Gerber-Rauth
INVESTS IN THE DAIRY ECOSYSTEM©
AND ADJACENT SECTORS

OUR INVESTMENT THESIS
Gerber Rauth

Our Mission

We are using private investment to accelerate the development of novel food technologies for the alternative dairy sector and to create increasingly sustainable business models for traditional dairy.

Through our subsidiary company, L’INTERFORM and our business unit and brand MEYLAND ADVISORS, we are leveraging 50+ years of industry expertise in commercialisation and strategic advisory to support the transition of the Dairy Ecosystem© towards a viable future.

Acellular Agriculture

Who we are

GERBER-RAUTH is a boutique private investment company based in Milan with roots in alpine Northern Italy. Our company name and business principles originate from two distinct places in the Province of Alto Adige linked to our founding family: the Gerber farm and Rauth guesthouse.

The Gerber farm, founded in 1587, represents classic agricultural principles of resilience, social and ecological responsibility, and long-term planning. The Rauth guesthouse, formally established in 1945 but with an ancient tradition of welcoming guests traversing the Alps, stands for openness, entrepreneurship, and a pioneering spirit.

We bridge the gap between the traditional and new dairy worlds by forging partnerships with our portfolio companies and co-investors to create true, long-term value in strategic investments and commercial projects.

OUR COMPANY CULTURE

The GERBER-RAUTH team lives and breathes diversity. With as many nationalities as people, we welcome diversity of discipline, experience, thought and gender. We encourage the articulation of contrarian opinions in order to challenge ourselves and to learn from one another. Our culture is focused on and rewards results.

We believe that the best ideas are not necessarily based on seniority and seek to foster talent at all levels. We dedicate significant time to recruiting and onboarding team members who are the best fit for our business principles and we focus on retaining the best and the brightest. As such, we prioritise on-the-job coaching and mentoring, career growth with colleagues taking on real responsibilities from an early stage, and formal and informal educational opportunities.

Corporate Culture

HOW WE DEFINE THE DAIRY ECOSYSTEM ©

Business Principles

AMBITION

We are ambitious people with a strong commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

DISCRETION

We are fully aware of the importance of discretion and keep confidential the information of our clients, business partners and associates.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

We are creative, inquisitive and open-minded, and enjoy the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurial endeavours.

INDEPENDENCE

As a business that partners with its associates, we have full freedom to act, provide un-conflicted advice, and are willing to take unconventional and contrarian views when reasonable and well founded.

INTEGRITY

We conduct our business and lives with integrity and adhere to the highest ethical standards.

LONG-TERM VIEW

We are building our business for the next generation with a continuous focus on sustainable, long-term value creation.

MERITOCRACY

We reward people based on performance and offer them the opportunity to take on real responsibilities right from the beginning.

PERFORMANCE

Our success is founded on the professional quality of our work and our ability to act quickly. We have a friendly service culture that puts clients and business partners at the centre of our operations.

REPUTATION

Our most important asset is our reputation with clients, business partners and society at large. We consistently work on building and maintaining our impeccable reputation.

TEAMWORK

We make a rare effort to identify, recruit and develop the very best in terms of our clients, business partners, and associates. We embody diversity and develop our business based on shared goals.

SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

logo LINTERFORM

L’INTERFORM is an agricultural commodities broker and trader specialising in dairy, and one of the largest in Europe. L’INTERFORM manages business relationships across all sales channels, has commercialised many historical brands on the European dairy market, and in recent years, has expanded both its geographic reach to North America and its product assortment to include plant-based alternatives.

L'INTERFORM

MEYLAND ADVISORS is a client-centric boutique advisory unit and brand of GERBER-RAUTH offering bespoke business consulting solutions ranging from corporate finance to risk management services for actors in the Dairy Ecosystem© and adjacent agribusiness sectors. MEYLAND ADVISORS brings inspiration and innovation to a sector where expert knowledge is much needed. It is a highly specialised niche player in a fast-changing market.

