New actors the came on the stage of the venture capital scene in the week ending yesterday in Italy. Meanwhile, Italian startups raise funds from foreign bespoke investors.
Italy’s Freeda Media raised 10 million of US dollars with a capital increase that French venture capital fund Alven Capital led and in which also invested current company’s shareholder U-Start (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Khaled Helioui, angel investor of Uber and Deliveroo; Stefano Sala, a director of Mediaset and ceo of Publitalia 80; Henri Moissinac, business development manager of ofo and former managing director of Facebook Mobile. Gianluigi Casole andAndrea Scotti Calderini founded Freeda Media and in 2016 raised the first round of investments worth 4.3 million. The company will invest the proceeds of such second round for developing new editorial projects and expanding the business in Spain and other foreign markets.
Davide Turco launched financial firm Indaco Venture Partners of which he owns 51% together with the former management team of Intesa Sanpaolo’s venture capital arm (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Indaco raised 130 million of euros ahead of a 200 million target with a hard cap of 250 million. Some of the investors in the firm are Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondo Italiano d’Investimento, and Fondazione Cariplo. Turco will be the firm’s ceo, Elizabeth Robinson, the executive vice president, Antonella Beltrame, Alvise Bonivento, and Valentina Bocca will act as Investment directors. Futura Invest (which belongs to Fondazione Cariplo andFondazione Enasarco) and Intesa Sanpaolo equally own the remaining 49% of Indaco. Salvatore Bragantini will chair the board of the firm which will invest in companies that own proprietary technology made or developed in Italy and early-stage startups. will provide Indaco will receive services of analysis, recommendation and advisory from through the GrowITup platform that Microsoftdeveloped with Cariplo Factory.
