The EIF invests €50 million in Kartesia Asset Finance III, managed by Flexam, the asset-backed finance specialist

• Flexam Invest is an asset management company specialised in the financing of tangible industrial assets (like rescue helicopters, maritime crew transfer vessels, or warehouse automations solutions) and dedicated to European mid-cap companies and SMEs.
• The EIF is committing €50 million in Kartesia Asset Finance III (KAF III), Flexam's third vintage fund, with a portion backed by the InvestEU programme.
• KAF III has now raised nearly €200 million at its second close.

Paris/Luxembourg – 8 September 2025

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is committing €50 million to Kartesia Asset Finance III (KAF III) to strengthen access to financing for mid-cap companies and SMEs across Europe. The fund is designed to finance the growth and transformation capex of European mid-cap companies and SMEs involved in projects driving growth and sustainable innovation. EIF's strategy aims to promote a sustainable and resilient economy through investments in the real economy, including markets like mobile infrastructure and industrial equipment, as well as projects with social or environmental impact.

This EIF commitment is partially backed by the InvestEU programme, which mobilises investment for EU policy priorities such as the green transition and continued support for small and medium-sized enterprises. The programme was launched with the aim of providing more than €372 billion in additional investment between 2021 and 2027.

Kartesia Asset Finance III, which has a target fund size of €500 million, has completed its second closing for professional investors—including institutional and eligible qualified investors—with total commitments nearing €200 million. In line with its defined investment strategy, the fund will support approximately 30 transactions, each secured by mobile assets that are essential to the borrowers’ operations, with a focus on decarbonisation, transformation, and growth of European SMEs.

Founded in 2011, Flexam Invest is a specialist asset management firm focused on financing tangible industrial assets. The company has established a strong reputation in private debt, particularly in light and sustainable infrastructure. Its investment strategy spans a diverse range of sectors, including mission-critical services (such as rescue and emergency transport), industrial mobility (rail, maritime, aviation, and intermodal transport), and logistics.

In 2023, Flexam Invest became part of Kartesia, a leading European provider of capital solutions for small and mid-sized enterprises. Now fully integrated into the Kartesia platform, this strategic partnership has significantly enhanced the capital raising efforts for Kartesia Asset Finance III, thanks to strong synergies across the group. Over the past 24 months, Flexam Invest has also achieved remarkable organic growth, increasing its number of full-time employees by 80%.

Marjut Falkstedt, Managing Director of the European Investment Fund, confirmed: "We are very pleased to seal this new partnership with Flexam Invest, a leading player in real asset financing. With its team of experts, we are strengthening our commitment to SMEs. Our core mission is to support European small and mid-cap companies by facilitating their access to financing, helping them achieve their growth and transformation goals."

Florian de Sigy, Chairman and Partner of Flexam Invest, added: "We are very proud to sign this financial partnership with the EIF, a leading European institutional player with a focus on the financing of sustainable European SMEs. This vote of confidence demonstrates our strong presence in the European industrial landscape and the strength and relevance of our positioning to support the real economy, while respecting the Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability criteria of the EIF. This commitment also reflects the quality and maturity of the work carried out by our teams and will give us the resources to launch new sustainable financing operations in the coming months."

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Press contact:

H/Advisors Maitland

KAF@h-advisors.global

+44 (0) 7341 788 066

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About the European Investment Fund

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group. It supports Europe’s SMEs by improving their access to finance through a wide range of selected financial intermediaries. The EIF designs, promotes and implements equity and debt financing instruments targeting SMEs. In this role, the EIF fosters EU objectives in support of entrepreneurship, growth, innovation, research and development, the green and digital transitions and employment.

About InvestEU

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable economy. It helps generate additional investments in line with EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal, the digital transition and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments together under one roof, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners who invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. This guarantee increases their risk-bearing capacity, thus mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.

About Kartesia Asset Finance (managed by Flexam Invest)

Since 2011, Kartesia Asset Finance (KAF) strategy has supported unlisted European small and mid-cap companies by financing their growth and transformation capex. This is achieved through the acquisition and provision of B-to-B mobile assets across key sectors such as supply chain (intermodal rail-road solutions, electric port vehicles, logistics robotics solutions), essential services (rescue helicopters, assistance boats, etc.), and regional development.

With a focus on growth, transformation, and European reindustrialisation, the strategy is embedded in an ESG framework that prioritises decarbonisation and high energy efficiency. Since its inception, KAF strategy has financed €700 million of assets.

In April 2023, Flexam Invest announced a strategic partnership with Kartesia, the European leader in mid-market private debt. This collaboration reflects a shared desire to develop a multi-sector offering and support the growth of real asset financing in Europe.

About Kartesia

Kartesia is a pan-European, independent, and privately-owned specialist provider of financing solutions. The firm focuses on offering customized resources across the capital structure to leading mid-market companies from a wide range of industries, with the view to accelerating their pace of growth. Kartesia manages €7bn in assets and is operated by a team of 115 experienced professionals across investment and operating teams, led by its three founding Managing Partners. The organization has offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Munich, and Paris.

For more information visit: www.kartesia.com