LaGemma Venture is the new investment company set up in March 2024 in Cuneo, in the Italian region of Piedmont, as an initiative of Fondazione CRC, with the aim of creating an investment and growth hub based in the province of Cuneo and capable of extending its operations nationally and Europe-wide.
LaGemma Venture's mission is to attract the best Italian start-ups to the province, to help them grow within acceleration and investment paths realised in collaboration with recognised partners. Capital, resources, and mentoring are the foundations on which LaGemma Venture works to develop paths aimed at increasing the economic and social value of accelerated start-ups, with the objective of generating a sustainable positive impact from a social and environmental point of view, combining innovation and social responsibility to promote better social welfare and safeguard the environment.
To date, numerous companies have already joined LaGemma Venture as partners: Fonti Alta Valle Po (Acqua Eva), Albertengo, Aurora Naturale, Baladin, Bio Poplar, eViso AI for commodities, GAI, JoinFruit, Michelis, Monge, Olimac, Rivoira Giovanni & Figli, San Bernardo, Golosità dal 1885 (Sebaste), Valgrana and Venchi. LaGemma Venture will provide knowledge and experience and invest, over a period of four years, up to €1 million per year in the start-ups selected for the acceleration programme: all information is available on the official website.
The LaGemma Agrifood24 call
"LaGemma Agrifood24 For A Sustainable Planet" is the first call4future launched by LaGemma Venture, in collaboration with SocialFare, to attract the best ideas and bring out their potential in four challenge areas: agriculture, food supply chain, food, circular economy.
The call is aimed at Italian start-ups in the seed stage, with a validated prototype or with a proven model of economic sustainability, to which it offers, in addition to the acceleration programme, a cash investment of up to €160,000 in exchange for a share of up to 16% of the share capital and access to a prestigious network of mentors and advisors. The call4future LaGemma Agrifood24 is open until September 29, 2024: entrepreneurs can apply by filling in the form available at www.lagemmaventure.it.
In October and November, the best startup candidates will undergo technical interviews and the Board of Directors of LaGemma Venture will select the ones to invest in by the end of November. The acceleration programme will start on January 13, 2025 and will end the following May 20 with an Investor Day.
"In LaGemma Venture, the philanthropic values of Fondazione CRC meet with the world of business and finance, with the aim of growing entrepreneurial realities capable of becoming drivers of change, involving the younger generations and investing in innovation and technology in the agrifood sector," said Mauro Gola, president of Fondazione CRC. "The company, thanks to the investment of part of the Foundation's assets, wants to generate positive impact, in terms of environmental and social sustainability, and improve people's quality of life, starting from an area naturally suited to agrifood".
"The province of Cuneo represents a natural accelerator of agrifood: for this reason, LaGemma Venture has chosen to launch the first call precisely on agrifood. Thanks to the great capital of knowledge, in which our territory is rich, to the support of the personalities who make up our Scientific Committee, and to the experience of the partners who have already joined this initiative, we are certain that in the coming months we will be able to identify and support the growth of start-ups capable of proposing innovative solutions to the crucial challenges that agrifood is facing," commented Enrico Collidà, president of LaGemma Venture.
