The Italian Ministry for Economic Development outlined the investment criteria for the Italian Innovation Fund (FNI) (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) will manage FNI which will act as a fund of venture capital funds that will invest in innnovative startups and SMEs based in Italy. FNI will pour resources ranging from seed to develompent capital in companies operating in the sectors of artificial intelligence, blockchain, new materials, space economy, healthcare, agritech, foodtech, e-mobility, fintech, made in Italy, design, sustainable industry, and social impact.BeBeez News Premium subscribers can read here our Insight View. Find out here how to subscribe to BeBeez News Premium for just 20 euros per month
Invitalia spa signed a closing with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) for the sale of 70% of Invitalia Ventures sgr, the venture capital funds mangement company which is due to manage the resources of the Italian Innovation Fund (see here a previous post by BeBeez). CDP received the authorization of Banca d’Italia, the Italian central bank, and paid 6.9 million euros. Invitalia made a capital gain in the region of 3.65 million and kept 30% of Invitalia Ventures which is currently managing Italia Venture I and Italia Venture II (Fondo Imprese Sud) funds, with resources of 86.65 million and of 150 million. In May 2018, Invitalia launched Italia Venture III a re-industrialization fund that has 200 million to invest.
Supernova Hub, the corporate venture accelerator of Italmondo, a logistic company part of ITLM Group, raised 6 million euros with a capital increase (see here a previous post by BeBeez). GC Holding, the holding of ITLM Group subscribed it. ITLM is the controlling shareholder of Italmondo and Supernova Hub. Federico Pozzi Chiesa, ceo of Italmondo, founded Supernova in 2016. The incubator invested 10 million in 12 startups. The list of supported companies includes Sendabox, IoRitiro, Termostore, Zoro.ai, BorsadelCredito.it, and Supernova Factory.
Italy’s equity crowdfunding platform Doorway raised 500k euros with its first three campaigns that started in May 2019 (see here a previous post by BeBeez). The companies that received such resources are Vintag (a social shopping app for vintage items), Garanteasy (a provider of warranty solutions for retailer buyers), and MySecretCase (an e-commerce platform of sex toys who raised a total of 1 million from other investors, closing a 2,5 million euros round, see here a previous post by BeBeez).). Doorway also announced that Cinzia Farisè, Renate Koenig, Angela Montanari, and Stefano Montaguti are new shareholders of the company. Business Angel Antonella Grassiglicofounded Doorway with Federica Lolli, Marco Michelini, and Donato Montanari. Chitè, a luxury lingerie brand, started an equity crowdfunding campaign on Doorway who aims to support women entrepreneurship.
Docety, an Italian e-learning platform, has raised over 540k euros from around 360 investors in an equity crowdfunding campaign on Mamacrowd (see the press release here). The campaign had a minimum target of 80k euros and a maximum of 500k euros, both beaten. Among the main investors of Docety there were UP srl, a company set up by the incubator Nana Bianca (see here a previous post by BeBeez).
Italian proptech startup SkyCasa raised 0.1 million euros (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Paolo Colia and Gian Marco Angius subscribed the round. Andrea Anedda (ceo) and Michele Schirru (cto) founded SkyCasa, a real estate agent that pays house vendors 1% of the final price of the asset (up to 4,998 euros).
