PRESS RELEASE
Milan, May 6, 2025. YHub, Italy’s leading group in innovative services and technological platforms for traceability and sustainability in the fashion and luxury industry, announces the entry of two prestigious new investors: Giorgio Armani SpA and Fondazione del Tessile Italiano.
This milestone reaffirms the Group’s pivotal role in supporting both brands and supply chain actors, reinforcing its positioning as a strategic partner for sustainable transformation and consolidating a distinctive alliance in terms of vision and solutions. The founding partners – Francesca Rulli, Massimo Brandellero, and Cristian Iobbi – will retain majority control of the company, which also welcomes Matteo De Angelis, General Manager of the Group, into the shareholding structure.
This development marks a significant new chapter in a trajectory that began in 2024 with a similar transaction, which saw the entry of Foro delle Arti (the holding company of Brunello Cucinelli SpA), entrepreneur Matteo Marzotto, Claudio Rovere (Founder & CEO of Holding Industriale SpA), venture funds managed by the global investment bank LionTree, and the digital innovator Federico Marchetti (founder of YOOX) through Mavis.
Operating under the single brand Ympact, YHub currently supports over 3,000 companies in tracing supply chains and measuring the environmental and social impacts of production. It collaborates with more than 50 global brands, and maps over 80,000 suppliers across 22 countries. By integrating expertise, methodology, and technology, the Group enables companies in the sector to meet growing market demands and evolving sustainability regulations.
Brands and Supply Chain: A Shared Commitment
Giorgio Armani SpA is one of the world’s leading fashion and luxury brands, renowned for its timeless, refined style. The Group designs, produces, and distributes a broad range of products that embody the union of craftsmanship and innovation.
Fondazione del Tessile Italiano, established in 1998, works to promote the Italian textile sector through wide range of initiatives aimed at enhancing its competitiveness in an increasingly globalized market.
The decision to bring on board investors of such calibre—emblematic of the very best of Italy’s brand and manufacturing excellence—reflects a firm belief: that the fashion industry can only achieve its sustainability goals through close, structured collaboration among all stakeholders
Statements
Francesca Rulli, Massimo Brandellero, Cristian Iobbi, Founding Partners of YHub:
“We warmly welcome Giorgio Armani SpA and Fondazione del Tessile Italiano into our ecosystem. This marks another step toward the future we envisioned—one in which industry, innovation, and sustainability come together to build a more responsible and transparent fashion system, in partnership with those who share our values. The experience and standing of our new partners, alongside those who joined us in 2024, will be instrumental in strengthening our ability to support brands and the supply chain and in amplifying the positive impact we are generating across the sector.”
Andrea Camerana, Board Member of Giorgio Armani SpA:
“We are pleased to join the YHub Group and to contribute to the development of innovative solutions for traceability and sustainability in fashion—objectives that are essential and achievable only through close cooperation between brands and the production supply chain.”
Simone Canclini, President of Fondazione del Tessile Italiano:
“Joining YHub represents a strategic opportunity for us to support the transformation path that companies must undertake, fostering the kind of dialogue with brands that leads to shared projects and coordinated investments.”
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YHub was advised on legal matters by Zaglio-Orizio-Braga e Associati Studio Legale, with a team led by partner Marco Orizio and associate Désirée Pasquariello. Studio Data acted as financial advisor.
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YHub YHub is Italy’s first group offering innovative services and IT platforms for responsible fashion. By integrating expertise, methodology, and technology, it supports brands and supply chains in traceability and in reducing the environmental and social impacts of production. All YHub companies are Benefit Corporations: Process Factory, a consulting firm that developed the 4sustainability® system to improve sustainability performance and validate data; The ID Factory, a B Corp specializing in digital solutions for material, process, and product traceability; and Ympact, a platform for impact data management and large-scale application of 4sustainability®. With a team of 80 professionals, YHub supports over 3,000 companies, collaborates with more than 50 global brands, and maps over 80,000 suppliers across 22 countries.