Marco Magnocavallo

Overview

Marco Magnocavallo is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor with over three decades of experience in technology and digital media sectors. He began his entrepreneurial journey in 1993 by founding a shop specializing in performance parts for the original Mini Cooper, which laid the foundation for his future ventures. In 1995, he co-founded one of Italy's first web agencies, Communicate!, serving clients such as Poste Italiane, McKinsey, and Daimler-Chrysler. The agency was sold to a venture-backed startup in 2001. In 2004, Magnocavallo founded Blogo.it, a network of vertical sites that became the third most visited news destination in Italy, with over 12 million monthly unique users. The company expanded its presence to France, the UK, Brazil, and Spain before being sold to Populis in 2011. Between 2011 and 2013, he served as a Venture Partner at Principia SGR, an Italian venture capital firm, where he led investments in companies like DoveConviene, Neodata, Vivocha, and Semplicissimus Book Farm. In 2012, Magnocavallo co-founded Tannico, an online wine retailer offering a wide selection of Italian wines. Under his leadership as CEO, Tannico expanded its operations to 20 countries, achieving over €70 million in revenue and raising €60 million in funding. In 2020, Campari Group acquired a 49% stake in Tannico, and in December 2022, the joint venture between Campari Group and Moët Hennessy acquired the remaining shares, making Tannico a fully owned subsidiary. Following the acquisition, Magnocavallo transitioned to the role of Honorary President, while Thierry Bertrand-Souleau assumed the role of CEO in January 2023. Throughout his career, Magnocavallo has been an active angel investor, supporting over 15 companies in Italy, Europe, and the United States. His notable investments include Iubenda, Cortilia, Velasca, La Passione, Pusher, Tannico, and Milkman. He has also served as a mentor and panelist at various startup events and has been featured in media outlets such as TechCrunch, Read/Write Web, Alarm Clock, Corriere della Sera, RAI, Repubblica, and Wired. In addition to his professional endeavors, Magnocavallo has engaged in several personal projects. In 2023, he revitalized Geppo 1981, a Roman pizzeria in Milan, and in 2024, he co-founded Rosticceria Palazzi, a comfort-food counter in Porta Venezia. He also invested in Pasticceria Martesana, a renowned Milanese pastry shop. In 2025, he relaunched Selvatiq, a gin house that harvests wild botanicals by hand, and revived Wikli, an AI-powered platform that curates and generates content digests. These ventures reflect his ongoing passion for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Investment Focus

• Innovative business models
• Scalable growth potential
• Strong founding teams
• Clear market differentiation
• Sustainable competitive advantage
• Ability to execute effectively
• Alignment with personal values and interests

Portfolio Companies