Villa Blu Newsletter #8 ❄

The whole Villa Blu team wishes you a fantastic, health-filled new year with a dash of fun and success 🎉

After doing 4 Batches of startups in 18 months, we’ve decided to… keep going. Applications are already open for Batch 5 which will start in May 2025 with 5 new companies. In the past few weeks, we’ve already spoken to over 30 entrepreneurs coming from all around the world and from different universes.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you can talk directly to Elliott or connect with the Villa Blu team 🌱

We were extremely proud to announce that Selvatico, our Korean niche perfumery brand from Batch 3, just closed a €1.75M Seed round with premium funds in Korea & Villa Blu by Robertet. We’re happy to join Eugene Asset Management, AJU IB Investments and FuturePlay Capital on this round to boost a founder, entrepreneur and creator we love working with, Jin Bae 💸

For football fans, we organised a joint event with Teddy Pellerin & the Racing Club Pays de Grasse, our local club around sport, competition and entrepreneurship. After an awesome round table with Teddy, Jules Trecco and the team staff, the goal was to help the club raise funds to continue competing with the best teams in the league ⚽️

Skuma Water, a UK-based startup building the future of precision hydration and hyper-pure water, is now officially launching its product line in Europe ! After successfully growing in the UK and abroad, with several fundraising rounds and accelerating traction, they are ready to help European consumers fight against PFAS and toxins in tap water🚰

Go check out their website 👉 Skuma Water 👈 and don’t forget to use the VILLABLU code to get a sweet discount !

Our natural petcare startup Truffe & Moustache, are launching their digital ‘Market’ on TikTok with regular live moments presenting their beautiful products. After growing more traditionally in retail, they’re taking their artisanal mindset to social selling 🐱

If you’re a pet lover, go find them live on TikTok here and benefit from some great discounts or visit their website 👈

Olium, an American niche perfumery brand carried by Beau Burdette, experienced independent perfumer and creator, is proud to share some big news in this beginning of year! From Charleston, South Carolina, they will be heading to Esxence in February, an Art Perfumery event in Milan 🇮🇹

Other big news, Julian Musette, a top perfumery executive with incredible experiences launching brands including OJAR or Parfums de Marly, has decided to join Beau and the Olium adventure and team as a late co-founder 👏

Some news about fundraising for our entrepreneurs 💸

1. After cracking the UK market and penetrating the EU market, Skuma Water have closed their £500K Bridge round with Angels from around the world, to help them scale, industrialise and develop new health & performance infusions for their products.
   

2. Another beverage, but a completely different vision for health, Symbiose Kefir, is working on delicious probiotic drinks with a focus on natural gut health. They’ve closed over €1.5M over the past two years and are now finishing a €500K bridge round with just a few spaces left. They’re looking for the last €150K from Business Angels.

   Connect with Benjamin for more info : benjamin@symbiose-kefir.fr

3. Frozmetics, a biotech developing the Cryoserum™️, a new technology to preserve active ingredients in liquid form at freezing temperatures, is raising their Pre-Seed round at €400K with over 50% secured.
   

   You can chat with Fred, their CEO : f.ghenassia@frozmetics.com

Batch 4 going strong, Batch 5 getting ready and lots of new projects at Villa Blu for this new year. We’re also going to be announcing some big news for a new type of Program for startups and a brand new Board of Advisors for our startups !

See you all next month 🫡