Roca Group has launched a global corporate venture fund of €25million to invest in start-ups and entrepreneurial projects, that develop their activity in priority areas.

CEO of Roca Group Alberto Magrans

Through this fund, called Roca Group Ventures, the company plans to allocate between €500,000 and €2million euros per project, to finance initiatives that demonstrate the greatest potential.

Roca Group estimates that, within five years, the investment portfolio will comprise of between 10 and 15 companies.

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Roca Group Ventures will also support the bathroom manufacturer’s commitment to sustainability, as through this fund it will prioritise start-ups that focus on environmentally friendly practices, extending its green strategy to all the projects it works with.

The company has defined four business areas of interest in the search of opportunities: wellness and smart bathrooms; new businesses and materials; energy efficiency and rationalisation of water consumption; and, lastly, operational excellence in its industrial processes.

For wellness and smart bathrooms, the company will seek technological resources that, through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and connectivity, improve the usability of devices; contribute to the development of eco-friendly products; and also to the development of products that generate spaces for relaxation.

In terms of new businesses and new materials, Roca Group Ventures will focus on disruptive solutions based on technology with a wide margin for growth, as well as on new materials for both construction and the manufacturing of new products.

Whereas in the field of energy efficiency and rationalisation of water consumption, the group will identify and develop products and services that contribute to the generation of connected and sustainable homes, with a focus on the reduction of water usage.

Finally, with the aim of increasing operational excellence, technologies such as AI, 3D printing, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain or embeddable platforms, will also be of interest to the fund.

CEO of Roca Group Albert Magrans explained the venture fund seeks to “generate a hybrid entrepreneurial model that combines the advantages of a large company (resources, scale, knowledge, experience, marketing) with the innovation, technology, motivation, agility and talent of a startup”.

An executive figure will be appointed from the organisation to act as ventures head, coordinating with specialists and managers, accelerators, incubators and partners to facilitate the identification and development of projects.

For the launch of Roca Group Ventures, the company will work with Alantra, a financial services and asset management firm specialising in investments and operations of this kind.

Alantra will advise the fund in the deal flow process.

Roca Group operates in 170 countries, has 85 factories worldwide and includes Roca, Laufen, Royo and, most recently, Sanit businesses.