Cosmico Raises $13.2M, Acquires Flatmates to Reshape Work

Jan de Vries · 2026-05-18

Cosmico, a Milan-based scale-up in the Future of Work space, just closed a $13.2 million funding round (equity and debt) led by P101 SGR. Long-standing investors like Prana Venture also joined in. Alongside the funding, Cosmico bought 100% of Flatmates, a creator agency co-founded by Michele Pagani and Marcello Ascani. Flatmates runs a Talent-as-a-Service model for the creator economy across Italy, Spain, and the USA. ### What This Means for Cosmico Francesco Marino, CEO and co-founder of Cosmico Group, put it simply: "Cosmico is no longer a scale-up with a single product. We've become a Future of Work holding company, with five verticals today and a growth ambition that runs through strategic transactions like this one." He added that the $21.9 million already contracted in the first four months of 2026 shows a machine moving at full speed. The goal is $43.8 million from organic business this year, building toward $109.5 million by 2028. Founded in 2020 by Francesco Marino, Simone Tornabene, and Matteo Roversi, Cosmico now organizes its ecosystem around four complementary verticals: - Cosmico (Talent-as-a-Service for digital professionals) - Flatmates (Talent-as-a-Service for the creator economy) - Creative Harbour (Community-as-a-Service for employee engagement) - Play New (Talent Process Design for building teams of SuperAgents - AI-augmented professionals) This structure will serve as the framework for future acquisitions, with three more expected by the end of 2026. The M&A strategy targets both Italy and Spain, where Cosmico already has dedicated operating companies. ### The Flatmates Story Flatmates launched in 2021 and now works with over 60 clients, including Ducati, NordVPN, Google, Xiaomi, Trade Republic, and Generali. They operate across four business areas: Factory (talent representation), Agency (brand-creator matching), Studio (original content production), and Originals (proprietary editorial channels like FuoriBrief and Clickbait). The full acquisition completes a process that started in 2024 when Cosmico bought a majority stake. Michele Pagani, CEO of Flatmates, shared his excitement: "Joining the Cosmico Group at 100% means multiplying the tools and opportunities for the creators we represent and the brands we work with. We share the same mission: putting talent at the center. For us, this means scaling faster in Italy, consolidating growth in Spain, and continuing to produce content that tells the story of the present and anticipates the future of communication. We can dream big." ### Revenue and Growth Trajectory Cosmico closed 2025 with $26.3 million in revenue - a 109% year-over-year jump. In the first four months of 2026, they've already contracted $21.9 million in sales, including $1.6 million from Spain. The year-end target is $43.8 million from organic business, with three M&A deals in the pipeline adding more. The company's growth trajectory points to $109.5 million by 2028. They serve a community of over 35,000 digital professionals across Italy and Spain, with more than 300 clients. Notable names include NTT Data, Accenture, Deloitte Digital, Huawei, Scalapay, Publicis Sapient, Capgemini, Inter, Sisal, EssilorLuxottica, Dolce & Gabbana, Levi's, Facile.it, and A2A. The team of about 110 people works from offices in Milan and Madrid. ### Why This Matters for the Future of Work Cosmico's model is turning heads because it treats talent as a service - flexible, scalable, and built for the modern economy. By adding Flatmates, they're doubling down on the creator economy, which is exploding worldwide. The holding company structure lets them acquire and integrate new verticals without losing focus. It's a smart way to grow fast while keeping each unit nimble. If you're watching the Future of Work space, this is a company to track. Their numbers are impressive, and their vision is clear. With $13.2 million in fresh capital and a proven M&A playbook, Cosmico is positioning itself as a serious player in Europe and beyond.