Gianni Matera

Gianni Matera is an Italian entrepreneur and investor who founded Growing Capital, an early-stage investment firm specializing in supporting startups with roots in Ireland.12 Here are some key details about Gianni Matera:

Professional Background

Matera completed his bachelor's degree in Organizational Behaviour at Università Bocconi while serving as Lieutenant at Scula Militare Alpina.1 He held business development roles in Italy and Turkey before founding DigiTouch, which became the largest independent digital advertising company in Italy.1

Entrepreneurial Journey

After selling 75% of his shares in DigiTouch, which later had a €44 million IPO on the Italian Stock Exchange in 2016, Matera founded DigitAlchemy in 2011.1 In 2015, he established Growing Capital and began actively funding Ireland-based startups.1

Focus on Irish Startups

Matera moved to Dublin in 2013 and started his Irish investment drive.1 Growing Capital typically invests around €250,000 in companies eligible for funding by Enterprise Ireland, with the organization often matching this sum.1 By 2020, Matera aimed to increase his Irish investment tally to €4 million.1

Recent Achievements

In March 2024, Matera was named the inaugural Venture Capitalist in Residence (VCiR) at NovaUCD, the innovation and startup hub at University College Dublin.23 This role involves engaging with the NovaUCD entrepreneurial community, holding office hours, delivering investor masterclasses, and participating in various startup support activities.2

Investment Portfolio

To date, Growing Capital has supported 27 Irish startups, including companies like Caragon, Brim Brother, GloFox, and Reflex Gaming.13 The firm has also invested in NanobOx, a UCD spin-out company.3

Gianni Matera's LinkedIn username is indeed gmatera, as mentioned in the query.4