The Craftory

Co-founders Ernesto Schmitt and Elio Leoni Sceti lead the investment process at The Craftory. Both spent decades as operators and investors in the consumer sector before launching the firm in 2017. Schmitt previously co-founded social-TV platform Beamly, while Leoni Sceti turned around Iglo Group during his tenure as CEO. Day-to-day deal evaluation draws on their combined network of brand builders and impact strategists.

The Craftory operates as a permanent-capital vehicle, not a closed-end fund. The $380M pool came entirely from the two co-founders' personal capital (per Financial Times, 2022), meaning there are no external LPs, no fundraising cycles, and no fixed investment period. This allows the firm to hold portfolio companies indefinitely rather than forcing exits on a VC timetable.

No. The Craftory targets minority positions, typically writing checks between $10M and $20M per investment. The firm positions itself as an active strategic partner rather than a controlling owner, aiming to influence brand direction and mission integrity while leaving founders in operational control.

The Craftory invests in early-growth consumer brands that have validated product-market fit and are ready to scale. It does not participate in seed rounds or late-stage pre-IPO deals. The firm's permanent-capital structure means it can support portfolio companies through multiple growth phases without pressing for a near-term exit.

The firm does not invest outside the consumer goods sector. That means it avoids technology infrastructure, enterprise software, fintech, healthcare services, and other verticals common in venture portfolios. Within consumer, the firm's mission lens typically excludes categories it considers structurally misaligned with its impact thesis — including alcohol, fast fashion, and ultra-processed foods.

Yes. The Craftory co-invests alongside traditional venture firms, family offices, and strategic corporate investors in syndicated rounds. Its 2022 investment in Kudos, for example, joined a syndicate that included Prelude Growth Partners and other consumer-focused investors. The firm's permanent-capital posture makes it a flexible co-investor in follow-on rounds as well.

The Craftory treats a brand's mission as a structural investment criterion, not a philanthropic overlay. The firm looks for consumer companies where the cause — whether plastic elimination, menstrual equity, or plant-based nutrition — is embedded in the product and supply chain. Co-founder Elio Leoni Sceti has publicly stated the firm targets brands where the mission creates a defensible consumer moat rather than a compliance obligation.