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I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.
Alberto Vacchi chairs I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A., a Bologna-based family office from a 1961-founded global packaging machinery firm.
I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.
I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A. was founded in 1961 by the Vacchi family in Bologna, Italy. The firm started as a manufacturer of automatic packaging machines for the pharmaceutical industry and expanded into a global leader in industrial automation. The underlying wealth comes from decades of earnings in precision machinery. The Vacchi family's investment strategy combines the operating company's retained earnings with direct private investments across manufacturing, automation, and related industrial tech sectors. The family office has been known to deploy capital into Italian and European industrial firms, with a focus on machinery, robotics, and automation. Confirmed holdings include majority stakes in IMA S.p.A. and select minority positions in other Italian manufacturing companies. The family office operates from Bologna with a lean team. Alberto Vacchi, the chairman, represents the second generation. The structure includes a philanthropic foundation, Fondazione IMA, which funds social and educational projects in the Emilia-Romagna region. As of 2025, the family office has not publicly disclosed a recent operational event beyond routine portfolio management. A structural differentiator is the firm's integration of an operating company and family office — the Vacchi family controls IMA S.p.A., a publicly listed entity on the Milan Stock Exchange, and uses its steady cash flows to support direct industrial investments. This hybrid model allows long-term holding periods and alignment with family values.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
1961
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Italy
City
Bologna
Corporate office
Bologna, Italy
Principals
Alberto Vacchi
Chairman
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.?
Alberto Vacchi, chairman of the family office and grandson of the founder, oversees investment decisions. The family office is closely tied to the operating company IMA S.p.A., where Vacchi also serves as chairman (per the IMA S.p.A. annual report, 2023).
Is the firm structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
It is a single family office. The Vacchi family uses the structure to manage the wealth generated by IMA S.p.A., the publicly listed packaging machinery maker. The office primarily makes direct investments in industrial and automation companies, not venture-stage startups.
What investment stages does the family office typically target?
The family office tends to invest in established industrial companies, often taking controlling or significant minority stakes. The focus is on gradual, long-term positions in manufacturing, machinery, and automation, consistent with the family's industrial heritage.
How does the family office source proprietary deal flow?
Deal flow comes primarily through relationships in the Italian industrial ecosystem, built over decades through IMA S.p.A.'s operations. The family also benefits from its deep roots in Bologna's manufacturing network.
Does the family office participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The Vacchi family office is known to invest directly in companies rather than through external funds. It has not been publicly identified as a limited partner in major private equity or venture capital funds.
What is the relationship between the family office and philanthropic structures?
The family operates Fondazione IMA, which focuses on education, social development, and cultural projects in the Emilia-Romagna region. The foundation is separate from the family office but draws on the family's wealth and corporate structure.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The wealth was generated by IMA S.p.A., a global leader in automatic packaging machines founded in 1961. The company went public on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1995, and the Vacchi family retains a controlling stake, providing consistent dividends for the family office.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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