March 29, 2025 by Andrea Stramondo
EDITORIAL, images courtesy of Marco Papalini
Biorsaf, Italian Startup focusing on food, work and water safety protocols for enterprises [1], just closed its latest round for €1.4 million, collaborating with Maia Ventures and Farming Future, as well as the National Pole for Tech Transfer, promoted by CDP Venture Capital SGR, in collaboration with the Toscana Next fund [2].
The company was founded by Marco Papalini (CEO), Lorenzo Messana (COO), Dario Carotenuto (CIO), experienced profiles in the food security industry. Its main product, BS-FOOD, is a platform for food traceability, that allows centralised management of safety protocols such as HACCP, improving efficiency, traceability, and compliance [3]. It serves large scale retailers, HORECA, and food production sectors, eliminating paper-based processes and providing real-time monitoring [4]. The venture achieved revenues for more than €150,000 in 2023 [5], which Papalini tells us was just one of the steps of the company’s great growth: according to the CEO, the company went from making €15,000 in 2022 to more than €300,000 in 2024.
The company emerged from the expertise of “Bioricerche”, the firm for analysis and consulting Marco Papalini inherited from his family and which has existed since 1983. Particularly, the demand for a more efficient, paperless security management system grew steadily among the firm’s clients. Papalini described how “We were three profiles that represented Biorsaf’s strategic assets: fundamentally, security and IT” and that the team has since expanded to include experts in financial and managerial functions, such as Giuseppe Longhitano (CFO), and growing its numbers to 18 people, with 6 more coming before the end of 2025.
The €1.4 million round was a step forward: Papalini explains how, at the beginning of 2024, the founding team had to decide if they wanted to keep scaling by themselves or try and give the company a boost. The round gave the firm the opportunity to make choices among possible partnerships, eventually landing with the Tech Transfer Fund, among the main players in Agritech innovation, as well as collaborating with Farming Future and Toscana Next. Even with the great transparency and security the deal was characterised by, says Papalini, some hindrance came from the change of framework the company had to face. In fact, Biorsaf had lived as sort of a small-town firm up to that point, and the interaction with large funds and groups required some adjustment. The CEO describes the experience as highly instructive, emphasizing the diligence, research, and mutual respect that defined the process.
When asked if they were worried about shares dilution, Papalini promptly dismissed the issue, saying that ”during this first round, we chose partners that were reasonable and based on our industrial project. We are, after all, a data-driven firm”. Moreover, the CEO reported how “[…] our role is currently fundamental: the company is us. As we keep structuring, and rightfully I think, the firm will be more and more a separate entity. I think it’s important to de-personalise businesses and allow them to keep living and carrying out their purpose beyond people.”
This latest round also provided strategic financial resources for the firm, providing not just internal benefits but also industry-wide advancements in Italy, as well as enabling further software development and improved safety protocols in food companies [2]. After this round, Biorsaf will be able to expand to new markets, grow the company’s personnel and develop the technical aspects with a focus on the implementation of next generation Generative Artificial Networks [6].
These objectives are just a piece of the puzzle: according to Papalini, the company is also planning a massive internationalization during 2026 and 2027, placing Biorsaf among some of the most promising startups in Italy, with a new round already planned between late 2026 and the beginning of 2027. With plans for expansion, market consolidation, and AI integration, Biorsaf embodies the growing momentum of Italian startups in food safety and technology, making it a company to watch in the coming years.
Thanks Marco Papalini for answering our questions and giving us his precious insights.
[1] Biorsaf’s official website, last opened on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, https://biorsaf.it/gestione-sicurezza-aziendale/
[2] “Sicurezza alimentare e innovazione: Biorsaf chiude un round di investimento da 1,4 milioni” by ESG360, last opened on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, https://www.esg360.it/esg-world/sicurezza-alimentare-e-innovazione-biorsaf-chiude-un-round-di-investimento-da-14-milioni/
[3] “Biorsaf, round da 1,4 mln guidato da Maia Ventures e Farming Futures, Polo Agrifood Tech promosso da CDP Venture Capital con ToSeed Partners” by BeBeez, last opened on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, https://bebeez.it/venture-capital/biorsaf-round-da-14-mln-guidato-da-maia-ventures-e-farming-future-polo-agrifood-tech-promosso-da-cdp-venture-capital-con-toseed-partners/
[4] CDP Venture Capital Press Release, last opened on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, https://www.cdpventurecapital.it/cdp-venture-capital/it/dettaglio_comunicato.page?contentId=COM3838
[5] Biorsaf s.r.l. Referral on the Business Registers’ official platform, last opened on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, https://www.ufficiocamerale.it/1384/biorsaf-srl?srsltid=AfmBOooErHnGJPqoLTQbm4W4eO2gaBlx5UTGV-E1um9cpSJ2JDpzb_We
[6] “Sicurezza alimentare, la tecnologia di Biosarf totalizza un finanziamento da 1,4 milioni di euro” by StartupItalia, last opened on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, https://startupitalia.eu/startup/biosarf-sicurezza-alimentare-round/
