The Week in Italian Startup

Jet HR, an HR tech startup, just raised €25M in a growth round from Base10 Partners, Exor Ventures, and the Italian Founders Fund. Known for integrating with over 600 government entities and simplifying Italy’s complex payroll system, Jet HR achieved a 6X increase in ARR and now serves over 700 SMEs. The founders—already seasoned entrepreneurs—are steering the company toward breakeven while scaling rapidly. This marks one of the fastest-growing ventures in the Italian ecosystem this year. The episode also covers the M&A exit of VKey, acquired by Zucchetti, signaling a return to liquidity in Italy’s venture market. In the broader context, Italian investors like Neva SGR are backing next-gen tech such as nuclear fusion and quantum computing, suggesting Italy’s quiet but impactful push into deep tech. The conversation ends with Roberto Bonanzinga’s philosophical take on investor-founder alignment, reminding us that capital doesn’t create maturity—only traction does.

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#venturecapital #italy #startup

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#venturecapital #italy #startup

We begin by discussing a new AI index comparing AI startups on Euronext Growth Milan (EGM) with Italy’s FTSE index—showing AI outperforming by 42%. They highlight a €3.2M round raised by Nova Talent, a talent-tech company blending professional networking with AI-driven recruitment. The conversation reveals how AI companies, including non-AI-native firms, are rapidly integrating AI, and many now generate significant revenue outside the EU. A segment discusses growing demand for AI and data science professionals across Italy, especially in southern regions, with PyTorch expertise leading to premium salaries. The episode closes on how academia may struggle to meet this accelerating demand for AI-skilled workers.

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Niccolò's newsletter: http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/

Listen to all episodes on audio:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3fVynsQ

Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/3thf9RC

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3Elhykq

Amazon Music: https://shorturl.at/9Dtd9

#venturecapital #italy #startup

• IAMA Therapeutics, a neuroscience startup, 🇮🇹raised €15m in a Growth round from Indaco Venture Partners SGR, Fondazione Enea Tech e Biomedical, Claris Ventures SGR, and CDP Venture Capital SGR.

• WSense, a marine deep-tech startup, 🇮🇹raised €7.2m in an Early-stage round from CDP Venture Capital SGR, Blue Ocean, RunwayFBU, Axon Partners Group, Fincantieri, and Rypples.

• Tundr, an employee-benefits startup, 🇮🇹raised €7.2m in a Seed round from 360 Capital, CDP Venture Capital SGR, Azimut Libera Impresa SGR, Vento, Alecla7, and Vesper Holding.

• Keplera, a legal-tech startup, 🇮🇹raised €770k in a Seed round from Magic Mind, OpenT, and Frontech.

• San Marino-based BKN301 raised €21.5m in a series B round from CDP VC, Azimut, SIMEST, and other investors. (well, kind of international).

• Medicud, a medtech startup, 🇮🇹raised €1.3m in a Seed round from CHMBR Partners, 50 Partners Capital Health, and Business Angels des Grandes Écoles.

• Exsensia, a robotics startup, 🇮🇹raised €1m in a Seed round from RoboIT, Elettrocablaggi, and Pariter Robotics.

• Saturnalia, an agri-tech startup, 🇮🇹raised €600k in a Seed round from Farming Future.

• Prensilia, a robotics startup, 🇮🇹raised an undisclosed amount in a Early-stage round from RoboIT, Pariter Robotics, and Toscana Next.

• LIFTT 🇮🇹joined a €21.5m round in Sparrow Quantum.

• Nextalia Ventures joined a $75m Series B round raised by Rain, a fintech company.

• Arising Ventures 🇮🇹acquired Softgen AI.

• Neva SGR 🇮🇹invested €2.5m in Galaxia, the technology hub for space technologies.

• Stanford published the AI Index 2025.

• Jeff Bezos 🇮🇹will be the main guest at the Italian Tech Week 2025.

• The European Commission presented the AI Continent action plan. Italy to host one of the 13 supercomputers for AI.

• Blubrake, a bike-tech startup, 🇮🇹raised €12m in a Growth round from Algebris Climatech, Fundracer, and Tri-Star group, Growth Capital.

• Covision Media, a 3D AI startup, 🇮🇹raised €5m in a Early-stage round from CDP Venture Capital SGR, Redstone, The Techshop, and Business Angels.

• GenomeUp, a medtech startup, 🇮🇹🇮🇹raised €4.5m in a Early-stage round from The Techshop, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and OPES.

• Next Generation Robotics, a robotics startup, 🇮🇹raised €4.5m in a Series A round from CDP Venture Capital SGR, RIF-T, Cysero EuVeca, Kilometro Rosso, Simest, Pariter Robotics, RoboIT, and Toscana Next.

• Axyon AI, an AI-first asset management startup, raised €4.3m in a Growth round from CDP Venture Capital SGR, Green Sands Equity, Montage Ventures, Investment Opportunity 1, and SIMEST.

• Collecto, a marketplace for fractional ownership of luxuriy goods, 🇮🇹raised €2.8m in a Seed round from Business Angels.

• Arxax, a road transport decarbonization startup, raised €1m in a Seed round from CDP Venture Capital SGR, Zest, and EIT Urban Mobility.

