Bologna, Italy — 16 September 2025 – On 17 and 18 September, Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna region will once again take centre stage in the European landscape of venture capital, start-ups, and emerging technologies. This marks the third edition of The Bologna Gathering (TBG), an exclusive event — powered by CTE COBO and founded by ART-ER, the Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, and the Emilia-Romagna Region — reserved for 300 selected innovation leaders.

Venture capital and private equity investors from across the globe — managing over €39bn in assets under management (AUM) — are expected to attend, with a focus on investing in Italian high-tech companies, starting with those from the Emilia-Romagna region. The event further strengthens the city and region’s position as a strategic hub within Europe’s data valley, already supported by centres of excellence such as the DAMA Data Manufacturing Technopole in Bologna and the IT4LIA AI Factory — an internationally recognised project promoting the adoption of artificial intelligence in Italy and Europe — both key assets for the creation of new AI start-ups.

Attendees span investors from Europe, the Americas, and Asia; senior executives from leading Italian and international corporates; and founders of “unicorns” and scale-ups representing more than ten technology sectors. Notable names include White Star Capital (a global fund with offices in New York, London, Paris, Toronto, Tokyo, and Singapore), BlackRock (the world’s largest private equity firm by assets under management, according to Dealroom), and Eight Roads (an international VC with more than 50 years of activity). Also attending on the European front are Balderton Capital (with portfolio entries such as Revolut and GoCardless, among Europe’s leading early and growth-stage funds), and Northzone (with portfolio entries such as Spotify and Klarna).
 

As in past editions, the event will spotlight leading figures behind some of the most significant Italian tech transactions in recent months, including Namirial, the software company that achieved an exit in March valued at €1.1bn (enterprise value); and Exein, the cybersecurity scale-up that currently holds Italy’s largest funding round of 2025, having raised €70m in July.

Alongside investors, companies and start-ups from more than ten key sectors will take part — including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fintech, and cloud. Participants include D-Orbit (a unicorn in space logistics), Satispay (fintech unicorn), and Domyn (formerly iGenius, enterprise AI). A core objective of the event is to connect these firms with leading Italian corporates, including Leonardo, TeamSystem, Fincantieri, Hera Group, Aruba, CRIF, Fastweb, Rai Way, Intesa Sanpaolo, Max Mara, WIIT, Zanichelli Editore, and Lepida.

Key partners also include the Houses of Emerging Technologies (Case delle Tecnologie Emergenti, CTE), a national network of 13 hubs funded by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, MIMIT), tasked with promoting research, experimentation, and technology transfer to support next-generation digital networks.

The Bologna Gathering has been selected as the final showcase of this ministerial initiative, marking the completion of a promotional programme launched in 2023. In addition to the Innovation Hub led by the Municipality of Bologna (CTE COBO), representatives from the regional Innovation Hubs of Matera, L’Aquila, Turin, Prato, Rome, Naples, Campobasso, Taranto, Genoa, Cagliari, Bari, and Pesaro will also take part, bringing 20 of the most innovative organisations they have supported — active in areas such as AI, blockchain, 5G, and immersive reality.

In previous years, the event has taken place in some of Bologna’s most iconic innovation venues, including Opificio Golinelli, the DAMA Technopole, the Ducati Museum, and MAST. This year, it will open at Salaborsa on 17 September, continue on 18 September at the newly inaugurated hillside campus of Bologna Business School, and conclude with a gala dinner at Palazzo De Rossi.

The 2025 programme will feature high-profile moments, including a conversation between Alec Ross (technology policy expert, entrepreneur, and distinguished professor), Laurens Groenendijk (Founder, Just Eat and DFF), and Elena Moneta (Principal, Balderton Capital). Speakers will also include Massimiliano Pellegrini (CEO, Namirial), Alessandro Scortecci (Chief Investment Officer, CDP Venture Capital), Pierluigi Paracchi (founder of Genenta Science, listed on NASDAQ), Gianni Cuozzo (CEO, Exein), Francesco Ubertini (President, CINECA), Fabio Nalucci (Founder, FNDX and Gellify), and many others. Inès Makula, co-founder of the Made IT podcast on Italian innovation, will be the stage host.

