Edition: 21 Next wraps up, targeting 10 billion in assets under management in alternative assets

Benetton holds a 55 per cent stake. Regulatory approval was granted in recent weeks.

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - 21 Next, the European platform set to operate in the alternative asset management sector (with a focus on private markets), has officially been launched. The preliminary agreement signed in November 2025 was followed by regulatory approvals from the European Commission, the Italian Competition and Market Authority, the Bank of Italy and the Autorité des marchés financiers, which concluded their reviews favourably in recent weeks, thereby enabling the transaction to be finalised. The platform has approximately €3 billion in assets under management, with the aim of exceeding €10 billion in the coming years. 21 Next will also benefit from €500 million in ‘seed capital’ provided by Edizione to support its growth.

According to a press release, 21 Next ‘stems from two businesses with Italian roots, 21 Invest and 21 Tages’, under the leadership of the Edizione holding company, chaired by Alessandro Benetton. The platform integrates diversified investment strategies to “generate long-term value for investors and support the growth of portfolio companies across Europe, through an industrial approach and a vision that places sustainability at the heart of investment strategies”. Led by Alessandro Benetton as chairman and Panfilo Tarantelli as CEO, 21 Next is controlled by Edizione, which holds a 55 per cent stake, whilst the remaining 45 per cent is held by the founders – Alessandro Benetton of 21 Invest, Tarantelli, Umberto Quadrino and Sergio Ascolani of 21 Tages, and by the senior management of 21 Invest and 21 Tages.

Overall, 21 Next currently manages 11 active funds through 21 Invest and 21 Tages: one fund dedicated to healthcare, three funds focused on energy transition, one mid-market infrastructure fund, one private debt fund, one continuation fund and four flagship funds dedicated to investments in medium-sized Italian and French companies.

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