VENTURES
What we do
As an active venture investor, NdG focuses on early-stage growth companies founded by motivated entrepreneurs possessing a vision for building a global franchise. We are attracted to companies with unique intellectual property and a sustainable competitive advantage in sectors such as digital media, tech (SaaS, Sports, blockchain AI) and luxury consumer goods.
Our ventures team looks for companies with demonstrated capital efficiency and multiple operating levers, which can accelerate growth and increase free cash flow. The firm enjoys an extensive network of relationships with executives in the growth sectors of the Spanish economy. Their operational experience enables us to offer real-time advisory support for the founders of our portfolio companies, who are endeavoring to scale their franchises.
We take an active role with our companies and assist founders in establishing the requisite financial, legal, marketing, and human resource solutions for success. As a firm with deep relationships throughout Spain and Latin America, we endeavor to connect the founders of our portfolio companies with board members and strategic partners, who can make a difference in the build-out of their business models.
STRATEGY
Sustainable competitive advantage
The ventures team pursues a strategy of investment in sustainable competitive advantage, the objective being to buy and build as an active investor. NdG targets a set of verticals with Spanish companies looking to access European and US markets.
NdG looks at growth investments in mid-to-late stage VC and early PE, looking for capital to expand or restructure operations, enter new markets, or finance a significant acquisition without compromising the corporate vision. Companies targeted are from a diverse set of sectors that evidence the potential for entering into the European and and US market. A percentage of these companies are venture builders sponsored by NdG - ideas proposed by NdG as startups, where a suitable management team is brought on board to lead the company. A percentage of companies are also established businesses in Valencia or Spain that demonstrate strong fundamentals and growth potential. These companies compose the buy-and-build group. Lastly, NdG targets companies whose center of production can be brought to or sourced in Valencia.
Ongoing oversight of portfolio companies
Operations
Project oversight
Project management
Regional management
Logistics planning
R&D support
Technical support
Personnel support
Legal
Corporate counsel
Corporate compliance counsel
Data protection compliance
POA management
Corporate fiscal counsel
Fiscal security and protection
Legal document tracking
Marketing
Oversight & counsel
Market Research
Strategy development
Data insights
Compliance counsel
Reporting & analysis
Agency management
Financial
Strategy & oversight
Analysis & projections
Accounting
Reporting
SPV (entity) management
Tax compliance
Occasional tax services
INVESTMENTS under management
A few examples
At NdG, we partner with founders who have a vision of international market expansion and consistent profitability. The following portfolio companies are representative of our venture strategy. Each is an early-stage growth company and shares important attributes such as a highly experienced founder, excellent partnership connections, established operational networks, and unique brands. Importantly, our portfolio companies have developed disruptive business models built upon a sustainable competitive advantage.
Hannah Carnegie creates unique hand-made, collectable, and wearable art. The company is focused on the future of customisable fine jewelry.
The global jewelry market is projected to reach $480 billion by 2025. Within this large addressable market, the subset of luxury jewelry has become one of the industry’s fastest growing product categories. This remarkable growth potential has attracted new entrants such as Prada, Hermès and Gucci, which debuted their first high-end luxury collections last year, and prompted LVMH to acquire Tiffany for $16.2 billion.
The luxury jewelry business, however, is being disrupted by an innovative new entrant, Hannah Carnegie. The company’s founder is inspired to create products reflecting imagination and creativity while optimizing social media for branding and e-commerce channels for distribution. Its distinctive designs are gaining recognition while creating a seamless customer journey that conveys the storied history of each piece.
Hannah Carnegie’s forward-looking designs are intended to capture the evolving preferences of Millennial and Gen Z consumers, who are the increasingly important drivers of jewelry demand. They reject the legacy status stereotypes of the previous generation. Importantly, their purchase decisions express both spirit and individuality, which are at the heart the of Hannah Carnegie design process.
ZALOA QUEVEDO - Director Ventures
Laboulais is French haute couture in the relaxed atmosphere of the Mediterranean, tailoring and custom design for each bride and guest.
The future is looking bright for Spanish bridal exports. Thanks to leading brands such as Pronovias and Rosa Clara, the country currently enjoys a world-wide reputation for making wedding dresses with the highest quality fabrics and cutting-edge designs.
Within the global wedding dress industry, Spain has reached an impressive benchmark. In terms of exports, the country is ranked second only to China. Moreover, Spanish designers annually make 755,000 wedding dresses and generate revenues of over €500 million.
Approximately one in ten brides worldwide chooses a Spanish made-and-designed dress to wear on her wedding day. However, there is an important piece missing in the traditional online bridal business model. The large and established businesses are struggling with the digital requirements of the increasingly dominant Millennial and Generation Z customer base.
In a large and fragmented global market, Laboulais has distinguished itself as a successful adopter of digital distribution and social media branding strategies. It is well positioned to gain market traction by integrating an e-commerce platform with its creative design and personalized service.
Verónica Navarro, Laboulais’s founder, worked for six years as Director of the Bridal Department of Francis Montesinos, the renowned Valencian fashion designer. We were impressed with her vision for the industry as well as her strategy to capitalize on the changing buying habits and preferences of Generation Z and Millennial brides.
BEN THOMAS - Director Ventures
Contact the ventures team