The Bologna Gathering, powered by CTE COBO, was founded by ART-ER, the Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, and the Emilia-Romagna Region. Key partners of the 2025 edition are the Houses of Emerging Technologies funded by MIMIT, the BI-REX Competence Centre, and IT4LIA AI Factory.

The event stands as a leading example of public–private collaboration: produced by Cubbit and the association StartYouUp, with FNDX as premium sponsor, in close partnership with BBS - Bologna Business School and G-Factor (Fondazione Golinelli), and with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo, Almacube, MUG Magazzini Generativi, Gianni & Origoni, and Gellify.

“ART-ER is among the founding partners of The Bologna Gathering and played a key role in launching this important initiative, fully aligned with our institutional mission: to create and support the development of a dynamic and mature regional start-up ecosystem. We know that capital is essential not only for founding start-ups, but even more so for helping them scale — and the international investors involved in TBG, who have grown over the years in scale, reputation, and investment capacity, represent a unique opportunity for the growth of innovative businesses in our region. At the same time, I am confident these investors present will recognise the full potential of our companies and our territory in terms of innovation, talent, and competitiveness,”  said Marina Silverii, Executive Director of ART-ER.

“The Bologna Gathering is concrete proof that Bologna is now recognised internationally as a strategic engine of European innovation. Over these two days, our city is hosting some of the leading global players in venture capital, technology entrepreneurship and research, reaffirming its position as a central hub of Data Valley and an ideal setting for nurturing Italian excellence of the future. As the Municipality and Metropolitan City, together with the Emilia-Romagna Region, we continue to invest in infrastructure, spaces, and projects that fuel the innovation ecosystem: from the Technopole and the AI Factory to the role of our House of Emerging Technologies, now a strategic partner of this gathering. Supporting events like this strengthens Bologna’s position as a capital of responsible, inclusive, and sustainable innovation. Our commitment is that the future will be born here, for the benefit of the entire community,” added Matteo Lepore, Mayor of the Municipality and Metropolitan City of Bologna.

“Recent months have shown a continued rise in international capital invested in Italian start-ups,” commented Stefano Onofri and Alessandro Cillario, co-founders of Cubbit, the Bologna-based scale-up partnering on the event. “We’re approaching a pivotal moment in the maturity of Italy’s tech ecosystem. This is especially important at a time of geopolitical uncertainty, when Europe is seeking to transform its young tech companies into global champions. Italy must be central to this journey, and The Bologna Gathering is a key forum to accelerate this process and showcase the strengths of our region.”

 

www.bolognagathering.com 

ART-ER Media Relations

ufficiostampa@art-er.it

Raffaella Agostini

+393476545366

 

Cubbit Media Relations

Francesco Pazzaglia

francesco.pazzaglia@cubbit.io  

+393342339101

 

 

📢 Line-up Preview | The Bologna Gathering 2025

 

🌍 International VC Investors

Agreen.Fund, Armilar, Asahi Kasei Europe, Aster Capital, Balderton, Blackrock, Contrarian Ventures, DFF Ventures, Dream Ventures, DTCP, EarlyBird, Eight Roads, Energy & Environment Investment, ETF Partners, Eurazeo, Founders Factory, Future Energy Ventures - FEV, Grey Silo Ventures, Hitachi Ventures (CVC), Hoxton Ventures, IMPACT Partners, Indico Capital, Ion Pacific, Join Capital, Leo Capital, Moonstone VC, Omnes Capital, Outlast Fund, Red-stars.com, Scale Capital, Senovo, Speedinvest, Tyrion Partners, White Star Capital.

 

🌱VC Investors & Family Offices (based in Italy)

2100 Ventures, 20 Fund, Alecla7, Alpha Venture / Rainmakers, Atempo Growth, B Heroes, BGroup (Seragnoli), Blacksheep Ventures, CDP Venture Capital, CDP Venture Capital Fondo Evoluzione, Deep Ocean Capital, Feedel Venture, FNDX, Fondazione Social Venture GDA, Giano Capital, Growth Engine, Haystack Ventures, Italian Founders Fund (IFF), Kairos Partners, LIFTT, Maya Investments, MiTO, NEVA (independent), Nextalia SGR, Nova Capital, OBLOO, Obloo (E-R fund), Over Ventures, Planven, Plug&Play Italy, Primo Capital, Punch Capital, Rancilio Cube, Sella Direct Ventures, Step Venture, Tech Stars, The Liquid Factory, Ulixes Partners, United Ventures, Ventive, Vento, ZEST.

