Reefilla, the Italian start-up that develops energy storage and mobile power generation solutions, also based on second-life batteries, raised €4.5 million. The new capital will be used to expand Reefilla's presence in the Italian and foreign markets and to support the R&D of advanced "Made in Italy" technologies for the qualification of "second life" batteries, transforming end-of-life batteries from problem to resource.
The round was led by CDP Venture Capital through the Green Transition-PNRR fund, financed with EU NextGeneration funds. The goal is to stimulate growth, with co-investment from the PiemonteNext fund, created and managed by CDP Venture Capital Sgr and underwritten by the regional finance company FinPiemonte to maximise investment in innovation for the region, together with HCapital (a Portuguese venture capital fund making its first investment in Italy), Azimut, through its venture capital fund AZIMUT ELTIF - Venture Capital ALIcrowd III, and Motor Valley Accelerator, the first investor in Reefilla, the reference open innovation platform for start-ups and companies in the automotive sector. Motor Valley Accelerator is an initiative of CDP Venture Capital in which Fondazione Modena and UniCredit participate and which is managed by Plug and Play, also a co-investor, and CRIT.
The company's first steps
Founded in Turin, Italy in 2021 by Marco Bevilacqua, Pietro Balda and Gabriele Bergoglio, Reefilla has quickly become a benchmark in energy storage and mobile power generation solutions, including a circular economy process by giving batteries a second life. Following the success of Fillee, the first mobile charger for electric vehicles, the company is preparing to launch new off-grid power generation solutions in 2025 to meet the growing needs of the energy market.
This injection of new capital follows the €1 million equity injection closed in 2022, which enabled Reefilla to bring its technology to market and consolidate a high-profile customer portfolio, including companies’ fleets, car sharing services and partnerships with leading mobility companies. The capital raised represents a further step in the growth of Reefilla, which was born at I3P, the innovative companies incubator of Politecnico di Torino, and developed with the support of the Motor Valley Accelerator in Modena.
“We are proud to have reached the interest of Italian and international capital to support a clear vision and a concrete industrial project - says Marco Bevilacqua, CEO and Co-Founder of Reefilla - We want to build a circular supply chain that promotes the reuse of batteries and provides customised energy solutions for people and businesses. We believe that the future of energy must be responsible, accessible and emission-free, and we are committed to contributing to this revolution in a concrete way”.
The future goals
In 2025 Reefilla will inaugurate a centre of excellence at its new headquarters in Turin, Italy, dedicated to the testing and qualification of batteries for 'second life' and the production of the new product range. This will be a great opportunity for the territory and the Italian innovation, creating new jobs and attracting talent.
“This sixth investment by the Green Transition Fund-PNRR in Reefilla confirms that venture capital is the necessary tool to support new entrepreneurs and create the companies of the future - comments Cristina Tomassini, Senior Partner of CDP Venture Capital and Head of the Green Transition Fund - With its technology, Reefilla offers solutions to accelerate the deployment of sustainable mobility and small-scale electricity storage, which is necessary to reduce CO2 emissions in various sectors: households, construction, boating and mobility.”
“We are very confident in the important role that all investors can play in strengthening Reefilla's mobile Power Storage solutions, which leverage second-life batteries, within the energy storage sector. Investors' support will be instrumental in driving the company’s business growth, in particular by facilitating access to new international markets” declares Gonçalo Sousa Coutinho, Associate Partner of HCapital.
“We believe in Reefilla's technology and in the strong skills of its team, made up of automotive engineers who have proven in the past that they can bring innovation to the market", addsGuido Bocchio, Head of Venture Capital at Azimut Libera Impresa SGR S.p.A., Managing Director of the AZIMUT ELTIF - Venture Capital ALIcrowd III sub-fund.
“Our commitment to maximising seed investment in responsible innovation and research and development of advanced technologies in strategic sectors such as energy and environmental sustainability is growing. In particular, the co-investment in Reefilla through the PiemonteNext fund represents a further opportunity for our region, given the imminent opening of a new centre of excellence in Turin dedicated to the testing and production of a new range of products', says Mario Alparone, Director of Finpiemonte.
The equity crowdfunding campaign
In addition to the funds raised from venture capital funds, Reefilla has decided to open its capital to private investors through an equity crowdfunding campaign on Mamacrowd platform, with a target fixed at €800,000.
The campaign aims to involve those who share the vision of a sustainable and innovative future for Made in Italy, offering the opportunity to participate not only as investors, but also as active supporters of an Italian company focused on responsible innovation and growth of a strategic sector.
