OpenT, a 50:50 joint venture of Tinexta, a company providing digital trust, cybersecurity and business innovation services listed on Euronext Star Milan and Zest listed on Euronext Milan, was born and announced to have finalised its first two investments.
OpenT invests in start-ups operating in digital innovation sectors, with a focus on technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Its objective is to select, support the growth of and invest in technology companies that can, in an open innovation logic, contribute to the development of Tinexta’s offer and the growth of the Italian ecosystem.
OpenT’s investment strategy envisages average tickets of EUR 250,000, with the possibility of follow-on up to EUR 750,000 and a focus on ESG criteria relevant to the Tinexta Group and Zest.
The joint venture has finalised the first two deals to invest in start-ups in Zest’s portfolio accelerated by the AI Magic Mind programme, which operate on artificial intelligence: Crono, a SaaS sales automation platform that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to help B2B sales teams find new contacts and automate personalised multichannel interactions, and Keplera, a legal-tech start-up that created LexHero, a comprehensive solution to manage legal documents more easily and securely. LexHero uses artificial intelligence to offer advanced features such as an intelligent editor that simplifies document creation, storage, sharing and signing.
‘Tinexta’s mission is to support the digitisation and innovation of Italian SMEs. OpenT reinforces this commitment by creating a bridge between innovative start-ups and the entrepreneurial fabric of the country, thus contributing to the diffusion of advanced technological solutions even in smaller companies. The first investments in Crono and Keplera demonstrate the potential of this strategic collaboration: innovative solutions that can be integrated with our offer, generating value for the Group and for the entire Italian technology ecosystem. Through this joint venture with Zest, Tinexta confirms its commitment to supporting the development of emerging technologies that can transform and improve Digital Trust, Cybersecurity and Business Innovation services,’ said Pier Andrea Chevallard, CEO of Tinexta (left in the photo with Marco Gay) in a note.
“OpenT was born out of the vision on innovation, digital transformation and the need for system building that we share with Tinexta. We are proud of this joint venture, which represents a strategic step to accelerate the growth of frontier technologies, taking an industrial and open innovation approach to create a real and lasting impact. We want to generate value for Tinexta, for our investees and for the entire innovation ecosystem, helping to enhance the competitiveness of companies. The first two investments in start-ups in our portfolio demonstrate the great work that we, as Zest, are doing in the field of Artificial Intelligence and how our start-ups can become a driver of innovation for companies, translating research and development into concrete solutions of value for the market,’ adds Marco Gay, Executive Chairman of Zest.
The board of directors of OpenT is chaired by Paola Generali (board member Tinexta) and composed of Marco Gay, Valerio Zappalà (group chief M and A and integration, sales and marketing officer Tinexta) and Ludovico Facchini (portfolio and operation manager Zest Investments).
The OpenT Investment Committee is chaired by Francesco Beraldi (president O2e) and composed of Marco Sanfilippo (DG Warrant Hub – Tinexta Group), Danilo Cattaneo (CEO Infocert – Tinexta Group), Fabrizio Vacca (security solution director Tinexta Cyber), Gabriele Ronchini (CEO Zest Investments), Edmondo Sparano (chief digital officer and head of scouting Zest Investments), Ludovico Facchini (chief operation office and head of portfolio Zest Investments) and Federica Cardona (senior portfolio manager Zest Investments).
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