Finanza.tech, how the Italian fintech provides support to SMEs

Finanza.tech

Italy is the country that has seen the birth of some of the biggest brands that cannot be ignored on world markets and which have no equal in the world. Companies such as Ferrari and Ferrero still retain important records characterized by a strongly nationalistic soul. Yet, the real "engine" of the Italian economy to date remain SMEs. Considering our current economic model, bureaucracy, the slowness of regulatory processes, not to mention the uncertainty of the historical period we are experiencing, is it still possible to do business in our country? We asked Nicola Occhinegro, CEO of Finanza.tech, the fintech that provides support and financial advice to SMEs.

Finanza.tech is a company specialized in providing consultancy services in corporate finance transactions and support for ordinary corporate financial management. The company's goal is to revolutionize the logic of accessing and participating in the capital markets, reducing access times and the absolute minimum capital. According to Finanza.tech, this is the correct strategy to obtain a better allocation of economic resources to allow companies to improve the competitiveness and well-being of the productive fabric of the countries in which they operate.

The interview with Nicola Occhinegro , CEO of Finanza.tech

An overview to present Finanza.tech to our readers.

Finanza.tech aims to satisfy the need of companies to find capital to grow, and on the other hand satisfy the need of investors to find new investment activities that are in line with the profiles of risk/reward sought. Furthermore, from the point of view of information technology, Finanza.tech has the ability to intercept data, interpret them and exploit them to ensure that these two worlds speak to each other. The financial market moves on the basis of a symmetrical flow of information, which allows the transit of funds from investors to companies. Finanza.tech analyzes and interprets the data and reduces this information symmetry.

In 2022 there was a slight growth of the Italian GDP, however with the historical period we are experiencing, in all likelihood, there will be a significant decline. In your opinion, what will be the main difficulty in doing business in 2023?

Enemy number one in 2023 is actually well known on the Italian market: uncertainty. What can significantly reduce the growth and development of companies is precisely having elements of uncertainty. In a context in which there is inflation, war, the energy crisis, these are all elements that cause great uncertainties that reduce the ability of entrepreneurs to plan, make investments and program orderly growth. But this is added to an all-Italian problem, linked to the regulatory system, which is always subject to sudden changes. A striking example is the Superbonus 110% which has seen 14 changes in just two years. Now, imagine a company that is based on this business, which has to support investments dictated by a business plan that must always be reviewed 14 times, not counting elements such as the political color and the duration of the government in office. An enemy, a very strong difficulty, all Italian which will also be present in 2023.



Gross Domestic Product in 2022, Linked Indices with reference to 2015. Source: ISTAT Given the uniqueness and difficulties of our country, there is no shortage of opportunities and net of these uncertainties, the markets will not wait. Is there a specific moment that you would consider ideal for launching a startup?

It would seem a philosophical answer, but the most opportune moment is always NOW. The opposite doesn't make sense because planning to do business later and not today, in all likelihood you won't do it tomorrow either.

In your opinion, adequate funds and institutions are foreseen today to facilitate the birth of a new business ?

Absolutely yes. Especially as regards institutions such as Invitalia (Invitalia, officially the National Agency for the attraction of investments and business development S.p.A., is an Italian government agency set up as a joint-stock company and 100% owned by the Ministry of the Economy and finances. The company is active in the country's economic growth process, through action on strategic sectors for development and employment and is also engaged in the revitalization of crisis areas, with particular reference to the South. Invitalia manages all national incentives that favor the birth of new businesses and innovative startups. Editor's note) is a very complex bureaucratic organization that manages impressive numbers with incredible efficiency such as 10,000 projects for over two and a half billion approved in three years, with the of a banking system on startups that he otherwise would have ignored. Especially in Southern Italy, many things have always gone wrong, but today we have something like Invitalia that really works and it must be said.

Obviously the funds to be activated depend on the business model you want to create with the startup. In the South, as explained, crowdfunding works for small initiatives.

Then I would divide the world into two blocks, the first made up of simpler economic initiatives with public contributions or crowdfunding, while the second made up of from initiatives with more complex connotations that need an advisor to move better on the capital markets.

In this process, what are the main difficulties that a new initiative may encounter?

Definitely transforming the idea into a presentable and therefore observable business model from different points of view. This is the first real obstacle. Subsequently, the main difficulties arise when you don't get to the right interlocutors, you need to find a good advisor, i.e. that operator I was telling you about who draws up a litmus test, an x-ray of the project to be presented on the market and therefore suitable access to capitals.



Finanza.tech what kind of service can it provide to those who want to start a business and to those who are already on the market?

We can translate the business idea into the business model to be presented to the market. Another specific feature of finance.tech is to enable the processes, we are building a financial product, together with other operators, which can allow the Italian SME to buy an energy efficient plant, such as a fully financed photovoltaic plant, to support energy costs.

In business organization it often happens that some key roles often find themselves having to face problems of financial mismanagement. What kind of support can Finanza.tech provide

When the company joins our portal, one of our analysts is assigned to it. This figure has the task of acting as a tutor to accompany the company on the financial market and represents the first reference to be able to analyze the economic-financial situation of the company, verify which are the positive or negative aspects of the photograph that we take with our dossier , and on the basis of this photograph and listening to the entrepreneur's development plans, outline possible financial strategies together with him. For example, in the case of poor financial management, if the company is in debt, the possibility of selling credits is analysed, and therefore of consolidating the balance sheet of the assets, which however allow at the same time to repay debt is a useful strategy. Our analyst explains the strategy to the entrepreneur, therefore there is a training action, but he also guides him in the execution by completing the operation.

We have understood that in Italy there are the resources to be able to push the maximum companies, however, there is often a lack of correct communication on the use of the available tools. What are the Finanza.tech services for accessing credit and any dedicated bonuses by sector?

Let's talk about another historic handicap of the Italian system. You may have heard of the phenomenon of resources not being fully spent. There is no knowledge by the production system of all the opportunities, in particular the European community, which is at the disposal of Italian companies. The professional gap, i.e. the system of consultants who gravitate around the company, can do a great deal, playing the role of interpreters of these opportunities. Finanza.tech provides these professionals able to intercept these opportunities and present them to our customers in a clear and simple way to be able to take full advantage of them.



There are other equally important figures who operate with you on this market?

We are constantly looking for developers and data scientists, who fall in love with the Finanza.tech project and can appreciate a company born in southern Italy and aspire to a career in an important listed company operating in these markets .

Concluding the interview with Occhinegro, with regard to the development of this company, we realize what actually serves the companies of our country and, above all, the younger ones: the desire to bring Italy to the top levels of excellence by bringing out valid but submerged realities, eliminating communication barriers and streamlining the processes of access to credit and European funds. All activities undertaken by this young Italian company.

If you agree with us and Finanza.tech, go to the company's official website to find out more about the entire range of services offered.