Terra Next: the third edition of the program dedicated to the bioeconomy is underway

12 September 2024
Call, startup, Terra Next, Ecosystems

The 7 startups of the new edition operate in integrated nutraceuticals, in Circular & bio-materials and regenerative agricultureand received a total pre-seed investment of 750 thousand euros

The third batch of the Terra Next acceleration programme, dedicated to startups and innovative SMEs in the bioeconomy sector, kicked off on 10 September. Created by CDP Venture Capital, Terra Next sees the participation of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center as co-creator and promoter and the support of Cariplo Factory, which operationally manages the program. The accelerator has an endowment of approximately 3.8 million euros allocated by the CDP Venture Capital Accelerator Fund and approximately 1.3 million allocated by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and its partners.

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Third edition for a growing program

Over the years, Terra Next has become the point of reference for the bioeconomy innovation sector and for startups operating in this field, receiving a total of more than 450 applications from Italy and Europe. In the first two years of activity, it has accelerated 15 startups that have received capital from the program for 1.5 million euros and raised more than 2.5 million euros between follow-on, grants and external investors.

The 7 startups that will participate in the 2024 batch have passed the selection process among 191 applications and present various solutions to solve supply chain traceability problems, to produce biodegradable packaging, but also to remove toxic contaminants from industrial water or to monitor the health of plants in real time.

The innovative companies will benefit from an initial investment of 750 thousand euros and will take part in a 3-month course based in Naples, at the San Giovanni a Teduccio Campus of the Federico II University, during which they will have the opportunity to grow through mentorship, training, networking and in-depth face-to-face sessions.

The accelerator, sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, involves the corporate partners Pastificio Garofalo (core partner), Getra Group, Nestlé Group and Novamont, who provide their contribution in terms of know-how, assets and network for the development of the startups, and the companies Aristea, Nolanplastica, Selepack and Tecno, members of Terra Next. The program also involves the Federico II University of Naples, the Campania Digital Innovation Hub, the Italian Cluster of the Circular Bioeconomy SPRING, the deep tech innovation center Materias, the study center S.R.M. - Studies and Research for the South.

One of the objectives of Terra Next is to generate collaborations between startups and industrial entities in the bioeconomy sector, an excellence of Made in Italy.