 

💼 Corporates

ABB, Aruba, Azimut Libera Impresa, Baker Tilly Italia, CAAB, CNH Industrial, CNS, CRIF SpA, CURTI Industries, Dallara, E4 Computer, Electrolux, Engineering, Eurenergia, Fastweb+Vodafone, Fincantieri, Gruppo Hera, Hyntelo (Gruppo Assist Digital), Intesa Sanpaolo e Intesa Sanpaolo Private, JP Morgan, Leonardo, Lepida, Max Mara Fashion Group, Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Namirial Spa, Pelliconi, Pirelli, Piquadro, PwC, Rai Way, RCF SPA, Sacmi s.c., SAP Global Private Equity, SEW Eurodrive, SOL Group, Soriano Group, TeamSystem, Tetrapak, TIM,  UniCredit e UniCredit - StartLab, WExecutive, Wiit Spa, Zanichelli Editore.

 

🚀 Startups/Scaleups

Arsenale BioYards, Astreo, Awentia Vision Technologies, BKN301, BonusX, Celeste, Complaion, Connectia, Crono, Cyberating Srl, Dabohn Srl, D-Orbit, e-plato, eAgronom, Exein, FABA, Foreverland Food, Golbriak Space, HMDrive S.r.l., IdentifAI, iGenius, Lexroom, Makadamia Srl, MAMA SCIENCE S.R.L., Meddle Srl, Minerva System, MON5, Qomodo, Raiku, Reportaid, Robotizr Srl, Samaya AI, Satispay, Scuter, Sibill, SiPearl, Skudo, Subbyx, Supaso, Tinental, Truescreen, Unguess, Wayla.

 

💡 Innovators

A3 Cube Inc., Akka.app, Clust-er Innovate, CRIT srl, Dock, Dynamo, e-Residency, Emotion Network, Endeavor Italy, Enterprise Estonia, Future Food Institute,  I3P, IFAB, Italian Tech Alliance, Latvian Investment Agency, LIL Milan, Mediter Partners, Pick1/HyperFair, Siena Lane Partners, Talent Garden, Tech Europe Foundation, UrbanHub, Vantaa City.

 

🎤 Speakers

Alec Ross (technology policy expert, entrepreneur, and distinguished professor), Alessandro Scortecci (Chief Investment Officer, CDP Venture Capital), Elena Moneta (Principal, Balderton Capital), Fabio Nalucci (Founder, FNDX and Gellify),  Francesco Ubertini (President, CINECA), Gianni Cuozzo (CEO, Exein),  Massimiliano Pellegrini (CEO, Namirial), Laurens Groenendijk (Founder, Just Eat and DFF), Pierluigi Paracchi (founder of Genenta Science, listed on NASDAQ), and many others.

 

 

Event partners:

 

CTE COBO - House of Emerging Technologies of the Municipality of Bologna - A flagship project of the innovation platform Bologna Innovation Square, led by the Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, CTE COBO is a distributed technology transfer centre with a budget of nearly €20 million. Benefiting from the highest funding in Italy from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, MiMiT) as part of the House of Emerging Technologies (Case delle Tecnologie Emergenti, CTE) programme, and supported by 16 partners (including the Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, ART-ER, BI-REX, G-Factor, GELLIFY, and Cineca), it aims to establish a network of stakeholders forming the basis of a unique innovation ecosystem in the national landscape. This supports the technological challenges of businesses and public sector institutions through emerging technologies enabled by 5G (IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain). In just over a year of activity, it has allocated over €2.5 million to 62 businesses and startups, and involved more than 400 companies, incubators, accelerators, competence centres, professionals, and researchers. www.ctecobo.it

