On 2 April, Tuesday, Zest, the venture capital fund born out of the merger of L Venture Group and Digital Magics, will start trading on Milan market (see here a previous post by BeBeez). The portfolio value of the firm amounts to 60 million euros. Digital Magics current owners will own 63% of Zest while LVenture Group’s shareholders will have 37%. Luigi Capello, the founder and ceo of LVenture Group, and Marco Gay, the executive chairman of Digital Magics, previously said to BeBeez that the Zest aims to grow in Europe.
Angelini Ventures invested 7 million euros in the Series C round of Nouscom, a Swiss maker of anti cancer vaccines that already raised 67.5 million in November 2023 (see here a previous post by BeBeez). The company also attracted the resources of Indaco Venture Partners, Panakès Partners and XGen Ventures. Riccardo Cortese is one of the founders of Nouscom that in three previous rounds raised a total of 129.8 million from Andera Partners, Bpifrance, M Ventures, Revelation Partners, 5AM Ventures, Versant Ventures, EQT Life Sciences, and other investors. Paolo Di Giorgio is the ceo of Angelini Ventures while Marina Udier heads Nouscom.
Incapto, a Spanish startup for the sustainable coffee, raised 6 million euros from P101 (lead investor), JME Ventures, Atresmedia, Bynd, and the family office of the Drago Family (De Agostini Group) (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Francesc Font, Joaquim Mach and Beatriz Mesas founded the company that has a subscription-based model for business and retail clients. Incapto expects to generate 14 million euros revenues in 2024 and will invest the raised proceeds in its organic growth.
Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture capital of the eponymous automotive group, led the 2 million euros equity round that French producer of radars and sensors for self-driving vehicles SteerLight launched (see here a previous post by BeBeez). The company also attracted the resources of LIFTT and Quantonation. SteerLight also borrowed 1.2 million from Bpifrance and other banks.
Italy’s Joinrs, a platform for digital recruiting on campus, attracted 1.7 million euros from Innova Venture (part of Lazio Innova), Doorway and further international business angels (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Joinrs ranked in the top ten startups at Lisbon Web Summit 2023. Gabriele Giugliano (ceo) co-founded the company in 2019. Joinrs will invest the raised resources in its organic development and international expansion.
Keplero AI, a deep tech startup that Gabriele Feudo (ceo) and Giovanni Davalli (coo) founded in October 2023, raised 0.4 million euros from 40Jemz Ventures (fka Bonsai Ventures – lead investor), Orange Palestre Torino (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Keplero AI will invest such proceeds in its organic growth.
ID.EIGHT, an Italian producer of sustainable sneakers that Dong Seon Lee and Giuliana Borzillo founded in 2019, raised 0.35 million euros from a|impact – Avanzi Etica SICAF EuVECA (see here a previous post by BeBeez). The impact investing fund already attracted 15 million from Banca Etica and Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell’Amore ahead of a final target of 40 million. The investors received assistance from a|cube (fka Make a Cube3). ID.EIGHT will invest such proceeds in wxpaning abroad, especially in Germany, The Netherlands.
StepsConnect, a recruiting platform for GenZ and Millennials candidates, attracted one million euros from 40Jemz Ventures, Eden Ventures by IAG, Maggioli Ventures, Moffu Labs, GĔNĔRAS Corporate, Moonstone Fund, KF-Invest, Enzima12, Emiliano Maria Cappuccitti, Gianpaolo Naef, Massimo Cioffi, Dino Caprioni, and Massimo Pagnetti (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Matteo Trovò (ceo), Anton Morale (cto) and Nicolò Caruzzo (coo) founded the company in 2022. StepsConnect will invest such proceeds in its organic growth and expanding abroad ahead of launching further seed fundraising rounds.
Quantonation, a venture capital for the deep physics sector and the quantum technologies, invested in Quantum Italia, a vehicle that Scientifica Venture Capital created in 2023 (see here a previous post by BeBeez). Quantum Italian will create the first Italian and European Quantum Studio ahead of opening further bureaus. ADVANT Nctm assisted Scientifica Venture Capital and Quantonation.
