Arca Fondi SGR is an Italian asset manager with over €36bn in AUM and upwards of 820,000 subscribers. The independent company launched its first funds in 1984 — and that portfolio of assets now exceeds €4bn in value. Arca Fondi SGR closed 2021 with a record net profit of €78.6m, up 39 percent year-over-year. It pushes for continuous innovation in product development to help clients start saving smarter. It launched the Arca Economia Reale funds in 2015, giving investors access to SME equity opportunities in Italy’s manufacturing and service industries. It targets small- and mid-cap companies with industrial ingenuity and diversifies across sectors to ensure the most balanced exposure. These smaller enterprises tend to be less affected by global market trends, but Arca Fondi SGR has managed to preserve the value of the SME equity portfolio throughout the most turbulent market phases. It credits strong sector diversification and a hands-on management approach. Arca Fondi SGR believes these funds — and the companies they represent — will go far in supporting Italy's recovery and resilience plan. The Italian economy has shown good GDP growth entering 2022, with increasing confidence from businesses and consumers, and Arca expects the recovery and resilience reforms will amplify these trends. Arca Fondi SGR is a long-running titleholder in the CFI.co awards programme, first registering on the judging panel’s radar in 2015. In 2022, Arca was selected for the second consecutive year as the Best SME Equity Fund (Italy) award winner.