Houses of Emerging Technologies (Case delle Tecnologie Emergenti, CTE) - The Houses of Emerging Technologies (Case delle Tecnologie Emergenti, CTE), launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, MiMiT), represent a unique model of collaborative and regional innovation. The total funding for the project exceeds €143 million (with around €120 million provided by MiMiT from FSC resources) and is part of the Support Programme for Emerging 5G Technologies. Through this initiative, the Houses of Emerging Technologies have given rise to multidisciplinary Innovation Hubs where municipalities, universities, research centres, startups, and SMEs collaborate on areas such as Smart Cities, Industry 4.0, the cultural and creative industries, and sustainable mobility.

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To date, the 13 Houses of Emerging Technologies have supported over 900 innovative SMEs and startups, organised more than 650 events to promote initiatives in Italy and abroad using emerging technologies, carried out 143 technological pilot projects, and delivered 180 training initiatives, establishing themselves as real engines of local development. However, their impact goes beyond the numbers: they have helped create 13 innovation ecosystems rooted in their respective areas (Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Campobasso, Genoa, L’Aquila, Matera, Naples, Pesaro, Prato, Rome, Taranto, and Turin), enhancing latent skills and generating both social and entrepreneurial cohesion.

ART-ER - Attractiveness Research Territory is the Emilia-Romagna Joint Stock Consortium born with the purpose of fostering the region’s sustainable growth by developing innovation and knowledge, attractiveness and internationalisation of the territory. Its activities are aimed at strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem and relationships among its components, promoting the internationalisation of the business and research system to foster sustainable growth in the regions, increasing research and innovation capabilities and productivity, and successfully integrating into global value chains and new markets. www.art-er.it

METROPOLITAN CITY AND MUNICIPALITY OF BOLOGNA - The metropolitan area plays a key role as a strategic hub of the regional economy. Bologna is home to a network of both physical and intangible research and innovation infrastructures that are recognised at both regional and national levels, serving as a driver for the entire regional system. The Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, through the strategic mandate project City of Knowledge, promote a series of policies to foster economic development and attractiveness, strengthen innovation, and encourage synergy and collaboration among all ecosystem players. This integrated system encompasses various projects and services, including BIS – Bologna Innovation Square, the House of Emerging Technologies of the Municipality of Bologna (CTE COBO), and services promoting territorial attractiveness.

BI-REX - BI-REX is the national Competence Centre specialising in Big Data and enabling technologies for Industry 4.0. It is a Public-Private Partnership involving 64 partners. including universities, research centres, and leading businesses. It supports companies through innovation and digital transformation paths, offering training, consultancy, test-before-invest initiatives, and co-development of technology transfer projects. At the core of its offer is the Pilot Line: a digitally interconnected factory available to businesses, integrating 4.0 technologies with traditional processes for real-world experimentation, demonstration, and prototyping.

FNDX - FNDX is a consultancy firm specialised in technical advisory for venture capital and private equity funds, helping select the most promising innovative projects and emerging technologies for investment. In addition to investment advisory services, FNDX offers M&A advisory for entrepreneurs and talented founders on digital products and companies across all stages of growth – from early fundraising, through later funding rounds, to support during the exit phase. https://fndx.vc/

GELLIFY - GELLIFY is a global innovation factory that integrates strategy, design, and technology, supporting the growth of organisations from vision to execution through its “purple way”. GELLIFY helps organisations implement new business models, technology roadmaps, digital strategies, and products, also thanks to its portfolio of B2B software assets. www.gellify.com

G-FACTOR - G-Factor, the incubator-accelerator for young businesses created in 2018 by Fondazione Golinelli, is an ecosystem that transforms the high innovation and technology potential of young people and scientists into entrepreneurial realities capable of succeeding in the market with replicable and scalable models. It addresses the growing need to foster integration between research, industry, and the market, placing young people, their business ideas, scientific research, and their ability to produce innovation and new technologies at the centre.

