Italian startups and SMEs will raise 34 million of euros through the equity crowdfunding channel (11.8 million in 2017) in 2018, said a report by EdiBeez , the publisher of BeBeez and CrowdfundingBuzz, published under the patronage of AIEC, the Italian Association of the Equity Crowdfunding Platforms (see here a previous post by BeBeez).
Sources said to CrowdfundingBuzz and BeBeez that nine new equity crowdfunding platforms will join the market in 2019. Taking in consideration the the new comers, the actual rate of success of campaigns among the actual active platforms and the potential growth rate of the number of campaigns, EdiBeez expects that the equity crowdfunding platforms in Italy will raise about 62 million euros in 2019 (+83% compared to 2018) and 110 million in 2020 (+78% compared to 2019).
Fluentify, an Italian startup that supplies online tuitions of English for business, raised 1.5 million of euro from Stefano Marsaglia, senior partner of Peninsula Capital, and other private investors (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Giacomo Moiso, Claudio Bosco, and Matteo Avalle founded Fluentify. The company hit its break-even two years ago and has offices in London, Turin, Milan, Rome and Switzerland and generates 80% of its turnover through B2B sales. Fluentify will invest such resources in the development of a proprietary AI technology and opening a branch in France.
Principia sgr was one of the investors in Compass Pathways, a pharma company that is developing therapies with the active ingredients of magic mushrooms (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Compass raised 25 million of British Pounds. George Goldsmith founded the company that attracted funds also from Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal. Principia invested 80% of its resources worth 206 million of euros.
Illimity, the listed Italian challenger bank, and fintech Credimi signed an alliance for the factoring services (see here a previous post byBeBeez). Ignazio Rocco di Torrepadula founded Credimi which issued financing for 200 million of euros.
Ciro Immobile, the Italian international striker of Serie A Team SS Lazio, invested in ShapeMe, a B2B and B2C provider of wellness services that raised over 0.1 million of euros on Mamacrowd, the equity crowdfunding platform (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Immobile joined the campaign through the Investment vehicle 9 Invest. Matteo Bonicelli della Vite founded ShapeMe. The company received support from Le Serre di Aster, an Emilia Romagna- based incubator.
