Zest S.p.A., listed on Euronext Milan and a market leader in Italy for pre-seed and seed venture capital investments, startup acceleration, Open Innovation, and Corporate Venturing programs, announces the acquisition of Fitprime, a B2B corporate welfare platform and a key player in the Italian market.
Fitprime has been acquired by Wellhub, a global leader in corporate wellness and a unicorn valued at $2.4 billion.
Zest has sold 50% of its stake in Fitprime representing an 8.5x return, while the remaining 50% has been converted into Wellhub shares.
Fitprime was launched in 2016 through Zest's LUISS EnLabs acceleration program, established through a joint venture with Luiss University. Initially, the startup focused on a consumer-oriented model selling virtual subscriptions for access to partner fitness centers. Over time, it expanded its offerings to the B2B space, creating a comprehensive corporate wellbeing platform. Today, Fitprime is a market leader in Italy, serving over 200 corporate and SME clients and more than 400,000 employees.
This transaction marks Zest's third exit in 2024, following the successful operations completed in Futura and Cardo AI earlier this year.
“This exit, the third completed within the first nine months of Zest’s inception, showcases the maturity of our portfolio, which includes tech champions and high-potential startups operating in key industrial sectors,” said Luigi Capello, CEO of Zest S.p.A.“The acquisition of Fitprime by Wellhub underscores the international appeal of our portfolio, a testament to the relentless efforts of our team to create value. Our ambition is to launch and support the next generation of tech companies, delivering value to our shareholders and the broader economic system.”
“We are proud to have accelerated Fitprime and supported its founders in their journey to becoming a national digital champion,” added Gabriele Ronchini, CEO of Zest Investments. “The team demonstrated exceptional resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, strengthening their business model in the post-COVID period and establishing themselves as Italy’s leading corporate welfare platform. This market, which continues to grow, is projected to exceed $75 billion in the coming years and our stake in Wellhub, opens up exciting prospects for Zest for further significant returns.”.