CDP Venture Capital launches Novagria Ventures, a venture-building project for the agri-food supply chain, aimed at facilitating the birth of new innovative companies capable of supporting the efficiency of the entire market value chain. The initiative was presented today at the headquarters of Le Village by CA Parma, with various national and local institutions and the heads of all the participating partners in attendance.

Through the Boost Innovation Fund, CDP Venture Capital – in conjunction with the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy – has promoted the establishment of Novagria Ventures, a special purpose company dedicated to the construction and launch of new business initiatives that will develop products or services for the digitisation and innovation of SMEs operating in the agri-food supply chain.

With total investment of 5.65 million euro, Novagria Ventures' objective will be to create up to 6 new companies over the next 3 years, which will benefit from subsequent equity investments by CDP Venture Capital's Boost Innovation Fund for an amount of up to approximately 25 million euro, which may generate an effect of additionality on the market with total investments of up to approximately 45 million euro. The new companies generated will be able to help fill the process and technological gaps of the businesses that operate throughout the supply chain, to boost operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, food safety and the competitiveness of the sector at a global level.

In 2024, the agri-food sector raised investments of around 15 billion euros globally, with particular growth in the share in the ‘upstream area’, 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 production means such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, machinery, irrigation systems, research and development of new varieties, biotechnologies, cultivation methods and genetic innovations). This specific slice of the market saw investments 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 euros, with an average annual growth rate of 30% over the last 5 years, demonstrating the growing interest in digital technology in the primary and processing industry. The most common digitisation needs of the national supply chain include: food traceability and transparency, the B2B market for raw materials and smart farming.

The following investors have signed up with Novagria Ventures: GELLIFY — a global innovation factory that integrates strategy, design and technology, supporting organisations in implementing new business models, technological roadmaps, digital strategies and products — which will operate as venture builder partner in managing the construction of new initiatives; Mutti, a historic company from Parma, European leader in the tomato derivatives market, which, since 1899, by leveraging the key values of Italian quality and tradition together with respect for the supply chain and the territory, has been dedicated to processing exclusively 100% Italian tomatoes; Sipcam Oxon, an Italian multinational which has been active for 80 years in the development, production and marketing of solutions for the protection and nutrition of crops, such as pesticides, biostimulants, biorational insecticides, special fertilisers and seeds; Crédit Agricole Italia, part of the Crédit Agricole Group, one of the world’s top 10 banking groups with a presence in 46 countries including Italy, strongly rooted in the areas where it is established and with a strategy inspired by sustainability and innovation, which will host the Company's operational headquarters within Le Village by CA Parma.

Institutional partners have also subscribed to the initiative, namely: the Emilia-Romagna Region, ART-ER a consortium company in Emilia-Romagna established to promote sustainable growth in the region through the development of innovation and knowledge, attractiveness, and internationalization of the territory, and Aretè, an intelligence, forecasting and strategic consultancy firm specialised in agrifood.

"You are striving to strengthen the agri-food supply chain and the agro-industry, which represents a key part of the identity of our Region: in terms of history, relationships, the contribution to GDP, the ability to internationalise and, above all, the quality of products created through outstanding expertise. It is no coincidence that we are the only region with 44 PDOs and PGIs, an unparalleled level of production certification", enthuses Vincenzo Colla, Vice President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, thanking CDP Venture Capital and the project partners. “However, we can't rest on our laurels. We must be ambitious, pursue innovation, know how to manage it and integrate it into our production processes. This requires investment and systemic work. ART-ER works with local companies, clusters and technopoles. 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 agri-food supply chain of Emilia-Romagna is known throughout the whole country and around the world."

"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. In a market increasingly polarised by the hype around Artificial Intelligence, it is the industry itself that is investing in the digital innovation that it needs, in a structured alliance between entrepreneurs who know the supply chain, institutional actors, individuals and ecosystem players", according to Michele Giordani, Managing Partner & Founder of GELLIFY – CEO of Novagria Ventures.

“History teaches us that quality and tradition must always go hand-in-hand with the ability to innovate. This is the only way to guarantee a sound and sustainable future for the Italian agri-food sector, which represents vital heritage that needs enhancement and to be made increasingly competitive", adds Francesco Mutti, CEO of Mutti. “This is why we are so proud to support the launch of Novagria Ventures which, through innovation and digitalisation, is seeking to strengthen our SMEs and create new opportunities for the entire sector. Like Mutti, we are already testing out artificial intelligence, alongside with our agricultural supply chain, to reduce our water footprint and we apply it in our production sites to select high-quality tomatoes. Yet, we are aware that a much more extensive level of application remains a possibility. I am convinced that companies with the ability to guide and stimulate the development of new solutions have a duty to generate a common benefit in the long term".

"Since 1946 we have been proud to support farmers through our work, which we carry out with skill, technique, passion and independence. 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 agri-food supply chain", says Nadia Gagliardini, President of Sipcam Oxon.

"With the establishment of Novagria Ventures, we will be able to combine two fundamental aspects: a focus on the agri-food sector and on innovation through the Village by CA network", concludes Roberto Ghisellini, Joint General Manager of Crédit Agricole Italia. "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 agri-food sector".