Spadel’s Post

YPOG advised REWE Group as new investor on the $61 million Series B financing round of the Berlin-based FoodTech start-up Formo. The new financing round includes existing investors such as FoodLabs, EQT Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Happiness Capital | Certified B Corp, Elevat3 Capital , and Grazia Equity as well as new investors such as SAZABY LEAGUE,Ltd. (株)サザビーリーグ, SevenVentures, Woodline Partners LP , and The Nature Conservancy.   The company intends to use the newly raised capital to expand internationally and diversify its product range.   Congratulations to our client and all parties involved!   The YPOG team was led by Johannes Janning, and included Laura Franke, Boris Schinzel, LL.M. (EMLE), Nina Ahlert, Dr. Benedikt Flöter, Dr. Christoph Cordes, and Farina Weber.   The REWE Group in-house team was led by Dr. Ulrich Fleischer (Senior Legal Counsel - M&A and Financing). ➡ Link to the press release in the comments below.   #PartnersOfGamechangers #Transactions #VentureCapital #Growth

Exciting News! 🚀 After a year of dedicated work, I'm thrilled to announce the launch of two new ventures: Bellbird, a cutting-edge digital agency, and Black Sea, a premium green coffee trading company. Bellbird is committed to delivering innovative digital solutions tailored to your business needs, while Black Sea specialises in sourcing the finest green coffee beans from around the world. I'm incredibly proud of the teams behind these ventures and excited about the opportunities they bring. Follow our journey on LinkedIn for updates and insights into the world of digital innovation and specialty coffee. I want to talk more about those two with you. Thanks to my partners: Jefferson Albuquerque, IMC and José walmei de Moraes neto and @bilbobolseiro #NewVentures #DigitalAgency #GreenCoffeeTrading"

𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗔 €𝟯,𝟰 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 🚀 What a blow for Foreverland Food and its Choruba. 🍫 The Italian startups which produce an alternative to chocolate using the carobs has just officialized the closing of a €3,4 seed round. 💰 What about the funds❓ They will be used to set up the factory and expanding in Europe. 👏 Kudos to the founders: first of all my long standing friend Riccardo Bottiroli, then Massimo Sabatini, Giuseppe D'Alessandro, Massimo Brochetta. 💸 The round was subscribed , by Kost Capital - Bodil Sidén, Eatable Adventures - José Luis Cabañero Alberto Barbari, Grey Silo Ventures - Giacomo Fanin, Matteo Leonardi, Ulixes Capital Partners - Niccolò Bienati, CDP Venture Capital SGR, Exor VenturesNewland Syndicate, @moonstone ❤️ Such a great pleasure to see even that some reliable European VC started to invest in Italy. 💝 Worried about the future of chocolate❓ No problem, now the chocolate of the future is here. #foodtech #agrifoodtech #investments

We’re excited to announce that Cerve has successfully raised a £3.5M Seed Round, led by SuperSeed and joined by Zenith Ventures, Ponderosa Ventures, and The First Thirty. When we started Cerve, we saw first-hand how fragmented, inefficient, and disconnected data exchange was in the food industry. There was no standardisation, no digital connection between platforms, and a glaring lack of real-time solutions. These challenges weren’t just operational – they were standing in the way of solving some of the world’s most pressing issues, including food waste and food security. Today, over one-third of all food produced globally is wasted, and that staggering statistic has remained unchanged for over a decade. Much of this is due to insufficient visibility and traceability across supply chains. Without standardised, accurate, and real-time data, visionaries, innovators, and disruptors are constrained in their ability to develop solutions quickly, cost-effectively, and at scale. Cerve exists to change this. Our infrastructure and API provide the data standardisation and enrichment needed to empower organisations to create transformative solutions, applications and automations. By giving businesses access to rich and real-time data, we’re enabling them to address global challenges faster and with greater impact. This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the incredible team of passionate and talented individuals driving Cerve forward. In addition, special thanks to Paul Williamson, Andreas Lundgren, Ferdinand Reynolds, Elin Torstensson, Martin Heier, Evi Steyer, Antony Yousefian, Elsa Hyland and many others who share our vision for a digitally-enabled food system. Check out the Sky News exclusive by Mark Kleinman (link in the comments).

📉💢 CROWD INVESTORS DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS SERIES C VALUATION In 2022, when THIS™ closed its Series B fundraise, it was valued at £150M. But its Series C round – which saw private equity firm Planet First Partners invest a further £20M in the business – decreased this valuation 67% to £50M. As part of the deal, £12M was set aside for THIS’s growth, while the remaining £8M was taken off the table by founders Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman, as well as some of its earliest shareholders. This has angered crowd investors who have injected £13.4M into the company over three rounds, who criticised the move on a Seedrs discussion board, according to The Grocer. They said the plant-based meat manufacturer wasn’t allowing them to trade shares publicly on the crowdfunding platform’s secondary market. THIS, which claims to be the UK’s fastest-growing meat analogue company, announced the details of the financials in a letter sent to crowd investors by Shovel, Sharman and new CEO Mark Cuddigan. It revealed that the share price negotiated for the Series C round was £28.73, representing a 71% dip from the £98.63 price before the latest raise. To date, the company has secured £50M in funding from institutional and crowdfunding investors, including BGF, BACKED VC, Five Seasons Ventures, Idinvest Partners, Manta Ray Ventures, Seedcamp, ITV and footballer CHRIS SMALLING (among others). On Seeders, THIS’s indicative valuation – based on the company’s share price – stood at £171.6M before the Series C round. This was an increase from the £150M valuation set when THIS raised £8M from over 3,000 crowd backers in 2022 (as part of its Series B round). Learn more in the full article: https://lnkd.in/ez2TUx-f #GreenQueen #altprotein #futurefoods #futurefoods #foodtech #sustainability

