The funding round is led by Alven who had also led the $10 million Series A closed in May 2018. Along with Alven, the Italian investor club U-Start and other existing partners renewed their commitment to the company. New investors include Endeavor Catalyst, Unicredit which has granted the company a debt facility of $ 3 million, strategic family offices and private investors. Since the launch in September 2016, Freeda has raised more than $ 25 million in total.
Freeda is a media brand – founded in Sept. 2016 by Andrea Scotti Calderini and Gianluigi Casole – whose mission is to spread real women’s stories to inspire positive change. With more than 5M women engaging with original content every day, Freeda is built for the platforms where these new generations spend most of their time – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Freeda reaches 80% of Italian and Spanish women aged 18-34 every month, but beyond that, with globally more than 70M people reached on a monthly basis. On Instagram, Freeda is the #1 global female media brand in engagement and interactions. Freeda’s team is made up of about 160 people spread across Milan, Madrid and London.
With the closing of a $ 16 million capital raise, Freeda is ready to expand its activities beyond Italy, Spain and South America, opening its office in London. The goal is to launch Freeda in strategic geographies such as the UK and other English-speaking markets, and to continue its journey to become the most relevant female media brand worldwide.
The company will invest in growing its B2B media model, with a clear focus on a premium branded content proposition. In addition, it is also expanding to offer a 360° strategic approach to its brand partners. Leveraging Freeda’s knowledge on brand building, the extensive understanding of its community, and the strong penetration of social media platforms, the company will enter the physical product business. A new Direct to Consumer brand will be launched in 2020, in one of the most relevant markets for the Millennials and Gen Z women.