Un important agreement in the pipeline on the banking front, a process of simplification of the corporate structure that will be launched next year, and forecasts of turnover growth to 110 million in 2021 and 130 million in 2022 (compared to 95 million in 2020 ). This is the horizon of the Softlab group, active in the ICT for 35 years which today has 1,200 employees and over 300 customers, after the ‘reverse merger’ which saw it among the protagonists. Softlab, in fact, with an operation, one of the first of its kind in Italy, has conferred a company branch (Tech Rain) within Acotel, a Roman company listed on the stock exchange active in digital entertainment, value added services and mobile for the B2B sector. The Softlab group thus acquired the majority of the listed company which changed its name, from Acotel to Softlab. The Carnevale family that controlled Acotel remains in the shareholding, albeit with a reduced share package. The ‘reverse merger’ operation, explains Giovanni Casto, CEO of the group and president of the listed company, “arises, on the one hand, from Softlab’s desire to continue the process of developing and consolidating its core business to strengthen its positioning among player of ICT Consulting and, on the other hand, by Softlab Tech’s need to carry out some extraordinary operations aimed at defining a new operational and organizational structure guided by other business strategies ». The first financial statements of Softlab spa after the ‘reverse merger’ closed with revenues of 14.2 million euros, up 5% compared to the 2019 results of the Tech Rain business unit and a negative net result of the group for 0 , 6 million euros, penalized by write-downs of 3.3 million. “The current Softlab spa – continues Casto – continues to maintain its strong identity in terms of offer and specialization, aiming to be the ideal partner for customers in order to optimize their performance on the business thanks to a data and technology driven. The goal is to continue along the same lines, providing services with high added value ». Furthermore, the Softlab group recently moved activities to the listed company: “the idea is – continues the manager – to diversify the offer, such as in the insurance sector”. Returning to the group, according to the industrial plan presented to the banks which Il Sole 24 Ore has examined, a more linear corporate and organizational structure is aimed, starting from the first quarter of 2022. Four main points are envisaged: cost saving, or the reduction of administrative and management costs; the cross-selling organization, that is, thanks to the new structure, we want to solve the problems related to the silo vision of the business; the increase productivity, ie the increase in productivity by eliminating duplications and overlaps; the consolidation of the business into a few legal entities to maximize its value, currently distributed throughout the group, allowing greater access to the capital market. Also in light of these objectives, the group expects, Casto continues, “an explosion in all sectors, from insurance to energy in general to the field of renewables”. In particular, “a particularly important agreement is being worked on in the banking sector. Agreement – anticipates the manager – which is part of a more general strategy carried out in recent years, in which we have worked through acquisitions in the IT field of companies recognized by the market to bring to the customer a 360-degree offer ». Softlab, which has its main offices in Rome, Milan and Caserta, is present abroad in Sao Paulo, London and Barcelona, albeit with small businesses.
“Internationalization – adds Casto – is on the agenda of all technology companies, we in Italy still have extremely important growth opportunities, but we are also not neglecting foreign countries as a competitive arena in the coming years”. As for the prospects that open up with European resources for digitization, Casto explains that the group has not considered “the Recovery Fund in the industrial plan, it is clear that we are nevertheless working on issues such as Iot, cybersecurity, digital, that is the hot topics of Government agenda for the next few years. It is clear that an increase in investments and spending sees us if not as protagonists, at least as important players in future development ».
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