CDP Venture Capital SGR is the sole investor alongside Hevolus.
Rome, 15 September 2020 - CDP Venture Capital SGR has signed an agreement with Hevolus Srl., a leading Apulian company in disruptive technologies and innovative customer experiences, for a capital increase of 4 million euros.
The investment was made through the Italia Venture II Fund, which supports innovative startups and SMEs in Southern Italy and aims to accelerate their competitiveness and development.
Hevolus is an innovative, exponentially growing SME specializing in solutions, projects, and services aimed at the digital transformation of business processes and customer journeys for any industry.
Founded in 2000 as a hardware store for woodworking craftsmen, within a few years the company embarked on business diversification initiatives, opening new lines of business, and becoming a recognized innovation hub with cutting-edge digital expertise. It's a next-generation software house researching and developing innovative business models based on disruptive technologies—augmented reality, mixed reality, artificial intelligence, IoT, cloud services, and cognitive services—with the ultimate goal of helping customers sell better by engaging more effectively with them.
In 2018 Hevolus became Microsoft's international partner for Mixed Reality, immediately after it was chosen by the Redmond giant as an international testimonial for the HoloLens2 holographic computer and, furthermore, is among the partner companies of the new Ambizione Italia plan #DigitalRestart with which Microsoft intends to support the country's growth through investments of 1,5 billion dollars in advanced digital technologies and skills.
In 2020, it won the “Retail Week Awards” in the Game Changer category with the custom project developed for Natuzzi and was awarded the “Best ISV Partner 2020” award from Microsoft Italy, a prestigious recognition dedicated to partners whose solutions have had a significant impact on the digital transformation of customers.
To date, Hevolus boasts internationally renowned clients with numerous success stories in the furniture, fashion, telecommunications, civil and industrial systems sectors.
Innovative solutions for social distancing
Hevolus stands out on the global stage for the high level of flexibility and scalability of its platforms and the highly innovative content of the technologies implemented, with which it ensures the transformation of the customer experience in an omnichannel and interactive way.
In 2020, the company launched new digital platforms to the market in response to the needs created by the health emergency: Augmented Store At Home e HoloLink, aimed at enabling business continuity and lead generation with remote services without sacrificing visual contact and digital relationships with the customer.
Augmented Store at Home is a web application for innovatively remote access to the retail sector: it supports store virtualization and augmented reality visualization of items on display through their 3D digital twins, using any fixed or portable device.
HoloLink is smart working for artisans: the solution allows artisans and small businesses to provide remote assistance to their customers, leveraging Cloud Computing and Augmented/Mixed Reality.
Both platforms support Microsoft HoloLens 2 and enable instant collaboration sessions leveraging the power of Mixed Reality.
CDP Venture Capital Sgr, through Italia Venture II Fund, will support, as the sole investor, the evolutionary path of Hevolus, through a capital increase of 4 million euro, with the aim of helping a technological excellence from Southern Italy expand its business internationally, not only in the retail sector, but also in healthcare, industrial, telecommunications, etc.
The Apulian industry has demonstrated extreme adaptability to market needs, so much so that it has intensified the implementation of augmented reality services to overcome current regulations that limit the regular conduct of commercial and business activities, encouraging the digitalization of companies particularly impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
The transaction will also allow for the potential acquisition of smaller companies with deep technological expertise (AI and CRM technologies) and the strengthening of the organizational structure through the addition of key professionals to the R&D and sales functions, to support the business development phase.
"The mixed reality market is booming” - comments Enrico Resmini, CEO and General Manager of CDP Venture Capital Sgr – "We're talking about an estimated global total value of $1,8 billion in 2024. Our investment in a highly innovative Southern Italian company with strong technological expertise like Hevolus will accelerate the development of new business and employment opportunities. The impact of this transaction will benefit all those Italian companies needing a boost in digital transformation processes in the retail, oil & gas, construction, healthcare, and fashion sectors, where new virtual reality technologies could bring significant benefits, both in terms of revenue growth and cost optimization.""
"We are honored to be part of such a solid and prestigious Italian group, which will allow us to further grow globally while maintaining our Italian identity and fueling our drive for cutting-edge technologies and advanced skills. Over the years, thanks to synergies with the Microsoft ecosystem and a vision of innovation, we have developed technological solutions that have supported Italian companies on their digital transformation journeys and are now enabling many companies to leverage Mixed Reality to innovatively overcome the many constraints created by the health emergency. With this important milestone in our development plans, we will not only be able to expand our application scenarios for the benefit of strategic sectors for Italy, but also export this model of Italian excellence abroad, contributing to the country's competitiveness, all starting from Southern Italy.” - comment Antonella La Notte, CEO of Hevolus Innovation.
"We are thrilled with the growth path undertaken by Hevolus, an important recognition of the excellent work done so far. Our partners are the true champions of innovation in the country, supporting companies in their digitalization projects through expertise and vertical solutions. We are proud to work with an innovative company like Hevolus, with whom Microsoft has developed some truly innovative projects in the cutting-edge field of Mixed Reality in recent months to help companies find new channels of connection with customers, even during the health emergency. Thanks to the participation of CDP Venture Capital, it will be able to develop increasingly advanced solutions to guide companies in thinking about technology as a lever for innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth.", he has declared Barbara Cominelli, Director of Marketing & Operations at Microsoft Italy.
