Notebook and diaries maker Moleskine has secured a second major shareholder in venture capital firm Index Ventures.

Notebook and diaries maker Moleskine has secured a second major shareholder in venture capital firm Index Ventures.

The iconic brand, which is led by chief executive officer Arrigo Berni, will remain under the control of its majority owner, European buy-out specialist Syntegra, which holds 67.7 per cent of the company, while Index has acquired about 15 per cent. Index, with offices in London, Jersey and Switzerland, made the investment through its Growth Fund.

Milan-based Moleskine was launched in 1997, aiming to revive the style of notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries including Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway.

Giuseppe Zocco, partner at Index Ventures, comments that Moleskine’s ‘loyal customer base’ and strong expansion prospects, particularly in China, India and Brazil, attracted the firm to the company. He adds that the funding will be used in Moleskin’s ‘next phase of growth and to contribute to the continuous expansion of the online presence’.