Who We Are and Where We Come From
ITS ITALY was born from a multidisciplinary group of professionals based between London and Italy, with decades of experience in hybrid tourism models, the regeneration of historic estates, the wine sector, and both the Italian and international hospitality industries. This foundation was enriched by in-house expertise across architecture, design, urban planning, media, and finance, particularly alternative finance such as cross-border crowdfunding. The first ITS (ITS Magazine) was launched on the very day of Brexit back in 2016. ITS stands for ITalianS.
Many among the founding team have also built strong ties with the global Italian diaspora, particularly in Europe and North America. This connection has proven vital, as many ITS ITALY buyers today are second - or third - generation Italians seeking to rediscover their roots, or citizens formally returning to Italy after years abroad.
The group also has a history of startup incubation and acceleration, having helped fund more than 50 startups created by Italians abroad (via the company i2i - Italians to Italians). This entrepreneurial DNA, combined with a solid understanding of impact investing and community-centric business models, shaped ITS ITALY into a lifestyle company—not a simple proptech or real estate developer. The company was entirely bootstrapped, growing through direct reinvestment and strategic partnerships.
ITS ITALY's earliest projects date back to 2012–2014 in Tuscany, followed by urban regeneration initiatives in Genoa (2015–2019) and adaptive reuse projects in Central Europe (2017–2020), including in Prague and Romania. However, the current format (and naming) of ITS ITALY was crystallized in 2020/2021 as a post-COVID response to shifting global lifestyles and growing interest in relocating to authentic, sustainable places.
Our Philosophy and Mission
ITS ITALY defines itself as a lifestyle enabler. Its mission is to simplify and accompany life, work, and investment decisions in Italy's lesser-known but deeply authentic locations—villages, small historic centers, and abandoned heritage sites. Rather than selling dreams or quick wins (such as the overhyped “1-euro house” schemes), ITS ITALY offers a curated, transparent, and turnkey process.
The motto “Don’t Just Visit, Belong!” summarizes the ethos: ITS ITALY wants people to experience places before committing, ensuring a genuine and lasting connection.
Most of ITS ITALY's users are aged around 42 on average, often young professionals without school-age children or people still in the workforce who can operate remotely for much of the year. The majority (over 60%) are originally based in the UK, with others from the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, and the United States. There is also a growing community of younger digital nomads and ‘older’ professionals. These clients tend to look for:
Two-bedroom homes or larger
Outdoor space (even minimal)
Proximity to airports
Vibrant communities (often with other expats)
Affordability, Financial sustainability and eco-conscious housing
How It Works: Our Operational Model
The ITS ITALY process begins with municipalities reaching out or being identified by local stakeholders. These towns are filtered based on several criteria: accessibility, social cohesion, property viability, and local commitment. If the site is promising, the ITS team visits, evaluates the community, and determines whether the conditions allow for engaging a local Destination Manager.
Then follows a thorough scouting phase. Properties are assessed for legal clarity, restoration feasibility, and market potential. If conditions are favorable, ITS proposes purchase options to property owners with a six-month validity. Simultaneously, preliminary renovation plans are developed, permits checked, and local construction partners evaluated. Once these steps are completed, a final turnkey project (including furnishings and timeline) is presented to the community of potential buyers (originally registered on our website or social media channels).
At this point, potential buyers are invited to express interest. Once a match is made, the buyer deposits a percentage (typically 30–40%) to the Italian vehicle or into a legal escrow account (usually managed by UK-based legal partners). This covers the property acquisition, design, and a portion of construction. Most ITS ITALY projects fall within the €50,000 to €150,000 range at conclusion.
Remaining amounts can also be financed through:
Flexible installment plans
Rent-to-buy agreements
Crowdfunding (to be repaid within 12–18 months)
Homes are delivered turnkey with utilities connected and furnished using mid-range Italian brands like Calligaris, Scavolini, and Kartell. Costs negotiated via our partner company Medelhan / Design Courier are comparable to IKEA’s, but at a much better price.
Until the property is fully paid, ITS may manage it as a short-term rental, collecting revenues to offset costs.
If requested, legal, financial, and bureaucratic procedures are handled remotely via trusted partners in London, Milan, Luxembourg, and New York. Buyers can sign all necessary documents through powers of attorney, minimizing the need for travel.
ITS ITALY Platform & Ecosystem
ITS ITALY has created a proprietary bilingual digital platform (now still used as backoffice support) allowing for complete disintermediation in property selection, project management, and legal processing.
ITS Lending, the company's dual-language crowdfunding tool, raised over €2.8 million in its pilot phase (2021–2024), funding 40 operations (32 already repaid). The platform is currently in transition to a fully licensed operator under new European crowdfunding regulations. Re-opening expected for Q3 2025 as European Equity and Lending crowdfunding platform.
Destination Managers, most of whom are expats, act as cultural mediators and on-the-ground facilitators. 12 municipalities now have active Destination Managers.
ITS also partners with hospitality operators such as Italianway, building a network of standardized, service-managed homes. Buyers can test locations before purchasing and, in some cases, rent temporary accommodation in the same village while waiting for their property to be completed.
Results to Date
From launch to December 2023:
94 municipalities asked to join the project
21 have active properties under option or construction
6 are considered special projects (e.g., state-owned sites, railway house conversions)
2 are developing distributed hospitality projects ("albergo diffuso")
Over 140 property transactions completed, involving 120 individual buyers
40 were financed through ITS Lending crowdfunding (32 already repaid)
Over 16,000 registered users
Revenue (at holding level):
2022/23: €2.7M
2023/24: €2.9M
Special Cases and Strategic Projects
ITS ITALY is currently experimenting with innovative models:
SPV Co-Investment: Owners contribute properties to SPVs only after buyers are secured, receiving preferred payouts (active in Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany).
Short-Term Housing Pools: In Mussomeli (Sicily) and Caprarica di Lecce (Puglia), ITS has co-developed homes for digital nomads and transitional tenants/buyers.
Investor Collectives: Clients acquire multiple units to generate rental income alongside their personal residence.
Test-Before-You-Buy: Fully renovated homes are offered to trial life before committing to purchase.
Investor Visa Projects: ITS ITALY and its companies are eligible for Italian Investor Visas and UK SEIS/EIS tax incentives, and have a U.S. vehicle for American investors.
Other Projects include: wider operations including the proprietary network of digital nomads and lifestyle magazines/newsletters, enabling young locals to buy ITS ITALY’s property or accessing its funding tools.
Digital Nomad Camp: ITS ITALY is launching its first digital nomad camp in Lecce during June/July 2025.
Tiny House Village: Planning permission is underway for a tiny house village between Lecce and Roca, close to Caprarica.
Foreign Investor Services: ITS ITALY now offers a dedicated service for international investors to use its Italian property company as a vehicle for participating in public tenders, grants, and development programs.
ITS ITALY has also reinvested all profits into social impact initiatives—including agricultural regeneration, artisan business support, and long-term property holdings for affordable housing.
Looking Forward
ITS ITALY is consolidating its presence, focusing on 10–12 core municipalities with high alignment and long-term impact potential. The next phase includes launching a rural incubator and coworking hub in Caprarica di Lecce, while continuing to scale the lifestyle investment model across Italy’s underutilized but deeply valuable territories.
By the end of 2025 ITS ITALY plans to open its capital to international investors, making the most of the current tax incentives at UK/European and Italian level.
For more information and updates, visit ITS ITALY and its social media profiles and newsletters or explore our interactive project map.