Ajay Sunny’s Post

🚀 Big news for European AgriFoodTech! 🌱 Milan-based Maia Ventures has just launched its first €55 million fund to back next-gen startups building a healthier, more efficient, and more resilient global food system. 💡 With six investments already made and plans to support up to 25 early-stage ventures, Maia is targeting innovations in: 🥦 Sustainable ingredients 💊 Food-as-medicine solutions 🌾 Climate-resilient supply chains The fund is backed by major players including EIF, CDP Venture Capital, Cereal Docks (Grey Silo Ventures), and Andriani — combining Italy’s world-class food ecosystem with global AgriFoodTech talent. 🇮🇹🌍 “We want to be among the first institutional believers, helping founders connect with industry leaders and lay the foundations for scale,” — David I. Bassani, Founding Partner, Maia Ventures As global AgriFoodTech investment slows, Maia sees opportunity — betting on deep-tech, science-driven startups solving problems that truly matter. #AgriFoodTech #FoodInnovation #VentureCapital #Sustainability #FoodAsMedicine #AlternativeProteins #ImpactInvesting #ClimateTech #Startups #FutureOfFood 🔗 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ebNS4-4S

$40M Investment Fuels the Next Wave of FoodTech Innovation U.S.-based fund Siddhi Capital, which manages around $250 million, is joining the investor consortium of the Fresh Start foodtech incubator in Kiryat Shmona alongside local players like Tnuva, Tempo and OurCrowd.  Siddhi is committing NIS 30-40 million and bringing its global network to help Israeli foodtech startups scale internationally. This move marks a clear vote of confidence in Israel’s innovation ecosystem, even amid regional challenges. As the foodtech sector recovers from its boom-and-bust phase, initiatives like this highlight how strategic investment and partnerships are vital for driving sustainable growth and real-world impact in the ag-tech and food-innovation space. https://lnkd.in/dPud4y2m #FoodTech #IsraeliInnovation #StartupNation #GlobalInvestment #AgTech #ScaleUp

Climate-tech startup Newtral has raised $600K from NOW Venture Studio under its Accelerate model to scale its GTM strategy in key global markets and boost recurring revenue. The fresh funding follows its earlier pre-seed round of $80K led by PedalStart in July 2023. Founded by Avi Chudasama and Anuraag Paul, Bengaluru-based Newtral.io provides enterprise sustainability software to help organizations measure, track, and reduce carbon emissions. Its platform integrates reporting, insights, and action to drive meaningful climate impact and support businesses in their net zero journey. #newtral #fundingnews #climatetech #sustainability #startupnews #netzero #venturecapital #deeptech #nowaccelerate #cleantech #emissions #greentech #startuplife #indianstartups #funding #climateaction #businessnews #startupecosystem #entrepreneurship #innovation #techstartups #greenbusiness #climateimpact

The first of many good things….. Mobility startup, Anda has secured $3 million in seed funding, becoming Angola’s first VC-backed startup with international investors, BREEGA and Speedinvest. The mobility and finance startup is making it easier for drivers to own their vehicles through a Drive-to-Own plan, promoting financial inclusion and job creation. This round marks a major step for Angola’s tech ecosystem, showing how global investors are turning their attention to emerging African markets. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gDCFkPJA #startup #vc #investment #venturecapital #africantech

Theia Ventures announces the first close of its $30M Fund I, a significant milestone for India’s climate and deeptech ecosystem! The early-stage fund has secured over 50% of its target corpus, anchored by British International Investment (BII), with participation from Allocator One (Germany), Cisco Foundation (US), and Vitality Capital Partners (Australia). This is a powerful international coalition aligned around Theia’s mission to accelerate climate-positive technologies emerging from India. In addition, Theia Ventures has attracted support from some of India’s most influential business leaders and family offices, including Anand Mahindra, Meher Pudumjee (Thermax Group), JM Financial Ltd, and Pramit Jhaveri (former CEO, Citi India) Here’s why this raise matters: 1. A focused climate thesis: Backing 18–20 early-stage startups building technologies to decarbonize heavy industry, materials, mobility, and supply chains. 2. Capital built for conviction: $500K–$1M initial cheques with over half the corpus reserved for follow-ons ensuring sustained support for high-performing portfolio companies. 3. Institutional validation: British International Investment (BII) as an anchor investment signals growing global confidence in India’s energy transition and climate innovation landscape. 4. Early momentum: Theia has already invested in Sarla Aviation (Accel-backed electric air taxi) and Climitra Carbon (biocoal for the steel industry), with upcoming bets in precision fermentation and AI-led energy data modeling. 5. Deep expertise, clear conviction: Founded by Priya Shah, Theia Ventures is among India’s first specialist early-stage climate funds. The team’s prior investments including Exponent Energy, altM, OctoLife, Varaha and Metastable Materials, underscore its hands-on experience in climate-first innovation. In a market still dominated by capital chasing near-term growth, Theia’s successful first close reflects a shift towards real-economy innovation, grounded in science, sustainability, and scalable impact. As the climate-tech flywheel gains pace, Theia is shaping the next decade of India’s venture story where deeptech helps achieve India’s decarbonization goals. → Can India turn its climate challenges into its biggest economic advantage? Image Credits - Theia Ventures For more curated insights on India’s venture ecosystem, follow The VC Fellowship. We are also accepting applications for our much-awaited Cohort 9. Apply here and join the ride: https://lnkd.in/gsNZQFvH #vc #news #startupnews #venturecapital #climatetech #deeptech #earlystage #fundraise #VCFellowship

