Novaterra, a new evergreen investment holding company, has officially launched in Milan and London. The company’s goal is to build and scale global industrial champions with strong technological or scientific defensibility. Novaterra aims to overcome the constraints of traditional Venture Capital and Private Equity models through a long-term, permanent capital approach.
The initiative has gained momentum through the support of prominent new shareholders, including Emma and Antonio Marcegaglia, Fabio Innocenzi, Massimo Armanini, Lorenzo Poli, Denis Faccioli, and Franco Beccaria. They have joined forces around Luca Quagini, who has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors. The Sella Group Holding, known for its commitment to innovative entrepreneurial ventures, and Novaterra’s founding shareholders, including Galeazzo Pecori Giraldi, Guglielmo Notarbartolo di Villarosa, and Roger Abravanel, also support the company.
Giuseppe Balzano has been appointed as CEO of Novaterra following a capital increase. He will be responsible for driving the company’s strategy and international growth.
Novaterra focuses on investing in “critical companies” that are essential to resilient industrial supply chains across strategic sectors such as energy, chemicals, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals. These sectors are vital to Europe’s competitiveness and sovereignty.
The company’s flexible investment approach allows for both minority and majority stakes, held over time. Proceeds from portfolio companies will be reinvested to support sustained industrial growth across the group. Novaterra also offers an internal liquidity mechanism designed to provide an alternative to conventional market practices for shareholders.
In a statement, Giuseppe Balzano, CEO of Novaterra, said, “The investment industry is still largely driven by short-term thinking. We’re trying to shift that paradigm, as some leading players in the US have already begun to do. In the long run, we aim to build a European research and industrial powerhouse. That requires not only capital, but also the time needed to nurture the ambition we’ve set for ourselves.”
Novaterra’s launch marks a significant development in the investment industry, with its focus on long-term, strategic investments in critical companies. With the support of its shareholders and the Sella Group Holding, Novaterra is well-positioned to make a positive impact on Europe’s competitiveness and sovereignty.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.