Loacker invests in technology and ingredient startups through venture capital

Loacker Group launches a new corporate venture capital (CVC) programme, promoted through Loacker Investment Office.

The latter, the company dedicated to investment activities, has set an annual resource allocation plan of 1 million euros per year, while the aim is to support innovative startups with high growth potential.

Andreas Loacker: why startups are important

Why? “For a family business, investing today in solutions capable of generating value tomorrow means responsibly building its own future,” explains Andreas Loacker, vice-chairman of the Boards of Directors of Loacker Group and A. Loacker, the production arm. “Large companies (the Bolzano-based group consolidated approximately 460 million euros in 2024, ed.) and startups possess different and complementary skills. On the one hand, experience, industrial capability and market knowledge; on the other, speed, specialisation and new perspectives. Our corporate venture capital programme was created to bring these two worlds together and jointly address the challenges of the coming years.”

The initiative therefore represents one of the instruments through which the wafer queen (A. Loacker was worth, also in 2024 over 400 million in turnover with a profit of almost 6 million) looks to the future, identifying new trends, technologies and business models and contributing to the development of solutions for challenges to which the market does not yet offer answers backed by a solid track record.

Andreas Loacker

Thus, the evaluation criteria include the technological and industrial potential of the startups, their financial solidity, the structure of their business strategy and their ability to grow over time.

The expected synergies and selection criteria

The selection will be guided by the possibility of creating industrial and strategic synergies with the main companies of Loacker Group, such as A. Loacker (wafers and chocolate specialities) and AgroSelect Ingredients, responsible for the operating units involved in the procurement and processing of raw materials, including Dolomites Milk and Loacker Tenuta Corte Migliorina (hazelnut groves).

More specifically, the CVC will focus on new companies specialising in new natural ingredients, or compounds of natural origin, capable of enriching the sensory profile; natural alternatives to traditional ingredients such as sugar and dairy derivatives; solutions for a more balanced diet without compromising on taste and texture, for example by reducing calories or allergens, or providing alternatives to fats; and the circular economy and sustainability, through the enhancement of resources and by-products, such as the reuse of whey permeate derived from Dolomites Milk.

Attention will also be paid to startups working on data and traceability, using digital systems, automation technologies and robotic solutions applied to production processes and the agri-food supply chain.

The South Tyrolean multinational (110 countries served) will be a strategic investor, making available not only financial resources but also its own know-how, consisting of industrial expertise, market knowledge, development capabilities and access to an established business ecosystem.

Partnerships already launched by Loacker Investment Office

In fact, the corporate venture capital programme has already begun and, less than a year after the launch of its initial activities, has already built an initial portfolio of startups, laying the foundations for progressive development.

Among the first identified are, to name a few, Dr. Taste from Merano (BZ), which is developing a proprietary predictive platform, and the Danish company Endless Food Co, which creates alternative chocolate ingredients obtained by enhancing food by-products.

Useful information: from the middle of next October, interested startups will be able to consult information about the programme and submit their application on the dedicated platform at www.loackergroup.com.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.