Prime Highlights:
- Maia Ventures has launched a €55 million fund to support early-stage agrifood technology startups, aiming to invest in 20–25 companies.
- The fund focuses on building a healthier, more efficient, and resilient food system while providing startups with long-term support and growth opportunities.
Key Facts:
- Initial investments from the fund range between €0.5 million and €1.5 million per startup.
- The fund is fully operational, has already made six investments, and is managed by Presidium S.A. with advice from Maia Advisors SRL.
Key Background:
Italy-based Maia Ventures has launched its first €55 million fund to support early-stage agrifood technology startups. The fund aims to invest in 20–25 companies, with initial funding between €0.5 million and €1.5 million per startup.
The fund will use technology and scientific innovation to help build a healthier, more efficient, and resilient food system. Maia Ventures will also connect promising startups from accelerators, universities, and the agrifood tech ecosystem with Italy’s established food industry.
The fund is structured as an Article 8 SFDR fund, which means it targets both financial returns and positive impact, aligning investment opportunities with sustainability and long-term industry growth. According to Maia, the current slowdown in agrifood tech funding presents a unique opportunity to support solutions addressing structural industry shifts, especially in the convergence of food, health, and sustainability.
Maia Ventures’ investor base includes institutional partners such as the European Investment Fund (EIF) and CDPVenture Capital Sgr, along with private investors including major Italian food corporates and their family offices, like Teseo Capital Sicav-Sif, Cereal Docks via Grey Silo Ventures, and Andriani.
The management team brings together former founders, investors, industry operators, and scientists, with guidance from a technical advisory group representing leading agrifood universities and corporates. The fund is managed by Presidium S.A. in Luxembourg and advised by Maia Advisors SRL.
It is now fully active and has already made six investments, with plans to finish closing in the next few months. Maia Ventures is a partnership-oriented firm that concentrates on long-term collaboration and assists start-ups to develop and address key issues in the agrifood industry.
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