Roca Group has launched a corporate venturing fund endowed with 25 million euros. The company will Invest in start-ups and entrepreneurial projects that develop their activity in priority areas for the company.
Through this fund, called Roca Group Ventures, the company plans to allocate between 0.5 and 2 million euros per project, to finance those initiatives that demonstrate the greatest potential. Roca Group estimates that, within five years, the investment portfolio will comprise of between 10 and 15 companies.
For the launch of Roca Group Ventures, Roca Group will work with Alantra, a financial services and asset management firm specialising in investments and operations of this kind. Alantra will advise the fund in the deal flow process.
Roca Group Ventures will also support Roca Group’s commitment to sustainability, as through this fund the company will prioritise start-ups that focus on environmentally friendly practices, extending its green strategy to all the projects it works with.
Four areas of development and innovation
Roca Group defined four business areas of interest in the search of opportunities: wellness and smart bathrooms; new businesses and materials; energy efficiency and rationalisation of water consumption; and, lastly, operational excellence in its industrial processes.
Regarding wellness and smart bathrooms, the company will seek technological resources that, through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and connectivity, improve the usability of devices; contribute to the development of eco-friendly products; and also to the development of products that generate spaces for relaxation.
In terms of new businesses and new materials, Roca Group Ventures will focus on disruptive solutions based on technology with a wide margin for growth, as well as on new materials for both construction and the manufacturing of new products.
In the field of energy efficiency and rationalisation of water consumption, the group will identify and develop products and services that contribute to the generation of connected and sustainable homes, with a special focus on the reduction of water usage.
Finally, with the aim of increasing operational excellence, technologies such as AI, 3D printing, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain or embeddable platforms, will also be of interest to the fund.
Albert Magrans, CEO of Roca Group, explained that Roca Group Ventures seeks to “generate a hybrid entrepreneurial model that combines the advantages of a large company (resources, scale, knowledge, experience, marketing) with the innovation, technology, motivation, agility and talent of a startup”. Roca Group Ventures will be a global fund seeking to invest in startups all over the world.
Roca Group will appoint an executive figure from the organisation to act as Ventures Head, coordinating the collaboration with different specialists and managers of the company, accelerators, incubators and other partners to facilitate the identification and development of projects.
