AWorld, Climate-tech start-up and official platform of the United Nations ActNow campaign, announces the raising of a two-million-euro bridge round in preparation for a larger European round. This is a remarkable achievement for the Italian start-up, created three years ago by Alessandro Armillotta, Marco Armellino and Alessandro Lancieri.
The round, backed by a pool of investors including Telefónica Open Innovation, CDP Venture Capital through the Acceleratori fund, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), Equiter through the RIF-T fund, Banca Patrimoni Sella C. Spa, Digital Magics, Sport Horizon Holding and other investors, is a clear sign of the positive trend enjoyed by the company since its establishment.
The platform's success prompted Telefónica, Europe's second largest telephone operator, to invest in an Italian start-up for the first time. This is a strong signal for our country's entire ecosystem.
“AWorld confirms its status as the platform of reference when it comes to engagement, education and measuring the impact of the individual on the issues of sustainability and decarbonisation. Over 40 international corporations placed their trust in us during our first year of operation and together we have generated 10 million positive actions for the planet that have helped reduce the carbon footprint of almost half a million active users” - says CEO Alessandro Armillotta.
Collaborations with institutions such as the United Nations, the European Commission, the University of Florida and Politecnico di Torino, initiatives with Elisa and Lega Calcio Serie A, and the endorsement of artists and activists such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Edward Norton have enabled the start-up to grow both in Italy and abroad, developing half its turnover on the international market.
“We are honoured to have received the trust of investors of this calibre”- adds Chairman Marco Armellino - “The new financial resources will enable us to accelerate the growth and development path, strengthen the team, introduce technological innovations, consolidate our position as a point of reference in Italy and expand into new markets”.
“The ESG aspect increasingly steers the decisions made by many companies and people, and the measurability of this impact becomes fundamental to understanding the scope of our actions” says Stefano Molino, Manager of CDP Venture Capital’s Acceleratori Fund. “AWorld has succeeded in simplifying this transition, offering an accessible and practical tool to top-level companies and users and gradually gathering a network of investors who have believed in its growth potential”.
Alessandro Brighenti and Silvia Pugi, IAGChampion in this investment: “AWorld offers companies a plug and play solution that makes their contribution regarding ESG sustainability issues tangible. We are convinced that AWorld's innovative and synergistic approach to raising public awareness of actions to protect the environment also has tangible value in terms of return on investment”.
The declaration made by Flavio Gamba, Treasury Manager of Banca Patrimoni Sella & C. Spa: "Adhering to ESG principles means embracing a culture of awareness, education and information on delicate and complex issues related to sustainability. Our decision to invest in AWorld, convinced, as we are, that increasing people's individual awareness is the essential prerequisite for virtuous behaviour, which also generates added value in terms of economic impact, as well as on everyone's quality of life, is consistent with this need".
"We invested in AWorld when it was little more than an idea. We were impressed by Alessandro, Marco and Alessandro's ability to create a great product and involve so many companies in the project at the same time. Today, everyone talks about sustainability but very few people have developed really useful solutions; AWorld, on the other hand, has built a product that helps us understand our daily impact, measure it and improve", says Michele Novelli, Chief Investment & Strategy Officer, Digital Magics.
“This investment - the fifth made by Equiter through the RIF-T vehicle - is part of our effort to raise awareness on ESG issues, one of the transversal axes of our Industrial Plan, in which the central theme of innovation is flanked by goals of tangible impact on the territory. In this context, the investment in AWorld is intended to certify not only the sharing of the company's mission, but also the appreciation for the team's commitment and the international vision of the project" – declares Carla Patrizia Ferrari, CEO of Equiter – “Participation in this round is intended to be a sign of accompaniment and support for the company's growth, also through feasible synergies with other portfolio companies”.
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