Participated · Series A · Sep 2024

Wegrow provides an AI-powered platform that breaks down silos across geographies, business areas and functions to enable the reuse of proven business best practices. Its proprietary rating system intelligently matches best practices to the right users at the right time in a secure environment. The platform is used by a diverse client base including Mondelez, Bayer, Campari, HP, Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, Henkel and Suntory, and the company cites customer-recognised ROI of up to 30x. Wegrow was founded by CEO Arnaud Sliwa, who built the product based on 15 years’ experience inside multinationals such as Danone, Suntory and General Mills. The company raised €7 million in a Series A to support growth. The new funds will be used to expand the platform’s capabilities beyond marketing and sales, adding customised AI-driven solutions for finance, supply chain, R&D and human resources.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2024

Wegrow is an AI-powered platform that breaks down silos between geographies, business areas and functions to streamline the collection, sharing and reuse of business best practices. Its proprietary rating system intelligently matches best practices to the right users at the right time in a secure environment, delivering reported ROI of up to 30x. The platform supports a rapidly expanding client base that includes Mondelez, Bayer, Campari, HP, Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, Henkel and Suntory across sectors such as food and beverage, technology and pharmaceuticals. Wegrow is led by CEO and founder Arnaud Sliwa, who said his 15 years at multinationals like Danone, Suntory and General Mills exposed the waste caused by duplicated work. The company has raised €7 million in a Series A round and will use the funds to expand beyond marketing and sales. Planned product expansion includes customised AI-driven solutions for finance, supply chain, R&D and human resources teams. Wegrow offers a digital platform that enables companies to efficiently share, detect and replicate best practices across functions such as marketing, sales, HR and supply chain. The company focuses on driving ROI by improving business efficiencies, replicating successful growth actions, and engaging employees to avoid ‘re‑inventing the wheel’. Wegrow serves large clients and has negotiated worldwide contracts recently with Coca‑Cola, Reckitt and Circet; its broader client list includes Unilever, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Henkel, Suntory, Barilla, Louis Delhaize and Puig. The company reports sales increased 250% year‑over‑year despite the global crisis, operates with a 40‑person team, and conducts 90% of its activity outside France and 50% outside Europe. Wegrow plans to use new capital to speed global expansion, develop AI to detect and scale best practices faster, and build customised versions for verticals such as transportation, banking and technology. Management has set an objective to raise savings per business unit from €1M today to €10M by 2025.

Participated · Seed · Aug 2022

SunGreenH2 has developed a proprietary nanostructured, alloy-based electrode for electrolysis that forms a 3D sponge-like surface, more than doubling current density and hydrogen output while reducing precious-metal use by about 30x. The electrode increases active surface area and, the company says, is compatible with virtually all modern electrolyzers. To address nanostructure fragility, SunGreenH2 uses a "sacrificing catalyst" that corrodes in a way that preserves or enhances the main catalyst's lifespan. Initially the company intends to sell the electrode component separately; next year it plans to partner with system integrators to produce whole electrolysis stacks and later pursue more end-to-end solutions with larger companies. SunGreenH2 also plans to apply its platform to related green-transition materials, including PTLs and bipolar plates for fuel cells, electrodes for batteries, and photoelectrodes for direct solar-to-hydrogen panels. The company has raised $2 million in seed funding to set up its first manufacturing facilities in Melbourne to meet demand from early, confidential partners in the EU, U.S., Canada, Japan and Singapore.

Participated · Seed · Nov 2020

Re-Nuble is a New York-based company that upcycles organic compounds from unrecoverable vegetable food waste into water-soluble, organic hydroponic nutrients for soilless farms. The startup also offers an On-Site Food Waste Recovery System that captures residual plant matter and farm wastewater and converts them into sterilized biostimulants and potable water for reuse. Re-Nuble spent seven years studying food waste characterizations and their biochemical reactions, and says it has ensured product consistency across farm types including deep water culture, tray/ebb-and-flow systems, and nutrient film techniques. Founder and CEO Tinia Pina, inspired by teaching experience in 2012, says the company has reached product-market fit. Re-Nuble recently closed a $1.1 million seed round and will use the funds for hiring, R&D, manufacturing, and general acceleration. The company estimates its product market pipeline is worth at least $2 million. It faced Covid-related challenges including a rescinded $500,000 loan that forced a manufacturing redesign, and expects to release case-study results in Q1 next year to support growth.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2020

Kibus Petcare has developed an appliance that automatically cooks healthy, natural dog food from its dehydrated recipes and serves meals at the ideal temperature. The system pairs veterinarian- and nutritionist-developed recipes with a unique device and a mobile app for remote scheduling and control. Kibus sells direct-to-consumer through its website with personalized meal plans and a subscription focus. Its foods use high-quality meats, fruits and vegetables dehydrated at low temperatures to preserve nutrients, flavor and aroma. The company has been recognized by Amazon as a top Spanish startup and lauded by Nestlé Purina for innovation; it was also supported by the Lanzadera accelerator. Kibus recently closed a private financing round of more than €1 million and plans to use the funds to grow the business, acquire subscribers and expand the team. Kibus Petcare has developed a countertop appliance that cooks/reconstitutes dehydrated pet food in about six minutes and dispenses programmed, exact doses up to four times per day. The device includes an integrated water dispenser, is designed to sit on the floor, and offers autonomy for more than a week. After two years of R&D the product launched on Kickstarter, where Kibus hit its €10,000 monthly revenue target in under three hours and reached a pre-set goal of 50 devices for the month in the same time. The company was founded in 2018 and has been recognized as an innovative SME by Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation and named Spain’s most innovative product by AECOC. Kibus counts support from accelerators and partners such as Lanzadera and Nestlé Purina and has received recognition from Acció, the European Commission, Google for Startups, IQS and ESADE. The company plans to use new funding to expand the team, scale marketing and move to mass production.