The Italian Ministry for Economic Development (MISE) finally published in the Official Journal the expected Decree adding the announced further incentives for investments in startup and innovative SMEs (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Investors will get a tax deduction for 30% of the invested amount for up to 1.8 million euros. In the meantime, 2019 Budget Law enlarged those incentives to a 40% tax deduction for investments in year 2019, but that new measure has to be approved by the European Commission yet in order to exclude State adds.
In the last three years, the European Investment Bank  poured 600 million euros annually in venture debt for European SMEs (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Dario Scannapieco, the vicepresident of the EIB, said in a meeting in Milan some days ago that the firm will keep supporting SMEs. The only Italian company that received a financing from the venture debt platform of EIB is Newron, who raised 40 million in 2018.
The equity crowdfunding sector in Italy is growing (see here a previous post by BeBeez). BeBeez is media partner for the presentation of the Fourth Italian Crowdinvesting Report that will take place on 18 July. Giancarlo Giudici, the director of the Crowdinvesting Observatory of Milan Polytechnic University, will highlight the current trends of equity crowdfunding and social lending. CrowdfundingBuzz data say that the market keeps reaching new peaks. Sign up here for attending the event. Speakers: Giancarlo Giudici; Goffredo Amodio, Accenture Strategy; Andrea Maffi,Trusters; Danilo Maiocchi, Innexta; Rosy Alaia, Smartika; Sergio Zocchi, October; Giacomo Bertoldi, Walliance; Leonardo Frigiolini, Fundera; Alessandro Lerro, Italiana Equity Crowdfunding Association, Toni Marcelli, Consob (waiting for confirmation); Matteo Masserdotti, 200 Crowd.
Le Village by CA Milano, the Innovation hub of Crèdit Agricole and Iconium Blockchain Ventures, created Milan Blockchain District based in Milan in Corso di Porta Romana 61 (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Milan Blockchain District will supply services for mentoring, coaching, training, matching of companies with investors, support for fundraising and internationalization.
Compagnia di San Paolo and Fondazione Denegri Social Venture, which belongs to the De Negri family, acquired in even parts more than 51% of incubator SocialFare from Congregazione dei Giuseppini del Murialdo (see here a previous post by BeBeez). During its first three years of activity, SocialFare received 850 applications and supported 50 startups that raised investments amounting to 4 million euros.
FrescoFrigo, the startup producer of vending machines, raised 260k euros in a new funding round (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Digital Magics and Club degli Investitori poured resources in the company. In 2018, Tommaso Magnani (ceo) founded the company with Enrico Pandian(chairman).
German challenger bank N26 opened shop in the US and launched Cash26 for its Italian clients that now will be able to withdraw cash from the counters of the store of the supermarket chain Pam and Panorama Supermarket (see here a previous post by BeBeez). ViaCash partnered with N26 for the launch of Cash26.
Life Based Value closed the third tranche of a fundraising round of 1.5 million euros that Opes-Lcef Foundation (whose executive president is Elena Casolari), Mpa Education, and Hungary’sImpact Ventures subscribed for a 20.56% stake (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Riccarda Zezza and Andrea Vitullo founded Life Based Value, a developer of life-based-learning training solutions and owner of the Maternity as a Master (Maam) method, which transforms parenthood as a toll for professional growth. The company’s founders own 60% of the business, while 20% is of the funds, and 20% is of business angels and of crowdinvestors that supported the firm through Italian platform Mamacrowd. Life Based Value will invest such resources in its organic and international development.
LVenture Group, the Milan-listed seed venture investment company that Luigi Capello founded is now raising 6,135 million euros capital increase (see here a previous post by BeBeez). The deadline for new investors is next Friday July 19th, while current shareholders may exercise their option to subscribe new shares till July 25th. Since it started activity in 2013, LVenture investments invested about 60 million euros in Italian startups.
Keesy, the Italian startup providing locks for authomatic self check-in and check-out for leisure and business accommodation, raised 680k euros through an equity crowdfunding campaign on MamaCrowd (see here a previous post by BeBeez). The company’s pre-money evaluation is of 4.5 million euros. Keesy overachieved its 150k euros target and will invest such proceeds in its organic and international development. Patrizio Donnini is the founder and ceo of Keesy. In June 2019 Keesy signed a partnership with CleanBnB, an Italian platform for handling short term housing rentals. Keesy posted sales of 0.128 million in 1Q19.
