UniCredit is using artificial intelligence to uncover smaller M&A deals without the need for hiring extra bankers as the Italian lender has set ambitious target to bolster its business.

The bank has been mandated on around 500 deals through a new digital system called DealSync, which enables employees of UniCredit’s corporate bank and wealth management unit to feed potential opportunities through to M&A bankers, according to Richard Burton, who leads its client solutions team.