The story
The origins
Instituto di Finanziamento e Sconto, I.Fi.S., was founded in 1983 in Genoa, where Sebastien Egon Fürstenberg, founder of the company and the current President, resided at the time.
I.Fi.S. was founded in Genoa as a specialized financial intermediary focusing on two core services: the acquisition of trade receivables and factoring-based financing. Operating as the captive finance company for the Americanino group, I.Fi.S. plays a crucial role in the denim company's supply chain by providing financing to suppliers and managing customer receivables.
2002-2004: listing on the Stock Exchange
In 2002 Banca Ifis was authorised to carry out banking activities, and it changed its name from Ifis to Banca Ifis SpA. The same year, it became a Bank and joined Factor Chain International to operate on a global level, after opening branches in Romania and Poland.
In 2003 Banca Ifis was admitted to the MTA (Mercato Telematico Azionario, the Online Stock Market), and in 2004 it entered the STAR segment.
2008-2013: growth and diversification
The Bank's strategy is based on increasing its market share through the development of its historic core business: financial and management support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Italy and abroad. In 2008 Banca Ifis entered the world of retail with the launch of Rendimax, a high-yield online savings account. In 2013, it expanded its offer with the Contomax, an online checking account.
In 2011, Banca Ifis branched out into what would become its second core business: the purchase and management of non-performing loans by acquiring Toscana Finanza.
2016-2020: acquisitions season
In 2016 Banca Ifis acquired Ge Capital Interbanca for 119 million Euro (with one billion of assets), entering the fields of leasing, medium-term lending and structured finance. Banca d'Italia acknowledged the operation on 29 November of the same year.
In 2018, development continued in the area of Non Performing Loans (NPL): Ifis Npl S.p.A., a joint-stock company established following the spin-off of the Npl Area of Banca Ifis, became fully operational, 100% controlled by the parent company. In 2018 the Bank entered the pharmacy lending sector, acquiring 70% of Credifarma S.p.A., a company jointly held by Italian Federfarma. The same year, it acquired Cap.Ital.Fin. S.p.A., a financial intermediary specialised in personal salary-backed loans.
Read the full text
In January 2019 Banca Ifis purchased FBS S.p.A., a company that operates in the NPL sector as a specialist in servicing activities, for €58.5 million, which today is included in Ifis Npl.
The Central Business Department was set up in 2019, bringing together all the business areas aimed at supporting enterprises. In October 2019 Banca Ifis completed the purchase of 10% of the remaining share capital of the subsidiary FBS S.p.A. and became its sole shareholder, consolidating its position as a major player in the market of non-performing loans in Italy.
In April 2020 the Banca Ifis Group formed a new vision of NPLs: the names of FBS S.p.A. and FBS Real Estate S.p.A.were changed to Ifis Npl Servicing S.p.A. and Ifis Real Estate S.p.A. The companies of the new Banca Ifis NPL Division were created with the aim of making the organisation more efficient and allowing it to effectively seize the best opportunities on the market.
Banca Ifis announced that it had successfully completed the competitive process for the purchase of 70.77% of the share capital of Farbanca S.p.A.
2021: Npl area reorganization
On 1 January 2021 corporate reorganisation was completed in the Npl area, creating a vertical chain to guarantee the separation and independence between credit purchase and collection activities.
Since April 2021 Frederik Geertman becomes the new chief executive officer of the Group.
2022: creation of Banca Credifarma
In April 2022, the merger by incorporation of Credifarma into Farbanca, which was approved in February, ends with the creation of Banca Credifarma, the first specialised pole in financial services to pharmacies.
2023: acquisition of Revalea
In May 2023, Banca Ifis acquired the company Revalea Spa from the Mediobanca Group, born the previous year from the demerger of MBCredit Solutions Spa and active in the recovery of impaired loans.
In September, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Bank's foundation, the Bank inaugurated the "Parco Internazionale di Scultura", a permanent exhibition of monumental sculptures created at the behest of Ernesto Fürstenberg Fassio in the gardens of the 16th-century Villa Fürstenberg, the Group's historical headquarters in Mestre.
2024: opening of the Parco Internazionale di Scultura
In April, the "Parco Internazionale di Scultura" was officially opened to the public. The exhibition hosts plastic works of contemporary sculpture by Italian and international artists, including Fernando Botero, Igor Mitoraj, Manolo Valdés, Pietro Consagra and Roberto Barni.
2025: acquisition of illimity Bank
In January 2025, Banca Ifis launched a takeover bid for illimity Bank for €298 million. The acquisition was finalised in August 2025.
From Wikipedia’s article on Banca Ifis, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5