Italian Founders Fund is the investment vehicle launched just over a year ago with the aim of pooling the resources and skills of the most successful digital entrepreneurs in our country to invest in future entrepreneurs in pre-seed and seed rounds, accompanied by entrepreneurial experience and vision, now announces that it has increased its financial capacity to €90 million thanks to a €35 million injection from CDP Venture Capital’s Digital Transition Fund, enabling the IFF Expansion fund to to extend its operations to the entire early stage of start-ups, including follow-on and later stage operations.
Italian Founders Fund has so far invested in 14 startups founded by Italians in Italy, England, the United States and Singapore. In four cases, including Jet HR and SAVA, it has also participated in subsequent rounds, demonstrating the growing maturity of the national ecosystem and its ability to attract capital quickly. Participation in the rounds was also carried out in co-investment with international funds such as Base10, Picus Capital, Balderton, Dutch Founders Fund, KFund, and Y Combinator, strengthening the connection between the Italian ecosystem and the main global hubs. With IFF Expansion, the possibility of accompanying foreign startups planning to enter the Italian market is further expanded, with the aim of creating value in the territory.
Koinos Capital launched Italian Founders Fund, integrating it into its platform to consolidate its multi-strategy approach. With IFF Expansion, Koinos further strengthens venture capital by attracting ever-increasing capital to support the growth of start-ups.
The growth of this business also includes the appointment of Irene Mingozzi, former principal of Italian Founders Fund, as partner of Italian Founders Fund and Koinos Capital, confirming the central role she has played in developing the SGR’s VC strategy and positioning Italian Founders Fund as a platform supporting Italian innovation.
Enrico Filì, head of CDP Venture Capital’s Digital Transition Fund, said in a statement: “The investment in IFF Expansion represents a strategic step for us to support the development of the best Italian digital start-ups even more strongly. We firmly believe in the country’s innovative potential and, thanks to the IFF team’s international network, we aim to attract capital and expertise from abroad, in line with the objectives of the PNRR. IFF is a solid partner for start-ups, guaranteeing support on both an entrepreneurial and technological level.
Lorenzo Franzi, partner at Italian Founders Fund and Koinos Capital, says: “We are very happy about the opportunity that this partnership with CDP Venture Capital and its Digital Transition Fund opens up. It is the right time to give entrepreneurs and their start-ups an extra boost, as confirmed by the track record that IFF has been able to build in a short time. The Italian ecosystem is undergoing a transformation: it is more mature, more attractive and more international. With IFF Expansion, we want to reinforce this trend, supporting not only the best Italian ideas, but also international ones that want to build in Italy. (in the photo: Lorenzo Franzi, partner (seated), Irene Mingozzi, partner, Ascanio Orombelli, senior investment manager, and Alessandra Santi, investment analyst (seated))
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