Global Private Markets Converge in Milan: From Global Capital to Local Impact
The third edition of 0100 International Milan — organized by Zero One Hundred Conferences in partnership with the Milan City Council’s Department of Economic Development and Milano&Partners — brought together the global private markets community for three days of execution-driven dialogue from October 27–29.
This year’s event gathered over 800 participants from more than 50 countries, including 130+ speakers representing firms with a combined €13 trillion in assets under management. With more than 630 Limited Partners, General Partners, and Family Offices in attendance, conversations reflected a sector in motion — one balancing discipline, innovation, and impact.
From Milan’s historic Palazzo Castiglioni, investors and allocators explored the forces reshaping private markets today:
disciplined underwriting in a higher-for-longer rate environment,
secondaries as a strategic liquidity tool,
the shift from box-ticking ESG to decision-useful impact metrics, and
Europe’s distinct advantage — from Italy’s family-owned industrial champions to the convergence of deep tech and the real economy.
A Curated Global Audience
Among the participants were senior decision-makers from leading institutions such as 500 Global, Adams Street Partners, AltamarCam, Andbank, Ares Management, Ardian, BlackRock, BNP Paribas, Bocconi Endowment, Bridgepoint, Carlyle, Coller Capital, CDP Equity, CVC, EIF, FERI, Fondo Italiano d’Investimento, Generali Investments, H.I.G. Europe, Hamilton Lane, HarbourVest, Hg, HV Capital, Isomer Capital, KKR, LGT Capital Partners, Partners Group, Permira, Rothschild & Co, Schroders Capital, StepStone, Verdane, Vitruvian Partners, and many more.
With its global reach and focus on practical insights, 0100 International Milan has solidified its place as one of Europe’s most impactful gatherings for private markets professionals.
Key Themes by Investor Type
Limited Partners & Allocators
LPs emphasized through-cycle portfolio design — disciplined pacing, vintage diversification, and proactive liquidity planning amid slower exit markets.
Alignment, transparency, and governance remain non-negotiable, while ESG discussions increasingly focus on value creation and risk mitigation, not compliance.
Secondaries, both GP- and LP-led, continue to play a crucial role in managing duration and generating liquidity.
Private Equity
In private equity, the conversation shifted decisively toward value creation over multiple expansion.
Operators spotlighted growth grounded in fundamentals: pricing power, operational excellence, procurement, and technology enablement.
With selective IPO windows, dual-track exits and carve-outs are on the rise, and LPs are prioritizing co-investments where information symmetry and speed align.
Venture Capital & Growth
The venture track reflected a new era of capital efficiency and disciplined growth.
Themes of deep tech meeting the real economy dominated — from energy transition and industrial automation to bioeconomy and applied AI.
Speakers emphasized moving beyond “impact” as a label, toward intentionality and measurable outcomes, while structured secondaries are reshaping late-stage liquidity dynamics.
Private Credit
Private credit continues to attract institutional attention for its all-weather characteristics — senior secured direct lending, asset-based finance, and specialty credit strategies providing floating-rate income and covenant protection.
Tighter underwriting standards and sector selectivity were common threads, as investors blend sponsor-backed and proprietary opportunities to remain resilient across cycles.
Spotlight: Italy’s Expanding Opportunity Set
Milan emerged not just as host, but as a case study in Europe’s evolving private capital landscape.
Investors pointed to a growing pipeline of founder-led and family-owned businesses seeking partners to professionalize governance, digitize operations, and scale internationally.
The Italian opportunity set spans:
succession and buy-and-build strategies across industrial and service sectors;
export-oriented businesses with pricing power in premium “Made in Italy” categories;
technology adoption in manufacturing, healthcare, and fintech; and
a capital gateway in Milan, where international platforms increasingly establish their European growth hubs.
The consensus: Italy’s blend of resilient mid-market champions and generational transitions offers fertile ground for buyout, growth equity, and tailored private credit strategies.
By the Numbers
Registrants: 800+
Speakers: 130+
Combined AUM: ~€13 trillion
Nationalities represented: 50+ (including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, India)
LPs / GPs / Family Offices: 630+
Seniority: 80% Partner / C-level / Director
About 0100 Conferences
Zero One Hundred Conferences is a leading platform for private equity and venture capital networking across Europe.
Since its founding, it has hosted over 50 events in 15+ countries, featuring 1,600+ speakers and 15,000+ participants — building bridges between global capital and local innovation.