The Association was created in May 1986 in order to promote, develop and institutionally represent the venture capital and private equity activity in Italy.

It is an organization composed of different entities which, throughout direct investment of their own funds or through the management and advisory of independent funds (closed-end funds) are private equity and venture capital investors with the objective of purchasing, managing and divesting in unquoted companies.

Since 2014, AIFI opened up the opportunity to join the Association also to private debt funds.

Membership has been evolving together with the growing importance of the private equity and venture capital industry. Full members matrix is quite heterogeneous, including as full members Italian and international banks and their subsidiaries, industrial and private investment companies, Italian closed-end funds, international closed-end funds advisory companies as well as public operators and financial institutions.

Associated members are Italian and foreign associations as well as institutions and companies interested in the development of the private capital industry in Italy.