It is called Novagria Ventures and is the new venture building project for the agri-food supply chain launched by CDP Venture Capital with the aim of stimulating the creation of new innovative companies capable of supporting the improvement of efficiency across the entire market value chain.
Through the Boost Innovation Fund, CDP Venture Capital, in agreement with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, has established Novagria Ventures, a special purpose company dedicated to building and launching new business initiatives that will develop products or services for the digitalisation and innovation of SMEs operating in the agri-food supply chain.
With a With a total investment of €5.65 million, Novagria Ventures’ goal will be to create up to six new companies over the next three years, which will be the subject of subsequent equity investments by CDP Venture Capital’s Boost Innovation Fund for a total of up to approximately €25 million, which could generate an additional effect on the market with total investments of up to approximately €45 million. The new businesses generated will help bridge the process and technological gaps of companies operating throughout the supply chain, with the aim of increasing operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, food safety and the competitiveness of the sector at a global level.
In 2024, the agri-food sector attracted global investments of around €15 billion, with particular growth in the upstream sector, i.e. the initial part of the value chain, which provides the raw materials and fundamental innovations for the entire sector (e.g. primary production, supply of means of production such as seeds, fertilisers, crop protection products, machinery, irrigation systems, research and development of new varieties, biotechnology, cultivation methods and genetic innovations). This specific market segment saw investment grow from 31% in 2018 to 38% in 2024.
The Italian market for digital solutions in the agri-food sector is estimated at around €2.3 billion, with an average annual growth rate of 30% over the last five years, demonstrating the growing interest in digital technology on the part of the primary and processing industries. Among the most frequent digitisation needs in the national supply chain are: food traceability and transparency, the B2B market for raw materials, and smart farming.
They adhere to Novagria Ventures, as investors: Gellify, an innovation factory that integrates strategy, design and technology, supporting organisations in implementing new business models, technology roadmaps, digital strategies and products. It will operate as a venture builder partner, managing the development of new initiatives; Mutti, a historic Parma-based company operating in the tomato derivatives market since 1899, leveraging the key values of Italian quality and tradition together with respect for the supply chain and the territory, is exclusively dedicated to 100% Italian tomatoes; Sipcam Oxon, an Italian multinational company that has been active for 80 years in the development, production and marketing of solutions for crop protection and nutrition, such as crop protection products, biostimulants, biorationals, special fertilisers and seeds; Crédit Agricole Italia, part of the Crédit Agricole Group, one of the top 10 banking groups in the world, present in 46 countries including Italy, strongly rooted in the territories where it operates and with a strategy inspired by sustainability and innovation, will host the company’s operational headquarters at Le Village by CA Parma.
Institutional partners also participate: the Emilia-Romagna Region, Clust-ER Agroalimentare, a private association of companies, research centres and training institutions that share expertise, ideas and resources to support the competitiveness of the agri-food sector in the region, and Aretè, an intelligence, forecasting and strategic consulting company specialising in agri-food.
“You are working to strengthen the agri-food chain and agro-industry, which represents an identity chain for our region: for its history, relationships, contribution to GDP, capacity for internationalisation and, above all, the quality of products that derive from exceptional skills. It is no coincidence that we are the only region with 44 PDO and PGI products, an unrivalled level of production certification,” comments Vincenzo Colla, vice president of the Emilia-Romagna Region, in a statement. – However, we cannot stop now. We must be ambitious, pursue innovation, know how to manage it and integrate it into our production processes. To do this, we need investment and a systematic approach. ART-ER collaborates with local businesses, clusters and technology parks: we must build an integrated public-private system, which is the key to our quality and our ability to attract and retain investment. We are paying close attention to the proposals and financing methods put in place because the Emilia-Romagna agri-food chain speaks to the whole country and the whole world.
“With the launch of Novagria Ventures, we are introducing a model that is still relatively uncommon in Italy: a veritable factory of new businesses, built around the real needs of the agri-food supply chain and developed side by side with its key players. In a market increasingly polarised by the hype surrounding artificial intelligence, it is the industry itself that is investing in the digital innovation it needs, in a structured alliance between entrepreneurs who know the supply chain, institutional players, private individuals and players in the ecosystem,” says Michele Giordani, managing partner and founder of Gellify and CEO of the venture builder.
“Our history teaches us that quality and tradition must always go hand in hand with the ability to innovate. Only in this way can we guarantee a solid and sustainable future for the Italian agri-food sector, which today represents a heritage to be valued and made increasingly competitive,” adds Francesco Mutti, CEO of Mutti. That is why we are proud to support the launch of Novagria Ventures, which aims to strengthen our SMEs and create new opportunities for the entire sector through innovation and digitalisation. At Mutti, we are already testing artificial intelligence, together with our agricultural supply chain, to reduce our water footprint, and we are applying it in our production sites to select high-quality tomatoes, but we are aware that the level of application can be much more extensive. I strongly believe that it is the duty of companies that have the capacity to do so to lead and stimulate the development of new solutions to generate long-term mutual benefits.
“Since 1946, we have been proud to support farmers with our work, which we carry out with expertise, technical skill, passion and independence. Technology is one of the keys to sustaining the future of agriculture and ensuring global food security. Together with our other partners, we support Novagria Ventures, an important innovation and digitalisation project, because it represents a concrete opportunity to find solutions that strengthen the competitiveness of the Italian agri-food supply chain,” says Nadia Gagliardini, president of Sipcam Oxon.
“With the establishment of Novagria Ventures, we are able to combine two aspects that are fundamental to us: a focus on the agri-food sector and a focus on innovation through the Village by CA network,” concludes Roberto Ghisellini, co-general manager of Crédit Agricole Italia. – Together with CDP Venture Capital and other partners, we will provide all our expertise and support to sustain a sector that is one of the pillars of our economic system. We are delighted that Venture Builder has found its perfect home in the Village of Parma, which counts its relationship with the agri-food sector among its strengths.
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