Don't miss a beat in the startup world with our #FundingFridayUpdates roundup! We have compiled all that's new and happening so you don't have to. Which one of these updates did you find most interesting and why? Subko Specialty Coffee Roasters and Craft Bakehouse - Rahul Reddy Woodsmen Mountain Whiskey - Shivam Ginglani SuperK - Neeraj Menta Anil Thontepu JustDeliveries - Mansi Mahansaria SydeLabs - Ruchir Patwa Ankita Kumari Aeria - Priyanka Gera Piyush Kateja #startupnews #Startupfunding #latestnews

Almost a decade ago, I stepped into the food industry and quickly saw its massive opportunities and equally massive inefficiencies. Despite significant investment in technology, the industry still lags behind. Over 95% of data is still shared manually, costing billions in lost opportunities and contributing to critical issues like food waste and food insecurity. Cerve was founded with a vision to establish a digitally-enabled food system. We believe the key to a sustainable and resilient food industry is democratising data access and connectivity. Our API products empower organisations to create innovative applications and automations that cut food waste, enhance food security, boost profitability and drive growth. Today, I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve raised £3.5m to accelerate our mission. We’re humbled to work with an incredible team and partner with investors and advisors who share our vision and see the transformative impact we’re making. As we enter this exciting new phase, we’re looking for ambitious and sharp people to join us on this journey as we reshape the global food system.

With the post sharing last time, you may understand better the Motion stage of The entrepreneurial journey of my Startup Drinkizz O.N.E. Today, I invite you to read the Engage stage by my co-founder Pierre Bonnet To recap, the Motion focuses on the purpose of a project (see his previous post), The Engage clarifies the actions not to miss to increase chances of success, and that’s the subject of this new post.

Fine wine is no longer just for collectors, eWibe is turning it into an investment opportunity for everyone. 🍷🚀 ✨What problem are they solving? eWibe is making fine wine investments accessible and easy. Traditionally seen as a niche and complex market, eWibe simplifies the process with a user-friendly platform that allows individuals to trade, store, and manage wine collections effortlessly. Whether through self-managed or fully-managed portfolios, eWibe opens up wine investing to a broader audience. 👉 eWibe’s platform provides access to a marketplace featuring over 10,000 bottles valued at more than €8 million. ✨ Meet the Team: Founder & CEO: Edoardo Maria Lamacchia Co-Founder & COO: Carlo Silvano Co-Founder & CTO: Carlo Maria Curinga Co-Founder & CMO: Carlo Arrigoni Co-Founder & Head of Wine: Leonardo B. ✨ Fun fact about the eWibe team: The eWibe team has a funny quirk, they seem to have a tradition of bringing on co-founders named Carlo! Whether it's intentional or just a coincidence, the “Carlo Club” is driving the fine wine investment revolution.  (The only exception is Leonardo, whose name pays tribute to Italian genius.) ✨ Why did they launch this venture? During the COVID pandemic, traditional financial markets experienced significant fluctuations. In contrast, alternative investments, such as fine wine, performed remarkably well. This inspired the eWibe team to study the market. When they couldn’t find a digital platform that simplified wine investment, they decided to create one. eWibe was born to make wine investing easy, transparent, and accessible to everyone—whether you're a novice or a seasoned investor. ✨ What’s been their most significant impact so far? Since eWibe’s launch, they've seen a growing number of users eager to invest and build their wine collections. This platform uniquely blends passion with investing, allowing collectors to value wine not just for potential financial returns but for its cultural and aesthetic appeal. To learn more, visit their website: https://ewibe.com/en Curious about other startups in the 2024 cohort? Stay tuned! #givefirst #techstars #abnamro #FutureofFinance #fintechstartups #netherlandsfintech

🔥🌱 MORE GREAT NEWS FOR PLANT-BASED SECTOR! 🌱🔥 The guys who make the BEST plant-based ham in the biz IMO are making even more waves... 🚀 LA VIE™ secured €25 million in a new funding round, taking the total amount raised to €50 million over the past three years. The round involved a mix of existing shareholders and new investors. 🤯 Part of this raise also came from one of France's largest crowd equity campaigns with over 3,000 investors. 📈 The French start-up reports revenues of €19 million so far in 2024, with UK retail growth of +149% over the past 12 months. 📈 Since launching in 2021, LA VIE™ has achieved an average annual growth rate of 131% per year, with over 8,200 retail and restaurant partners across Europe. 🥓 The funds will be used to improve the brand's existing product range and develop new ones (V exciting)! Honestly, these products are some of the best on the market - you have to try them for yourself!!! (I get mine from Saino's) Great work to Nicolas Schweitzer, Vincent Poulichet and co! 😁🤘 Keep pushing the boundaries of plant-based & meat-free food. 🌱🔥 More information and full story in the link below! #investment #plantbased #meatfree #startups