KKR & Co Inc is strengthening its presence in Italy with plans to open a new office in Milan, signalling a deeper long-term commitment to one of Europe’s most active dealmaking markets for private capital, according to a report by Reuters.
The US private equity firm said the new hub will serve as a base for its investment activities across private equity, infrastructure and real assets, credit strategies, insurance-related investments, and private wealth management. The expansion reflects a broader effort to centralise coverage of Italy within a dedicated local platform.
The Milan office will be led by infrastructure partner Marco Fontana, while private equity operations in the country will be overseen by director Nicolo Della Casa. The move formalises KKR’s growing local leadership structure as it scales activity across multiple asset classes.
The expansion follows a period of significant investment activity in Italy. In recent years, KKR has led a consortium that acquired a majority stake in Telecom Italia’s fixed-line network in a transaction valued at approximately €19bn, and separately invested around €3.6bn for a minority stake in Eni SpA’s biofuel subsidiary Enilive.
The new office underscores the firm’s continued focus on strategic European infrastructure and energy-transition assets, as well as digital infrastructure, where long-term contractual cash flows have attracted strong institutional interest. Italy in particular has become a key market for large-scale private capital deployment as governments encourage private-sector participation in infrastructure modernisation.
KKR & Co Inc has been steadily expanding its global footprint in credit, real assets and insurance-linked strategies alongside its traditional buyout business, reflecting a broader industry trend toward multi-strategy private capital platforms.
The Milan launch is also expected to support fundraising and deal origination across the Italian mid-market, where cross-border investors are increasingly targeting assets linked to connectivity, energy transition and regulated infrastructure.
