EIB provides €220 million to Nexi to back digital payment innovation in Europe

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• The new funds will contribute to the development of the group’s innovative digital payment products and services.
• The projects financed will support the group’s sustainability-related environmental, social and governance goals, which have already been announced to the market.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €220 million in financing to Nexi Group, Europe’s largest PayTech company, to support innovation in the digital payments sector. The agreement was announced today in Milano by EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and Nexi Group CFO Bernardo Mingrone.

Nexi will use the EIB funds to develop and manage projects aimed at modernising digital payments in Europe, and to finance specific initiatives that leverage the expertise of Nexi Digital, a European technological innovation hub created in collaboration with Reply, an Italian company and European leader in digital transformation.

The identified projects are fully aligned with Nexi Group’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives, which have already been communicated to the market. These include promoting digital payment innovation across Europe, creating jobs for young people and in disadvantaged areas, and enhancing environmental sustainability by optimizing data centres and developing cloud-based activities.

This is the first EIB loan granted to a publicly listed company in the digital payments sector, underscoring Nexi’s commitment to advancing the digital and technological transition.

EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti commented: “This operation represents a major step forward in the development of Europe-wide digital payment solutions, helping to reduce the use of cash and prevent fraud and tax evasion. This operation highlights the EIB’s commitment to promoting digitalisation and innovation in businesses and public sector organisations, which are key elements of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.”

Nexi Group CFO Bernardo Mingrone added:“We are proud that the European Investment Bank has recognised our ongoing commitment to the development of innovative products and services promoting digital payment reliability and security, two key requirements for rolling out these services in the European countries where we operate. This agreement is further confirmation that even major players like the EIB recognise Nexi’s vital role in developing and supporting digitalisation in Europe.”

Background information

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It finances sound investments that can contribute to EU policy. EIB projects strengthen competitiveness, foster innovation, promote sustainable development and improve social and territorial cohesion while supporting a fair and rapid transition towards climate neutrality. In the past five years, the EIB Group has provided more than €58 billion in financing for projects in Italy.

Nexi is Europe’s PayTech company operating in high-growth, attractive European markets and technologically advanced countries. Listed on Euronext Milan, Nexi has the scale, geographic reach and abilities to drive the transition to a cashless Europe. With its portfolio of innovative products, e-commerce expertise and industry-specific solutions, Nexi provides flexible support for the digital economy and the entire payment ecosystem globally, across a broad range of different payment channels and methods. Nexi’s technological platform and the best-in-class professional skills in the sector enable the company to operate at its best in three market segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuing Solutions and Digital Banking Solutions. Nexi constantly invests in technology and innovation, focusing on two fundamental principles: meeting, together with its partner banks, customer needs and creating new business opportunities for them. Nexi is committed to supporting people and businesses of all sizes, transforming the way people pay and businesses accept payments. It offers companies the most innovative and reliable solutions to better serve their customers and expand. By simplifying payments and enabling people and businesses to build closer relationships and grow together, Nexi promotes progress to benefit everyone. www.nexi.it/en www.nexigroup.com