THE WHAT? Natura &Co has announced the launch of a corporate venture capital fund, dubbed Natura Ventures. The fund will be jointly managed by the Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer and impact investment firm, Vox Capital.

THE DETAILS According to a report published by Global Venturing, quoting Epoca Negocios, the fund has been endowed with an initial capital of R$50 million and is tasked with investing in some 15 start-ups focused on the circular economy, beauty and customer service technology sectors.  

THE WHY? José Manuel Silva, Vice President of New Business at Natura &Co Latin America, told Época Negócios per Global Venturing’s translation, “Natura has been doing open innovation for over 20 years, and we had already worked in some way with corporate venture capital but without having an official VC instrument.

“Over the last nine months, we have worked hard to plan our next 15 years, and we believe that the time has come to have our own instrument, channelled towards our innovation strategies. It gives us greater firepower.”