MEYLAND ADVISORS

Investment portfolio

MONGUI ORGANIC FOODS

Organic baby and child nutrition

ACELLULAR AGRICULTURE

Animal free dairy proteins, fats, and flavours through precision fermentation

PLANT-BASED

Dairy-free, organic, child nutrition formulas

PLANT-BASED

Dairy-free, organic, nutrition formulas

ACELLULAR AGRICULTURE

Fatty acids, proteins and natural pigments from micro-algae

ACELLULAR AGRICULTURE

Animal free biomolecules and cheese through precision fermentation

ACELLULAR AGRICULTURE

Animal free whey protein through precision fermentation

ADJACENT INVESTMENT AREA

Social enterprise producing organic pet food

MOLECULAR FARMING

Animal free proteins through molecular farming

Exited

PLANT-BASED

Organic children’s food

PLANT-BASED

Historical, leading American plant-based and organic CPG

PLANT-BASED

First Italian, organic and plant-based CPG

Investment Thesis

We are interested in true innovation in the Dairy Ecosystem© and adjacent sectors. We pursue deep tech and intellectual property that are game changers and seek out new approaches to traditional dairy that are better for humans, animals and the planet.

We are agnostic to geography and stage but insist on a solid founding team and business models, methods and IP that are scalable and transferable. Defensible innovation with an economic moat is critical.

Our focus is on raw and semi-finished ingredients with industrial applications that can leverage our 50+ years of expertise in the value chain. In cases where we see real innovation in a branded product, we would also consider investing.

Focus areas

  • Dairy ingredients derived without the animal

    Novel food technologies including molecular farming, cellular agriculture, acellular agriculture, machine learning, artificial intelligence and upcycling.

  • Plant-based dairy alternatives

    Primarily ingredients and, where there is strategic alignment, highly innovative consumer food products.

  • Traditional dairy oriented towards a more sustainable system

    Businesses driving outcomes that are humane and sustainable for both animals and people.

key technologies

KEY TECHNOLOGIES
AND METHODOLOGIES
WE INVEST IN

We invest in the following technological and methodological categories. The list is not exclusive as we understand that the science in our field is constantly evolving. We will evolve with it. 

Acellular agriculture

Molecules harvested from microbial processes

Advanced plant-based

Food and beverages made from plant ingredients via novel processes

Animal welfare precision measurements

Technologies that evaluate lameness, mastitis and body condition, which are key welfare indicators for dairy cows

Cellular agriculture

Products made or harvested from living or once living animal or plant cells

Circular resource management

Energy-efficient technologies and practices that minimise water, land and fuel wastage

Machine learning and artificial intelligence

Tools that unlock smarter paths from raw inputs to complete outputs throughout the agri-food value chain

Molecular farming

Genetically modified plants as bio-reactors

Regenerative agriculture

Farms with practices that restore soil health, keep it productive and promote biodiversity

Upcycling

Processes by which “old” products are modified and get a second life as they’re turned into a “new” product

Our added value

  • Corporate finance and general management experience and competencies
  • Deep knowledge of dairy sector and agricultural value chain (including logistics, quality management and regulation)
  • Extensive network of investors, including: family offices, PE/VC, sovereign wealth funds, public investment and granting entities, CVCs, acquisitive multinationals, capital markets, large and boutique investment houses 
  • Scientific and technical network
  • Strategic partnerships (production, co-manufacturing, licensing, market access/entry)
  • Thorough due diligence and investment process with clear risk management mindset
  • Understanding of broad Dairy Ecosystem© player universe
  • Valorisation of agricultural raw materials

Associations

We are proud members of the following national and international agri-business associations:

New Harvest Org.
Proteins Industry Canada

Future of Dairy Fund

Coming soon

Please reach out to info@gerber.vc for more information.

Contact

Gerber-Rauth
Viale Angelo Filippetti 28/A
 20122 Milan (MI) – Italy
T: +39 02 693 7921
E. info@gerber.vc

VAT number: IT02930100215