Francesco Cantini, Managing Director: “We aim to accelerate the transformation of traditional vending by focusing on increasingly technological and connected machines and expand our business through a Retail Tech approach”.
Fas International Spa, a company based in Vicenza that is among the leading players in the automated retail market, has acquired 35% of Alturas Sistemi Srl, a software house based in Villafranca di Verona (VR), specialized in advanced management projects, custom application design, and hardware and software infrastructures. The operation is part of the company’s development plan, which will be implemented in the new 2025-27 industrial plan, aiming to achieve a revenue of 70 million euros, up from the current 53 million.
With Alturas towards a more technological model for Retail Tech
Alturas Sistemi collaborates with key technology partners to develop artificial intelligence telemetry to enhance and optimize every aspect of vending management. Telemetry, combined with artificial intelligence, supports the operator in every phase, enabling total control over the installed vending machines. This means having certainty about the products available in the machine and their positioning, obtaining accurate statistics on the products sold by the machine, and eliminating errors in item pricing. For Fas, which does not rule out strengthening its stake in the future, the investment in Alturas Sistemi represents an opportunity to improve its digital architecture by integrating a software and hardware ecosystem.
“Fas aims to take a leading role in Retail Tech,” explains Fas International’s Managing Director, Francesco Cantini, “which means the use and application of innovative and digital technologies in the retail sector. With Alturas, we will further enhance our ability to acquire, process, and manage data, offering a 360° consumer-centric approach that will benefit both vending operators and food & beverage producers. Additionally, this operation will allow us to expand into new business models beyond the boundaries of traditional vending. We are excited about this strengthening of the synergy with Alturas, with whom we have been collaborating for years.” “Thanks to the partnership with Fas International,” adds Giovanni Pizzoli, CEO of Alturas Sistemi, “our company will have the opportunity to expand the range of services offered both in software/management solutions and consulting, bringing significant improvements in the efficiency and value of how vending operators manage their business.”
A push towards international markets with the 2025-27 Industrial Plan
After closing 2023 with a turnover of 53 million euros, up 12.5% compared to the 48.5 million of 2022, Fas International is set to end 2024 with further significant revenue growth, approaching 59 million euros, approximately 11% more than in 2023. The company has clearly defined development goals in its 2025-27 Industrial Plan, which aims to reach 70 million euros during the plan period, while maintaining EBITDA consistently above 20%, thus returning profitability to pre-COVID levels, with a long-term goal of 100 million euros, to be achieved within the following three years.
The Plan’s objectives focus on organic growth with an acceleration of existing initiatives, specifically aiming to increase market share in various geographies, consolidating the results achieved in the current cold line, and aggressively developing new, more innovative and technological segments, particularly aimed at the extra-vending market—automatic stores, catering, retail, non-food, etc.—with high-end products such as selective elevator lifts, Skudo—outdoor IP24 certified armored machines—Excellence spiral machines with 12 selection Cashback and Full View, and finally the Easy 6000 disk machine line—Food and Retail. Furthermore, aggressive growth is also expected for the entire hot drink range, further strengthened by important improvements in reliability, productivity, and maintenance efficiency (ease and speed). Lastly, the hot drink range, with larger coffee groups, will be able to take advantage of new development opportunities in Central and Northern Europe.
As for expansion markets, Fas International has identified four key areas: core markets, large markets where Fas has a market share greater than 10%, aiming to consolidate its position in vending and develop extra vending through the Retail Tech approach; high-potential markets, also large but with Fas’s market share below 10%, where the goal is more aggressive growth by increasing market share in both vending and Retail Tech; high-growth markets, rapidly expanding markets where the aim is to maintain share by growing at least as fast as the market; and blank spots, markets where Fas is not yet present, with new opportunities being explored. In terms of specific countries, the focus will be on Northern Europe as well as established markets like France, Poland, and Belgium, while significant attention is being directed towards North America and Asia.
Francesco Cantini adds: “Geographical expansion is closely linked to Fas International’s DNA, and foreign markets continue to grow, driving our sales: confirming this, Italy’s weight in the revenue mix is gradually decreasing in favor of international markets. We aim to lead the transformation of traditional vending by promoting technological machines with digital payment capabilities, and, in full alignment with the founder’s seminal vision—’Anything can be sold through a vending machine’—we plan to expand the ‘scope’ into Retail Tech, covering diverse sectors such as collective catering and functional non-food, including the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE), small metal parts, and work tools, as well as cosmetics, fashion accessories, and more. All this is done with a constant focus on environmental sustainability, energy savings, and circularity. Fas solutions are fully integrated digital platforms capable of supporting and managing the entire supply chain, from provisioning to reservations to product pick-up, with the goal of providing a seamless experience for the end consumer while significantly improving service quality, saving time and reducing energy consumption.”
“We need to move beyond the traditional idea of a snack vending machine,” concludes Luca Adriani, CEO of Fas International. “Today, the vending world has profoundly changed and continues to evolve. Fas International is highly focused on new technological applications and providing the end consumer with a more personalized and tailored retail experience. Our machines are high-performing and sustainable, thanks to their technological content, and they allowing for better time management of the workforce through dynamic restocking rounds, meaning that they are targeted and focused on the actual needs of the users.”
