The Week in Italian Startup

Giacomo Mollo
  • 0,0 (0)
  • GELDANLAGE
  • ZWEIWÖCHENTLICH

The Week in Italian Startup discusses and analyzes the latest news from the Italian startup ecosystem. Giacomo Mollo is a former academic in philosophy turned tech investor. He is co-founder and partner of iN3 Ventures, a corporate innovation and VC firm. Niccolò Sanarico is an Oxford MBA and a software engineer with a passion for innovation and startups. He is currently an Investment Manager at Primo Ventures SGR, a venture capital firm based in Italy.

  1. 8. APR.

    Why Bending Spoons bought Tractive? #199

    Bending Spoons acquires Tractive, an Austrian GPS pet tracker with €100M+ ARR, breaking its software-only acquisition playbook for the first time with a hardware-subscription hybrid. The episode unpacks why a company that built an $11B valuation buying declining digital products like Evernote, Vimeo, and AOL paid a premium for a profitable, fast-growing hardware business. Tractive's co-founders came from Runtastic, the fitness app sold to Adidas for €220M, making this their second major exit using the same sensor-plus-subscription model in a different vertical. The hosts explore how Tractive's 900,000 paying subscribers generate a proprietary pet health and movement dataset that could unlock AI-driven veterinary intelligence and pet insurance products. In Italian startup news, Wearable Robotics — a Sant'Anna di Pisa spinoff building rehabilitation exoskeletons — closed a €5M Series A led by CDP Venture Capital, targeting a market where traditional therapy only recovers 10% of stroke patients. Capsule Corporation raised €800K to develop water-based propulsion systems for small satellites, positioning Italy as a hub for specialized space-tech engineering. The episode closes with a shoutout to Depthfirst, a cybersecurity startup with an Italian CTO from Google DeepMind, which raised $80M in a Series B less than 90 days after emerging from stealth. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠ Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠ 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 Get in touch: Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠ Email: giacomo@in3.ventures #venturecapital #italy #startup

    15 Min.

  2. 1. APR.

    This Fund Backed a Research Project. Safran Bought It for €220M #198

    The discussion starts from 360 Capital’s €85M first close and argues this is not just another fund announcement, but a stronger institutional bet on turning university research into investable deep tech companies across robotics, semiconductors, AI, and energy transition. A key insight is that Italy may not lack scientific talent as much as it lacks commercialization infrastructure, and vehicles tied closely to top technical universities like Politecnico di Milano can become a repeatable pipeline for venture-grade startups. The speakers also highlight a more important shift: corporates, including defense-linked players, are not only watching deep tech but increasingly funding the pipeline early through LP commitments and “right of first look” logic. Another sharp angle is that Europe may be splitting into two VC models: classic software-style venture funds and more thesis-driven vehicles shaped by industrial policy, regulation, and strategic sectors. On the startup side, Trifoglio is framed less as a traditional startup and more as a PE-style roll-up using acquisitions and operational scaling in the carwash market. Subbyx is presented as a balance-sheet-heavy subscription model where debt is not a warning sign but a structural feature, while Dronus reinforces the idea that drones are moving from gadget territory into serious industrial infrastructure for inspection, monitoring, and security. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠ Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠ 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 Get in touch: Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠ Email: giacomo@in3.ventures #venturecapital #italy #startup

    16 Min.

  3. 24. MÄRZ

    This could stop Europe’s Talent Drain to Silicon Valley. Also This Week: UpSurgeOn, Alomana #197

    This episode breaks down the EU Inc proposal, stock option taxation in Europe, Delaware incorporation, and Italian startup fundraising rounds. The hosts dissect a hidden clause in the 28 EU Commission regime that would harmonize stock option taxation across all 27 member states — shifting the tax event from exercise to sale, a move that could dramatically reshape founder incentive structures. They draw a parallel to Delaware's rise as the gold standard for company formation, arguing that EU Inc's real value isn't the €100 fee or 48-hour setup, but the potential for unified corporate governance, bankruptcy law, and a deep judicial corpus. The conversation then pivots to Italian deal flow: UpSurgeOn, a medtech startup, raised €5M for cadaver-free surgical training using VR and physical simulators, backed by CDP Venture Capital and Siemens. Alomana, an agentic AI infrastructure startup, closed a €4M seed to build enterprise workflow automation beyond the copilot paradigm. The hosts note Alomana's early international footprint as a strong signal for AI companies attracting global investors. They close with a Q1 2025 Italian venture capital tracker check-in, flagging a slowdown in later-stage rounds compared to prior years. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠ Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠ 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 Get in touch: Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠ Email: giacomo@in3.ventures #venturecapital #italy #startup

