PE Lab
SDA Bocconi's Private Equity Lab (PE Lab) is an independent reference point for companies and financial players in the acquisition industry.
PE Lab's activities are primarily aimed at: Private Equity funds, banks, financial, legal and tax advisors, accountants, strategic and financial consulting firms, venture capitalists, professional investors and business angels.
In an opaque market, the PE Lab offers a professional view of market developments, critically interpreting data, focusing on innovative issues and problems to support those in the industry.
Goals
Starting with a proprietary database, the PE Lab produces innovative studies and research on private equity and extraordinary finance with the aim of interpreting and discussing:
- numbers and values of corporate and private equity transactions
- portfolio composition and way-out conditions
- investment policies and structuring of transactions
- trends in inbound and outbound negotiated prices
- professional issues related to acquisition processes
Mission
SDA Bocconi's Private Equity Lab (PE Lab), established in 2006 and active since 2008, is an independent reference point for companies and financial players in the acquisition industry. Working with companies, private equity funds, and advisors, the lab is engaged in a continuous process of market enhancement and cultural updating. The resulting knowledge is grounded in the constant enrichment of a proprietary database that is useful to both the financial market and the corporate world. On the one hand, the analytical layout of the database makes it possible to identify the most active financial players and the investment strategies and methods used. On the other hand, the objectivity of information helps companies streamline governance and make effective decisions to sustain growth and enhance their strategies.
Membership
The PE Lab's philosophy is to promote an interactive and collegial association among independent actors working in business sectors related to acquisition processes: private and institutional investors, lenders, specialized consultants and professionals, who represent the "voice of the market" and add value through their experiences. Being part of the PE Lab means actively participating in the Steering Committee on a bimonthly basis, an essential opportunity for discussion to identify new research topics, assessing their scope and providing insights and information to identify the most significant statistical clusters.
Research activities
The Lab is directed by Professor Valter Conca, coordinated by Dr. Mauro Locatelli, and supported by a team of specialized researchers and an Advisory Board of independent external experts with extensive experience in acquisition processes.
Established in 2008, the research center has been monitoring market developments since 2010 through the implementation of a proprietary database. Thanks to an ever-growing and statistically significant sample, the database enables the development of empirical evidence clustered by specific areas of analysis. This research addresses not only the quantitative aspects of transactions, but also several professional dimensions, including the role of advisors, acquisition financing structures, alternative financing instruments (private debt and minibonds), tax-related issues, and corporate governance structures.
In addition, dedicated sections of the database focus on the analysis of:
- Trends in the European market
- The minority investments market
- The structure and market of club deals
- Potential acquisition targets
The PE Lab focuses on conducting innovative studies and research in the field of acquisition processes (private equity and M&A) and development finance. In particular, it aims to:
- give a systematic and up-to-date reading of the Italian market
- take a snapshot of the portfolio composition of investee companies and way-out conditions
- analyze funds' investment policies, the reasons and conditions under which the corporate structure disposes of shares, the trend of traded prices
- analyze alternative forms of investment and financing
Main areas of research
Mergers and Acquisitions Transactions
Monitoring activities include:
- the number and value of transactions that have taken place;
- the sectors involved;
- the analysis of strategic motivations;
- the analysis of prices (multiples);
- Multiple cash.
Private Equity Transactions
Planned activities focus on:
- census of investment and divestment operations;
- assessment of the quality of the portfolio of investee companies;
- analysis of strategies and behaviors adopted by market players;
- analysis of entry and exit prices.
Output
Guidare nel futuro. Le sfide dell'automotive
Economia&Management, n. 4 2023
Le acquisizioni
Valter Conca (Libro) Egea Editore, IV Edizione, 2022
Gli investimenti di minoranza nel private equity
Valter Conca, Mauro Locatelli (Rivista) Economia&Management, n.3(2022)
La nostra Africa. Miti, rischi e opportunità
Economia&Management, n. 3 2020
People
A team of academics, advisors and researchers animates the activities of the PE Lab, contributing to the development of knowledge and thinking about the world of private equity.
Sponsor Istituzionali
Partners
Learn about partners who have supported the PE Lab in previous editions or through specific initiatives.
Media
Insights, news and articles chronicling PE Lab's activities and perspective on the world of private equity.
