Italy’s Rainbow Group, the company led by Iginio Straffi — creator of the hit “Winx Club” animation franchise — has announced a partnership with a group of Italian equity investors that are providing a roughly €90 million ($92 million) cash injection.

Under the deal, TEC Movie — which is part of a unit within top Italian merchant bank Mediobanca called the Equity Club — will hold a roughly 40% stake in Rainbow.

The deal “marks a strategic move for Rainbow to further consolidate its position as a leading Italian TV production and animation house with a view to future global growth,” according to a Rainbow statement.

Rainbow Group is now “looking to consolidate its international leadership and exploring strategic M&A transactions involving both major IP and companies in Italy and worldwide that share synergies with the group,” the statement added.

Straffi set up Rainbow in 1995, which has become Italy’s leading animation company and the only one able to compete with Hollywood. His “Winx Club” franchise about six trendy fairies has bewitched tween girls in more than 150 countries and generated billions. In 2015, Rainbow purchased the Vancouver-based animation studio Bardel Entertainment and in 2017 it acquired control of Italy’s Iven Group, made up of production company Colorado Film and talent agency Moviement. Colorado has since spawned several live-action international hits such as young adult romantic drama “The Tearsmith” and revenge thriller “My Name Is Vendetta,” both made for Netflix.

“This deal will allow us to make important investments, develop new shows and continue to bring the talent and creativity of [our] Made in Italy [content] to the world,” Straffi said in the statement.

“Since our inception, we have worked to grow Rainbow as a paragon of Italian excellence on the global stage, focusing on innovation, quality and the ability to create authentic emotional connections with audiences,” he added.

Commented Filippo Penatti, co-CEO at TEC Movie: “We are pleased to establish a new partnership with a visionary entrepreneur like Iginio Straffi and with the whole Rainbow Group, sharing its strategic goals and ambitious future of organic and acquisitive growth.”

New projects in the Rainbow pipeline include a lavish live-action series adaptation of Hugo Pratt’s “Corto Maltese” graphic novels. The internationally renowned comics follow the title character, a swashbuckling sea captain whose adventures take him around the world.

Italy’s Rainbow Group, the company led by Iginio Straffi — creator of the hit “Winx Club” animation franchise — has announced a partnership with a group of Italian equity investors that are providing a roughly €90 million ($92 million) cash injection.

Under the deal, TEC Movie — which is part of a unit within top Italian merchant bank Mediobanca called the Equity Club — will hold a roughly 40% stake in Rainbow.

The deal “marks a strategic move for Rainbow to further consolidate its position as a leading Italian TV production and animation house with a view to future global growth,” according to a Rainbow statement.

Rainbow Group is now “looking to consolidate its international leadership and exploring strategic M&A transactions involving both major IP and companies in Italy and worldwide that share synergies with the group,” the statement added.

Straffi set up Rainbow in 1995, which has become Italy’s leading animation company and the only one able to compete with Hollywood. His “Winx Club” franchise about six trendy fairies has bewitched tween girls in more than 150 countries and generated billions. In 2015, Rainbow purchased the Vancouver-based animation studio Bardel Entertainment and in 2017 it acquired control of Italy’s Iven Group, made up of production company Colorado Film and talent agency Moviement. Colorado has since spawned several live-action international hits such as young adult romantic drama “The Tearsmith” and revenge thriller “My Name Is Vendetta,” both made for Netflix.

“This deal will allow us to make important investments, develop new shows and continue to bring the talent and creativity of [our] Made in Italy [content] to the world,” Straffi said in the statement.

“Since our inception, we have worked to grow Rainbow as a paragon of Italian excellence on the global stage, focusing on innovation, quality and the ability to create authentic emotional connections with audiences,” he added.

Commented Filippo Penatti, co-CEO at TEC Movie: “We are pleased to establish a new partnership with a visionary entrepreneur like Iginio Straffi and with the whole Rainbow Group, sharing its strategic goals and ambitious future of organic and acquisitive growth.”

New projects in the Rainbow pipeline include a lavish live-action series adaptation of Hugo Pratt’s “Corto Maltese” graphic novels. The internationally renowned comics follow the title character, a swashbuckling sea captain whose adventures take him around the world.