Key Takeaways
- • Maia Ventures, managed by Praesidium S.A., has launched a €55 million ($64 million) dedicated AgriFoodTech venture capital fund targeting 20–25 early-stage startups and SMEs across the agri-food value chain.
- • The fund will deploy capital in €0.5 million to €1.5 million per company, focusing on innovations in food-as-medicine, alternative ingredients, supply chain resilience, and sustainable nutrition technologies.
- • Anchor investors include institutional heavyweights—European Investment Fund (EIF) and CDP Venture Capital SGR—alongside corporate and family office LPs including Teseo Capital, Cereal Docks (via Grey Silo Ventures), and Andriani, indicating strong institutional conviction in the sector.
- • The Milan-based fund, designated as an Article 8 SFDR fund, operates as an early-stage impact vehicle founded in 2024 by Andrea Galassi and David Bassani, with an existing portfolio including Foreverland, Exolab Italia, and GenoGra.
- • Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici provided full legal structuring and negotiation support for fund establishment, investor term sheets, and regulatory documentation.
Summary
Maia Ventures has officially launched its first dedicated AgriFoodTech venture capital fund with an initial endowment of €55 million, marking an entry by institutional capital into early-stage food technology innovation. Managed by Praesidium S.A., the fund will focus on investing in startups and small-to-medium enterprises operating along the agri-food value chain, with a strategic emphasis on companies combining food science, technology, health optimization, and sustainability.
The fund's investment thesis targets approximately 20–25 companies at the seed and early-stage phases, with individual check sizes ranging from €0.5 million to €1.5 million per portfolio company. The deployment strategy centers on ventures applying deep technology and scientific methods to address systemic food system challenges, including food-as-medicine applications, development of innovative ingredients, supply chain strengthening, and improved nutrition pathways. The Milan-based firm, founded in 2024 by partners Andrea Galassi and David Bassani, has already assembled a portfolio of six companies including Foreverland (sustainable chocolate alternatives), Exolab Italia, Biorsaf, Lembas (functional food peptides), Cappellini Veg Lab (ready-to-eat plant-based meals), and GenoGra (genomic analysis tools).
The fund's LP base reflects institutional-grade capital commitments and sector conviction. Anchor investors include the European Investment Fund (EIF) and CDP Venture Capital SGR, two blue-chip public-sector development finance institutions. Additional LPs span corporate venture capital players and family offices with agri-food sector expertise: Teseo Capital SICAV-SIF, Cereal Docks (investing through Grey Silo Ventures), and Andriani. This composition signals both institutional validation and industry operator engagement, positioning Maia as a bridge between Italy's established food production ecosystem and emerging technology-driven innovation.
Maia Ventures operates as an Article 8 SFDR fund, incorporating environmental and social sustainability criteria into its investment mandate. Legal counsel Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici (led by partner Raffaele Sansone, senior associate Floriana Sarra, and associate Marco Corda) structured the fund's establishment, drafted regulatory documentation, and negotiated principal terms with anchor investors EIF and CDP, including associated side letters. The fund's geographic scope spans Italy, Europe, and potentially North America, positioning it as a pan-regional early-stage vehicle in an increasingly active AgriFoodTech capital market.
The fund's investment thesis targets approximately 20–25 companies at the seed and early-stage phases, with individual check sizes ranging from €0.5 million to €1.5 million per portfolio company. The deployment strategy centers on ventures applying deep technology and scientific methods to address systemic food system challenges, including food-as-medicine applications, development of innovative ingredients, supply chain strengthening, and improved nutrition pathways. The Milan-based firm, founded in 2024 by partners Andrea Galassi and David Bassani, has already assembled a portfolio of six companies including Foreverland (sustainable chocolate alternatives), Exolab Italia, Biorsaf, Lembas (functional food peptides), Cappellini Veg Lab (ready-to-eat plant-based meals), and GenoGra (genomic analysis tools).
The fund's LP base reflects institutional-grade capital commitments and sector conviction. Anchor investors include the European Investment Fund (EIF) and CDP Venture Capital SGR, two blue-chip public-sector development finance institutions. Additional LPs span corporate venture capital players and family offices with agri-food sector expertise: Teseo Capital SICAV-SIF, Cereal Docks (investing through Grey Silo Ventures), and Andriani. This composition signals both institutional validation and industry operator engagement, positioning Maia as a bridge between Italy's established food production ecosystem and emerging technology-driven innovation.
Maia Ventures operates as an Article 8 SFDR fund, incorporating environmental and social sustainability criteria into its investment mandate. Legal counsel Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici (led by partner Raffaele Sansone, senior associate Floriana Sarra, and associate Marco Corda) structured the fund's establishment, drafted regulatory documentation, and negotiated principal terms with anchor investors EIF and CDP, including associated side letters. The fund's geographic scope spans Italy, Europe, and potentially North America, positioning it as a pan-regional early-stage vehicle in an increasingly active AgriFoodTech capital market.
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