Maia Ventures launches €55M fund for early-stage agrifood technology ventures

Milan-based Maia Ventures has announced the launch of its first fund totalling €55 million, targeting 20 to 25 early-stage companies developing technology and science-based solutions for the agrifood sector. The fund, which has already completed six investments, plans initial investments ranging from €0.5 to 1.5 million per company.

Institutional and strategic backing

The venture capital fund has secured support from institutional investors including the European Investment Fund (EIF) and CDP Venture Capital Sgr, alongside private investors from Italy’s established food industry. Strategic backers include Teseo Capital sicav-sif, Cereal Docks through its corporate venture arm Grey Silo Ventures, and Andriani, among others.

Classified as an article 8 fund under the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), Maia Ventures aims to deliver both financial returns and measurable impact through investments in food system efficiency, health outcomes, and supply chain resilience.

Focus areas and investment thesis

The fund is concentrating on three primary areas: food-as-medicine applications, innovative ingredients development, and resilient supply chain technologies. According to David Bassani, founding partner at Maia Ventures: “What excites us is the calibre of science and operator talent now converging on topics such as food-as-medicine, innovative ingredients, and resilient supply chains. As an early-stage partner, we aim to be among the first institutional believers, helping founders connect with industry leaders and lay the foundations for scale.”

The fund’s strategy positions it to capitalise on what the founders view as a correction in agrifood technology valuations, creating opportunities for selective investment in solutions addressing structural industry challenges.

Team expertise and advisory support

Maia Ventures is operated by a team combining experience from entrepreneurship, investment, industry operations, and scientific research. The fund has established a technical advisory group drawing on expertise from leading agrifood universities and corporations to support due diligence and portfolio development. Andrea Galassi, founding partner at Maia Ventures, emphasised the importance of industry connectivity: “By combining deep industry know-how with a strong industrial network, Maia is best positioned to identify and invest in solutions to problems that matter, instead of in solutions in search of a problem. This, we believe, is the key to tangibly accelerate the much-needed evolution of our industry.”

Claudia Pingue, head of Tech Transfer Fund of CDP Venture

Capital, stated: “We invested in Maia Ventures because it connects Italy’s world-class food industry with breakthrough AgriFoodTech innovation. The team’s deep expertise and robust network enable them to identify high-impact deep-tech solutions at the intersection of nutraceutical, food and health, where long-term value and systemic resilience are established.”

The fund is managed by Luxembourg-based AIFM Praesidium S.A. and advised by Maia Advisors SRL.

For more information, visit: https://www.maia.vc