CDP Ventures, an Italian venture capital firm, has partnered with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy to launch Novagria Ventures, a new company focused on supporting innovation in the agrifood sector. The initiative aims to help small and medium-sized businesses modernize through digital tools and new technologies.
Novagria Ventures will develop and support new projects designed to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of companies across the Italian agrifood supply chain.
The initiative was developed through the Boost Innovation Fund, managed by CDP Venture Capital, and was officially presented at the headquarters of Le Village by CA in Parma. The event was attended by representatives from national and local institutions, along with leaders from the partner organizations.
The project has secured an initial investment of €5.65 million. Key investors include agrifood companies such as Mutti and Sipcam Oxon, banking group Crédit Agricole Italia, and innovation firm GELLIFY.
Novagria Ventures to Fund Growth
With the new funding, Novagria Ventures aims to launch up to six startups over the next three years. These companies will focus on developing digital solutions for the agrifood sector. They will also be eligible for further investment from CDP Venture Capital’s Boost Innovation Fund, which could provide up to €25 million in follow-up funding. In total, the initiative could attract up to €45 million in combined public and private investment.
Technologies are one of the keys to supporting the future of the farming world and ensuring global food security. Together with other partners, we are supporting Novagria Ventures, a crucial innovation and digitalisation project since it constitutes a concrete opportunity to find solutions that will strengthen the competitiveness of the Italian agrifood supply chain
Novagria Ventures will focus on creating new businesses that offer digital and technological solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Italy’s agrifood sector. The venture also aims to address technological and operational gaps across the supply chain, helping modernize and strengthen the industry as a whole.
Together with CDP Venture Capital and the other partners, we will bring all our expertise and support to bear in bolstering a sector that is one of the cornerstones of our economic system and we are delighted that the Venture Builder has found the ideal location in the Village of Parma, one of whose strengths is its relationship with the agrifood sector
Novagria Ventures is expected to help improve operational efficiency, strengthen environmental sustainability, enhance food safety and traceability, and boost the international competitiveness of Italy’s agrifood sector.
Investors Perspective
The initiative is supported by a group of strategic and institutional partners. GELLIFY, a consulting and investment company, will act as the venture builder and oversee project development. Industry partners include Mutti, an Italian company specializing in packaged tomato products, Sipcam Oxon, a multinational firm specializing in crop protection and plant nutrition, and Crédit Agricole Italia, which will host Novagria Ventures’ operational headquarters at Le Village by CA in the city of Parma.
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Institutional partners have also joined the initiative, including the Emilia-Romagna Region, ART-ER, a regional consortium focused on promoting sustainable growth through innovation, research, and internationalizatio, and Aretè, a consultancy firm engaged in market intelligence, forecasting, and strategic analysis in the agrifood sector.
Michele Giordani, Managing Partner and Founder of GELLIFY noted that in a market increasingly dominated by hype around Artificial Intelligence, it is the industry itself that is making targeted investments in the digital innovation it truly needs. This is happening through a structured alliance between entrepreneurs familiar with the supply chain, institutional actors, individuals, and other players in the ecosystem.
With the launch of Novagria Ventures, we are implementing a model that is still very rare here in Italy: a genuine factory of new companies, created based on the real needs of the agri-food supply chain and developed side by side with its protagonists.
Vincenzo Colla, Vice President of the Emilia-Romagna region emphasized that the agrifood sector is a critical driver of growth in the region, with product quality built on outstanding expertise. He noted that it is no coincidence the region is the only one in Italy with 44 PDO and PGI certifications, reflecting an unmatched level of production quality.
We need to build an integrated system between the public and private sectors, which is the key to our quality and our ability to attract and retain investments. We observe the financing proposals and methods put in place very carefully because the agrifood supply chain of Emilia-Romagna is known throughout the whole country and around the world.
He added that the region must remain ambitious by pursuing innovation, knowing how to manage it, and integrating it into production processes. This requires both investment and systemic collaboration. ART-ER supports these efforts by working with local companies, clusters, and technopoles.
Through Novagria Ventures, CDP Venture Capital aims to advance innovation across the Italian agrifood supply chain. By bringing together investment, entrepreneurship, and technological expertise, the initiative intends to support Italian SMEs in enhancing their global competitiveness, while encouraging sustainability, efficiency, and resilience in this key sector. The ultimate impact will depend on how these efforts develop over time.
