The Vento Post | July 24
Our monthly pills for founders, wannabe founders and Vento’s friends.
We did it.
We finished the third batch of our Venture Building program and had the Investor Day.
Six teams presented the results of their work over the last 5 months. If you are curious to see their pitches, you can find them on our LinkedIn page, but if you want to know about the tears and blood to get to that result you should read their daily diaries on Medium.
It was a good time. We celebrated (a lot!) and then, as expected, we were in OGR by ourselves. This is also the month when Davide and Mattia, our two interns, leave us to start a new adventure. So yes, we are a little sad, but we also feel grateful and lucky to share a part of our journey with such an extraordinary group of people.
As we often say, Vento is mostly about people. This intro is dedicated to the people of Vento: the wonderful team behind it all and the amazing founders who are part of our portfolio. We had a wonderful time together and are eager to see how you will rock it!
P.S. Speaking of extraordinary people, our ITW team has opened registration for the event, so now it’s time to share this page.
🌎 News from Vento
Our portfolio keeps growing. Here’s a sneak peek on one of our latest deals:
Foreverland
What does Foreverland do? Cocoa is one of the most water-intensive and environmentally impacting crops worldwide. Foreverland is developing the next generation of chocolate sustainably and healthily starting from carob.
The founding team is 100% Made in Italy and is led by a second-time founder in the FoodTech space. His co-founders are a former Board Member of Preziosi Food and two PhDs in Food Science and Chemistry.
🔮Wisdom Pills from our Founders
Every month, we host a Founders2Founders meeting: an online chat in which one of our founders share what s/he learned about a topic that is relevant for every founder who is in the process of building a company.
We are back with new insights from our founders and, this time, they are coming from somebody who just raised a Series A: Mattia Montepara, CEO of Sibill.
Here are some key takeaways from the masterclass:
Fundraising isn't just another task—it's the task. Without fuel, it’s hard for a rocket to take off. That’s why 80% of a CEO’s time is usually dedicated to crafting the pitch and managing relations. Make sure your team has your back and can cover for you when your backlog is piling up.
Early-stage financials should be as agile as your startup. Your financials need to be lean but packed with insights. Revisit your objectives and assumptions weekly. This constant tweaking ensures your financial plan stays sharp and reflects the latest realities of your business landscape.
Assumptions are the bedrock of your financial plan. Craft them with care and always have multiple scenarios up your sleeve because investors will test these rigorously, seeking weaknesses. Yet, these assumptions are not just for show—they are essential for planning your roadmap.
🫵 We want you! (Openings)
Looking for growth opportunities? Our companies are looking for bright individuals.
Give it a shot!
Anthropos is looking for a Digital Marketing and Operations Intern
Syllotips is looking for an AI Engineer
Planckian is looking for a Quantum Engineer
Bonus: Italian Tech Week is still looking for Volunteers, apply to enjoy this experience from the inside!
🤝 The Network Effect (only for our Portfolio Companies)
We are not just a fund: we are a partner. And we support our founders to the best of our abilities. How do we do it? Well, among other things we create synergies with companies to offer dedicated perks and help our founders work better, spending less!
💰 Shed some light on your financials with Sibill. With Vento, you can have 30% off your annual subscription.
🏍️ Prototype and launch faster with Retool. Benefit from up to $25K in credits, no credit card required.
🛫 Get access to a 40% discount on Bizaway Advanced Plan to easily plan your company business trips!
To get to these perks and 40+ other partnerships we have in place:
✨ The 3 Ls: Learned, Loved, Laughed
🤓 Learned
Learnings of not finding PMF - Medium
😍 Loved
Bessemer Anti-Portfolio - honoring the companies they missed
😂 Laughed
The day after the Investor Day, as per tradition, we had our famous Festaccia.
We always speak about it as a magic night and that’s because every year crazy stuff happens. Let me give you a little example.
This year, after the party, our dear Marti was able to talk her way onto a kebab stand and showcase her ability to make kebabs for everybody in the middle of the night. 🍔
🦄 If you
If you work in VC and want to receive updates about our Portfolio Companies, get in touch with us here.
If you are a founder and you are in fundraising, apply here.
If you want to be a founder, but you don’t know where to start, just click here.