Cleantech venture builder BigCircle Ventures has raised €2 million to accelerate the creation of new startups tackling energy, materials, and circular economy challenges. The round brought in over 10 new investors, including Oost NL, which supports regional innovation, and Alphatron Group B.V., known for scaling industrial technologies with measurable environmental impact. 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 👉 https://lnkd.in/ddr_sV_v Freerk Bisschop Reinier van der Vusse Eelco Dekker Joost Kruytzer Simon Knowles Joost Beemer Guusje Delen Siem Gersen Jarno van den Heuvel Roos Nuijten #Startups #CleanTech #Founders #FundingNews #VentureCapital

Theia Ventures announces first close of $30 Million fund to invest in 20 Indian startups Priya Shah, Founder & Managing Partner of Theia Ventures, said, “Theia’s objective remains clear: to unlock much-needed, early stage capital towards Indian companies building transformative technologies to disrupt the energy status quo.” Read more :- https://lnkd.in/gerNpP6N #StartupFunding #EarlyStageInvesting #IndianStartups #CleanTech #TechInvestment

Ten years ago, Ecuador had no venture ecosystem, let alone an impact one. Corinne Lebrun had built a career in marketing and corporate sustainability but had zero finance experience. She saw an opportunity to build an ecosystem from scratch -- one that would harness Ecuador's strong entrepreneurial spirit. "We are a country of entrepreneurs because we have to be," she tells ImpactAlpha. "There are not many formal jobs, so you have to find your own way." Everyone told her it was impossible. "But my reflection was: if I don't do it, no one is going to do it." Lebrun raised CREAS Ecuador, the country's first impact fund, which closed in 2023. Alongside IMPAQTO, Buena Vista Capital Partners, BuenTrip Ventures, and Endeavor Ecuador, this wave of builders grew the ecosystem tenfold The results? Ecuador just minted its first unicorn, Kushki, and saw its first startup reach the Startup World Cup finals, Andromeda. Read the full story on ImpactAlpha: https://lnkd.in/gx6BKiqg

Indian startups raised $737 million during October 13–17, a 159% jump, led by Zepto and Kuku FM as investor confidence returned to growth-stage tech and AI-driven ventures. https://lnkd.in/gifJsVXY #Funding #Zepto #KukuFM

💡 A Reflection on Venture Capital and Start-Up Growth in Namibia One of the lessons I’ve learned on this entrepreneurial journey is that not all funding opportunities are opportunities. Sometimes, they become liabilities disguised as promises. In Namibia, many start-ups—especially in the tech sector—struggle not because of weak ideas or poor execution, but due to delayed investment decisions from venture capital entities. After submitting every required document, founders often wait months with no clarity. The issue isn’t always capital—it’s the lack of tech expertise and experience within some investment committees, leading to indecision, poor directives on how a start-up can better improve its model and missed momentum. At Fudlink Agricultural Technology CC, we experienced this firsthand. In 2023, we were gaining strong traction, but our overcommitment to waiting on 3 venture capital funding slowed our growth and nearly cost us an incredible team. It was and is still a tough lesson in balancing faith in investors with the urgency of execution. We’ve now gone back to the drawing board—focusing on improving our product, building our iOS App, rebuilding momentum, and trading offline to keep our vision alive. 🔹 A thought to ponder: Aren’t venture capital companies supposed to help start-ups scale — or are they becoming liabilities, contributing to the regression of traction instead? To my fellow founders: sometimes, the best “investment” you can make is in your own persistence. The right partners will find you when your value speaks for itself. #Startups #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Namibia #Innovation #TechFounders #Fudlink #BusinessGrowth