    19 Min.

  4. 19. MÄRZ

    Cleafy Stops Bank Fraud 15 Days BEFORE It Happens; Also: Gyala, Mirai Robotics #196

    The conversation opens with a sharp critique of how banks typically fight fraud too late, arguing that the real edge is detecting attacker infrastructure before fraudulent transactions even happen. A major insight is the shift from transaction monitoring to real-time attack-chain reconstruction, which reframes fraud prevention as a predictive data problem rather than a reactive compliance task. The hosts emphasize that a product with zero customer churn across a decade and protection across major banks signals unusually strong product-market fit in cybersecurity. They also explore how better pre-fraud systems can reduce false positives, which matters not just for security accuracy but for operational efficiency and cost. The episode then shifts to a cybersecurity startup applying military-grade technology to civilian OT, IT, and IoT resilience, highlighting the reverse dual-use angle as especially compelling. A third segment focuses on autonomous maritime vehicles, arguing that the maritime sector may be one of the most promising environments for autonomy because regulation is more mature, even if the operational challenges remain severe. The episode closes by noting that fresh capital flowing into fintech and insurtech funds is a positive signal for the Italian startup ecosystem. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠ Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠ 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 Get in touch: Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠ Email: giacomo@in3.ventures #venturecapital #italy #startup

    15 Min.

  5. 16. MÄRZ

    How Eight Sleep Became an AI Health Company; Also: Tether, Isaac raising 14M; Techvisory AI #195

    The conversation opens with Eight Sleep’s €1.5 billion growth round and argues that the real asset is not the smart bed itself, but the company’s moat: over 1 billion hours of proprietary sleep data collected across 35 countries. A key insight is that in AI, the edge is shifting away from generic model access and toward unique, defensible datasets tied to real-world products. The hosts also highlight Eight Sleep’s bigger strategic move: repositioning from a wellness brand into a healthcare-grade platform, which could unlock a much larger market. Tether Investments is discussed as a highly unconventional investor, using crypto-driven capital and edge AI ambitions to back companies where privacy, local inference, and device-level intelligence matter. The episode then broadens into a weekly map of where Italian startup capital is flowing, with ISAAC presented as a standout example of applied deeptech through retrofit earthquake-resilience hardware. It also examines Techvisory’s executive-led startup model and closes on a practical venture takeaway: in Italy, M&A remains the most credible and repeatable exit path for many startups. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠ Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠ 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 Get in touch: Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠ Email: giacomo@in3.ventures #venturecapital #italy #startup

    16 Min.

  6. 3. MÄRZ

    Proxima: 400m on Nuclear Fusion; Axelera AI 250M Round; Agentic AI disrupting SaaS #194

    he hosts analyze Proxima Fusion’s €400M growth round backed by Bavaria, RWE, and the Max Planck Institute, positioning stellarator-based nuclear fusion on a potential early-2030s commercialization roadmap. They break down why stellarator technology is a contrarian but potentially more efficient approach to plasma confinement and long-term energy infrastructure. The discussion then shifts to Axelera AI’s €250M growth round and its focus on AI inference chips at the edge, highlighting why inference costs may be 15–20x larger than training over time. The episode explores Europe’s strategic move into AI semiconductor sovereignty, with participation from BlackRock, CDP Venture Capital, and the European Innovation Council. A key insight is the pivot from crypto mining hardware (Bitfury) to AI inference silicon as a second-order innovation effect. The episode closes with reflections on AI-native B2B SaaS, data-layer dominance, and why structured data—not UI—may define the next competitive moat. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠Listen to all episodes on audio:Spotify: ⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3fVynsQ⁠⁠Google Podcast: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3thf9RC⁠⁠Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠https://apple.co/3Elhykq⁠⁠Amazon Music: ⁠⁠https://shorturl.at/9Dtd9⁠⁠Get in touch:Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠Email: giacomo@in3.ventures#venturecapital #italy #startup

    18 Min.

  7. 26. FEB.

