Mediaset backs Nuvola Zero with media-for-equity deal
What's the deal? MediasetDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →-MFE has taken a stake in Nuvola ZeroDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an Italian foodtech startup that makes free-from, low-carb, and keto products.
The deal runs through Ad4VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Mediaset's venture capital and media-for-equity arm, and is tied to Reti Televisive Italiane (RTI)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The stake size and valuation were not disclosed.
Media for equity swaps advertising space, planning, and communication expertise for a stake — instead of cash. The startup gains visibility across TV, digital, and radio; the media group gains equity and upside.
Founded in 2021 by Cesare De Stefano, Sabrina Venturelli, and Sonia Ruggiero, Nuvola Zero reports over €8 million in revenue and a presence in more than 7,000 stores. Its lines include Cloudbread, PaneZero, and PastaZero.
Why now? Free-from has become a structural part of Italian retail.
GS1 Italy's latest Osservatorio Immagino, published in February 2026, counted 22,460 free-from products worth €12.5 billion in sell-out, up 1.7% by value year on year.
The startup's momentum was already clear in 2024, when it closed an equity crowdfunding round on MamacrowdDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → at €1,366,485 from 162 investors, on a €6.8 million pre-money valuation. At the time it reported €1.3 million in 2023 revenue and 470 stores served.
What could go wrong? Media for equity works best for consumer brands with proven product-market fit and the capacity to scale with new demand.
If Nuvola Zero cannot convert TV exposure into sustained sales, the advertising leverage may not deliver the growth both sides expect.
The signal: As a corporate investor still at the early stage of Nuvola Zero's journey, Ad4Ventures is betting that airtime can accelerate a free-from brand that has already scaled to 7,000-plus stores on the back of crowdfunding rather than traditional VC. The move underlines how media-for-equity has become a viable route for consumer startups shut out of a cash market that fell 97% from its 2021 peak.
Read more: EconomyUp
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
