TERRA NEXT

The program is based on three fundamental pillars:

• Sector specialization: a targeted focus on nutraceuticals, circular biomaterials, and regenerative agriculture to provide highly vertical support.
• Qualified network: the involvement of corporate partners (such as Pastificio Garofalo, Nestlé, Novamont), scientific institutions and investors, ensuring strategic connections and access to industry‑specific resources.
• Industrial approach: technical and business mentorship, technological validation, prototyping, industrial simulations, and impact measurement through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Bioeconomy is a strategic lever to address global challenges of sustainability and competitiveness. With a European market value exceeding €2.35 trillion and over 16 million workers, this sector is at the heart of the European Green Deal and the transition towards circular and resilient production models. Investing in bioeconomy means reducing dependence on fossil fuels, protecting biodiversity and promoting innovative supply chains based on the efficient use of renewable biological resources.

Terra Next was created precisely to accelerate this transformation: it supports startups and SMEs developing bio-based solutions in areas such as nutraceuticals, circular biomaterials and regenerative agriculture, encouraging the adoption of advanced technologies and the creation of sustainable value chains. Bioeconomy is not only an economic opportunity, but a long-term vision that integrates innovation, sustainability and industrial impact, contributing to climate neutrality by 2050.

Read our article to explore the role of bioeconomy in Italy and its applications.

At the end of January 2025, the third edition of the acceleration program concluded, featuring the participation of seven startups: CrioPura, Farzati, GenoGra, Immunoveg, Longevity Pet, Plantibit, and SMUSH Materials, all of which pitched their projects to an audience of investors, companies, and partners.

During Demo Day, the presentations of the innovative ventures were preceded by a roundtable inspired by the document “Bioeconomy as a driver of sustainable growth: Opportunities and strategies”. The discussion highlighted the strategic role of bioeconomy in addressing major global challenges related to environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness, confirming its strong growth potential—an industry which, at the European level, has a market value exceeding €2.35 trillion.

Selected startups

• CrioPura: Operates in the global water and wastewater treatment market, introducing an innovative technology based on macroporous polymer hydrogels that offer an environmentally friendly and low‑cost solution for the removal of toxic contaminants.
• Farzati: Aims to solve supply chain traceability issues by leveraging Artificial Intelligence and blockchain to determine the origin and quality of products, ensuring safety for consumers and the environment.
• GenoGra: An innovative graph‑based genomic analysis platform designed to democratize access to bioinformatics in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and clinical sectors.
• Immunoveg: Develops plant‑derived cell culture systems intended for the production of bio‑ingredients for the nutraceutical, cosmetics, and novel‑food sectors.
• Longevity Pet: Develops personalized prevention pathways through innovative products and targeted solutions, aiming to ensure a long and healthy life for pets.
• Plantbit: Has developed Bioristor, a biocompatible electrochemical sensor that, once inserted into a plant stem, monitors the plant’s health status in real time, enabling timely diagnostics.
• SMUSH Materials: Uses mycelium‑based technology to transform biological agricultural by‑products into 100% natural, circular, and biodegradable biomaterials for packaging.

The second edition of Terra Next concluded on October 10 with the Demo Day held at the Auditorium of the San Giovanni a Teduccio campus in Naples. The day featured institutional greetings and speeches — including those by Guido Giordano, Partner – Accelerators Fund at CDP Venture Capital SGR – Fondo Nazionale Innovazione, Giuseppe Nargi, Regional Director for Campania, Calabria and Sicily at Intesa Sanpaolo, and Andrea Beretta, Head of Startup & Investment at Cariplo Factory — followed by the pitches of the startups, which were able to showcase to investors and the audience the maturity, progress achieved during the acceleration months, and their future ambitions.

The seven selected startups — Circular Fiber, Coffeefrom, FlavoLife, Isuschem, Kinsect, Lebiu, and Real Bowl — presented eco‑sustainable solutions aimed at enhancing industrial waste, particularly from the agri‑food sector. The innovations ranged from the reuse of by‑products such as coffee grounds, artichokes, used oils, and cork, to solutions dedicated to improving human health and producing fresh food for pets. A set of proposals that highlights the potential of reusing production waste, transforming materials destined to become waste into new high‑value resources.

The day continued with networking sessions involving companies and investors.