    Contents raised €7M: orchestration beats AI models; Italian Incentives freeze #193

    The speakers unpack Contents’ €7M Series B and argue the market is rewarding workflow/orchestration layers more than “bigger models,” especially in enterprise. They highlight Contents’ fast evolution—from content creation to GenAI to orchestration—plus acquisition momentum as a sign of maturity and strategic speed. A key signal is Qatar Development Bank joining the round, framed as a gateway to broader Arab/MENA capital flows into Western startups. That leads into a practical discussion of Sharia-compliant investing, where interest-based structures are avoided and SAFE-like agreements can resemble profit-sharing/joint-venture logic. Next, the episode covers Nando’s €3.3M growth round, positioning “data as the product” in waste management via computer vision and noting the strategic value of a mixed public-private cap table. The finale tackles Italian regulation: the 30% tax incentive for angel and corporate startup investing expired at end-2025, creating uncertainty for 2026 and potential friction in early-stage dealflow despite pros continuing to invest on fundamentals. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠Listen to all episodes on audio:Spotify: ⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3fVynsQ⁠⁠Google Podcast: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3thf9RC⁠⁠Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠https://apple.co/3Elhykq⁠⁠Amazon Music: ⁠⁠https://shorturl.at/9Dtd9⁠⁠Get in touch:Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠Email: giacomo@in3.ventures#venturecapital #italy #startup

    13 Min.

  8. 13. FEB.

    Inside Newcleo’s MOX-Fuel SMR Bet: Turning Nuclear Waste Into Power #192

    The episode breaks down Newcleo’s €75M growth round and why nuclear is inherently capital-intensive, with a bold timeline toward prototypes and operations. The episode clarifies key nuclear concepts—SMRs for deployability, MOX fuel for circularity (recycling nuclear waste into energy), and the difference between megawatt thermal vs megawatt electric as an efficiency lens. The episode also highlights why Newcleo’s cap table matters: industrial investors signal credible demand from heavy industries like steel, chemicals, and shipping. The episode then shifts to Italy’s infrastructure wave: major investments in AI-ready data centers around Milan and strategic consolidation in fiber/subsea connectivity (including Retelit’s BT Italia deal). (retelit.it) . A sharp “next moat” angle emerges—heat reuse as a competitive advantage for data centers, plus distributed compute/heating experiments. Finally, Omney stands out as a traction story: a financial education startup attacking Italy’s low financial literacy, reportedly matching its pre-seed raise in revenue within a week and scaling an audience fast. Niccolò's newsletter: ⁠⁠http://dealflowit.niccolosanarico.com/⁠⁠Watch on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@giacomomollo⁠Listen to all episodes on audio:Spotify: ⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3fVynsQ⁠⁠Google Podcast: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3thf9RC⁠⁠Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠https://apple.co/3Elhykq⁠⁠Amazon Music: ⁠⁠https://shorturl.at/9Dtd9⁠⁠Get in touch:Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/giacxxx⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/giacomomollo⁠⁠Email: giacomo@in3.ventures#venturecapital #italy #startup

    18 Min.
Alle anzeigen (200)

Info

The Week in Italian Startup discusses and analyzes the latest news from the Italian startup ecosystem. Giacomo Mollo is a former academic in philosophy turned tech investor. He is co-founder and partner of iN3 Ventures, a corporate innovation and VC firm. Niccolò Sanarico is an Oxford MBA and a software engineer with a passion for innovation and startups. He is currently an Investment Manager at Primo Ventures SGR, a venture capital firm based in Italy.

Informationen

  • Erstellt von
    Giacomo Mollo
  • Jahre aktiv
    2021 - 2026
  • Folgen
    200
  • Bewertung
    Unbedenklich
  • Copyright
    © Giacomo Mollo
  • Sendungswebsite
    The Week in Italian Startup