• Memori, a conversational AI startup, 🇮🇹raised €500k in a Seed round from TreCuori.

• CamGraPhIC Srl, a photonics startup, 🇮🇹raised €25m in a Series A round from CDP Venture Capital, NATO Innovation Fund, Sony Innovation Fund, Join Capital, Bosch Ventures, Frontier IP Group, and Indaco Ventures.

• Novac, an energy storage startup, raised €3.5m in a Seed round from Eureka! Venture, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and Galaxia.

• Cassandra.app, a martech startup, raised €2m in a Seed round from Italian Founders Fund, PitchDrive, Webranking, Mana Ventures, and Business Angels.

• Compri, an AI-driven procurement startup, 🇮🇹raised €1.6m in a Pre-seed round from Italian Founders Fund, DFF Ventures, and Business Angels.

• HypeSound, a biotech startup, 🇮🇹raised €1.2m in a Pre-seed round from Eatable Adventures, CDP Venture Capital SGR, Nextup, Vento, Athena, and Ulixes SGR.

• Sicuro.it 🇮🇹acquired Chino.

• Bain Capital 🇮🇹acquired a controlling stake in Namirial from Ambienta.

• An 🇮🇹update about 360 Life II, a (C)VC fund launched in late 2024.

• 🇮🇹Ten space startups from Italy to follow.

• A 🇮🇹tool to drive AI coding assistants with user stories.

• Tether Invests in Be Water, Strengthening Its Commitment to Modern Media Innovation | Tether.io

• Baillie Gifford writes up investment in Bending Spoons by 89%🤯, as company raises further funding for acquisitions.

• Speaking of BS, Silver Point leads Financing of Acquisition of Brightcove Inc. by Bending Spoons.

• RESILCO, a waste management startup, raised €5m in a Series A round from 360 Capital, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and Tech4Planet.

• BRUM, an edtech startup, 🇮🇹raised €3.5m in a Early-stage round from Italian Founders Fund.

• Bevy, a drink delivery startup, 🇮🇹raised €2.5m in a Early-stage round from Linfa, FoodLabs, and Business Angels.

• Cyberating, a cybersecurity startup, 🇮🇹raised €1.85m in a Pre-seed round from FNDX.

• Quickfisco, a tax management startup, 🇮🇹raised €1.5m in a Seed round from Albemarle asset management.

• Genenta Science, a biotech company listed on the Nasdaq, raised €20m through a mandatory convertible bond from ENEA Tech and Biomedical Foundation.

• AQUILA.is, a sustainable finance startup, raised an undisclosed amount from Vento.

• Pangea Aerospace, a Spanish space tech startup, raised €23m in a Series A round from Hyperion Fund, Primo Capital (through Primo Space Fund), and CDTI Innvierte.

• Bending Spoons acquired Komoot.

• Primo Climate (a Primo Capital fund) 🇮🇹raised an additional €5m from Fon.Te.

• Italian newspaper says it has published world’s first AI-generated edition.

Valo Therapeutics Oy, an immunotherapy startup, raised €19m in a Growth round from Indaco Venture Partners, CDP Venture Capital SGR, Fondazione ENEA Tech e Biomedical, and Freeman Road.Matix, a hardware startup, 🇮🇹raised €2.1m in a Seed round from auxiell, B-Heroes, and Business Angels.Lexroom.ai, an AI legal-tech startup, raised €2m in a Seed round from Entourage, Verve Ventures, Banyan Ventures, Vento, X-Equity, and FNDX.Biorsaf, a food safety startup, 🇮🇹raised €1.4m in a Early-stage round from Maia Ventures, Farming Future, CDP Venture Capital SGR, ToSeed & Partners, and Toscana Next.Augmenta, an automated building design platform, raised $10m in a Seed round from Prelude Ventures, and Montage Ventures.Neuromod Devices Ltd. raised €10m in a Series B round from Fountain Healthcare Partners, Panakès Partners.Vantis, a Munich-based healthcare company, raised €10m in a Series A round from Angelini Ventures, Bayern Kapital, Twip Impact Ventures, firstminute, and b2venture.Jaipur Robotics 🇮🇹raised €800k in a Pre-seed round from Swiss investors.Vento rolled out new €75M fund for Italian founders, no matter where they live | TechCrunch.

• Valuematic, a cloud optimization startup, 🇮🇹raised €850k in an Early-stage round from CDP Venture Capital SGR, Progress Tech Transfer, and Toscana Next.

• Nlcomp, a composite materials startup, 🇮🇹raised €600k in a Seed round from Samer & Co Shipping, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and Zest.

• Klear, a fintech startup, 🇮🇹raised €500k in a Pre-seed round from Business Angels.

• Searcode, a consumer electronics startup, 🇮🇹raised €400k in a Early-stage round from Intesa Sanpaolo.

• Relief, a medtech startup, raised an undisclosed amount in an Early-stage round from Panakès Partners SGR, Vento, and Club degli Investitori.

• Axelera AI Secures up to €61.6 Million Grant to Develop Scalable AI Chiplet for High-Performance Computing | BusinessWire