationally, with particular focus on developing new products to further support its clients’ business.

Matteo di Montezemolo, CEO of the Charme Funds, commented: "OCS represents a strong investment opportunity in the market leader with a high growth potential and a unique set of competences developed in over 30 years of activity, thanks to the know-how of both its founder and team of professionals. These are the distinctive features of Charme Funds investment strategy and represent the strategic and operating support that we will provide to OCS to implement its growth plan".

Luciano Benedini, Francesco Cavagna and Lorenzo Cereda, co-founders and co-CEOs of OCS, have commented: “Thanks to the partnership with Charme III, OCS plans to continue its development path. The objective is to strengthen and further evolve the OCS platform according to the strategic plan shared with Charme, in order to tap the multiple market opportunities both in Italy as well as internationally”.

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Charme III was assisted in the transaction by Legance Avvocati Associati, PWC, Osculati & Partners and Spada Partners while the financing has been structured through a bond underwritten by the Pemberton funds, assisted by Clifford Chance. OCS was assisted by Klecha & Co as financial advisor and Pedersoli Studio Legale and Studio Zanoletti-Uberti.

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The Charme Funds

The Charme Funds were created in 2003 by Luca and Matteo di Montezemolo and are backed by a unique combination of institutional and entrepreneurial investors. Total commitments raised since the establishment of Charme I have been in excess of €1 billion. The Charme funds develop long-term industrial investments in companies with a strong potential for growth and international development.

Charme III, with total commitments of €650 million and offices in Milan, London and Madrid, was launched between 2015 and 2016 with a pan-European investment focus, particularly on Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. Charme III is investing in companies with high International growth potential, whose value ranges between €100 million and €500 million. In these companies, Charme III acts as a strategic partner for those entrepreneurial families and managerial teams who want to benefit from new development opportunities, both through organic growth and structured M&A investments and strengthening of capital structure aimed at consolidating their leadership.

The main investments realised by Charme I and II funds include: in luxury goods, Poltrona Frau Group (the world leader in high-end design furniture created via the acquisitions of Poltrona Frau, Cassina and Cappellini); in technology, Octo Telematics (world leader in insurance telematics) and in med-tech, Bellco (active in blood purification devices).

Charme III has already completed six majority investments. Specifically, two investments in Spain via Igenomix (world leader in reproductive genetic diagnostics) and Valtecnic/Ibertasa (a leading Spanish market player in the field of real estate services, and specifically in real estate appraisals and valuation for the banking system); two investments in the United Kingdom via JD Classics (active in the retail, restoration and management of both road and racing classic cars) and Witherslack (among the UK market leaders in the education sector, known for its know-how and industry reputation); and two investments in Italy via ATOP (active in the field of industrial automation for the production of electric motors in the automotive and e-mobility sector) and Fiocchi (one of the leading companies worldwide in the production and sale of premium small-calibre ammunitions used for sports and leisure).

For additional information, see www.charmecapitalpartners.com.