G-Factor adopts an experimental approach to accelerating market entry for selected companies, based on equity investments made through capital and expertise. This is underpinned by a patient approach, guided by both scientific and market logic, and driven by the belief that the combination of finance and training is critical to the success and growth of the most innovative entrepreneurial ventures. Alongside financial leverage, G-Factor offers training and support throughout the early years of development. All skill- and experience-building pathways are highly personalised to meet the specific needs of each team. In some cases, G-Factor also acts as a venture builder or startup studio. While its core focus is on life sciences, G-Factor also partners with companies in the fields of fintech, insurtech, agritech, foodtech, social impact, smart mobility, and travel.

ALMACUBE - Almacube is the innovation hub and incubator of the University of Bologna, certified by the Ministry of Economic Development. Since 1999, it has supported innovation and economic development in the region, acting as a bridge between academic research and industry. Initially created to enhance university spin-offs, Almacube has expanded its scope, now operating through two business units:

• Open Innovation Unit, guiding established companies through their innovation processes

• Startup & Spin-off Unit, supporting startup and spin-off growth through effective business and go-to-market strategies

With a strategic and collaborative approach, Almacube serves a diverse audience including startups, SMEs, corporates, and innovators. It actively involves students, young professionals, researchers, and professors in programmes based on advanced methodologies such as Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Human-Centred Innovation.

With Almacube, the potential of academic research meets market needs, generating innovative and sustainable solutions for the future.

GIANNI & ORIGONI - Gianni & Origoni is an international, independent law firm and a leader in consultancy and assistance across all areas of business law.

Founded in 1988, the firm now has over 490 highly specialised lawyers based in Italy (Rome, Milan, Bologna, Padua, and Turin) and abroad (Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, New York, and Shanghai). Recognised nationally and internationally for its achievements in Italy and other jurisdictions, the firm has received prestigious awards and ranks among the top law firms in the field.

As a full-service firm, one of its core strengths is mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Gianni & Origoni plays a key role in many of the most prominent M&A transactions in Italy and is ranked among the top firms in the sector. To meet growing client demand for legal expertise in innovation and technology transfer, the firm expanded its services in 2016 by launching GOP4Venture – a specialised team dedicated to venture capital and investments in startups and innovative companies. Its mission is to meet the needs of venture capital funds, investment firms and investors, founders, innovative SMEs, as well as accelerators, incubators, and spin-offs from research centres.

BOLOGNA BUSINESS SCHOOL - Bologna Business School is a private foundation created by the University of Bologna to offer post-graduate and post-experience executive education.

In addition to the University of Bologna, the following are partners in BBS: Automobili Lamborghini, BBS Society of Scholars, Confindustria Emilia Centro, Dallara Automobili, Ferrari, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna, Fondazione Guglielmo Marconi, Granarolo, IMA, Marchesini Group, and Unicredit.

The school is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach, integration with the productive context of Emilia-Romagna, and for its focus on “industry champions” (leading organisations in their own sectors or in their niches, regardless of size).

INTESA SANPAOLO - Intesa Sanpaolo, with €419 billion in loans and €1,400 billion in customer financial assets as of June 2025, is the largest banking group in Italy, with a significant international presence. It is a European leader in wealth management, with a strong strategic orientation towards digital innovation and fintech. In the ESG sphere, the Bank has committed €115 billion in impact lending by 2025 to support communities and the green transition. A €1.5 billion programme (2023–2027) has been launched in support of vulnerable individuals and communities. The Bank’s museum network, Gallerie d’Italia, serves as the exhibition venue for its proprietary art collections and for cultural initiatives of recognised value.

MUG – Magazzini Generativi - MUG – Magazzini Generativi is an innovation hub developed by Emil Banca, located at Via Emilia Levante 9 in Bologna, Italy. It was created through the regeneration of a former 1,700+ m² warehouse. It is a technologically advanced collaborative space hosting offices, coworking areas, meeting rooms, workshop spaces of different sizes, a nursery, and a 99-seat auditorium. MUG positions itself as a home for startups, third-sector organisations, talent, businesses, and stakeholders, offering an ideal environment for high-impact economic and social projects, with a strong focus on sustainability and welfare. The project fosters cross-pollination between innovation, business, and culture through open innovation initiatives that actively engage the local community and a network of public and private partners and stakeholders.

IT4LIA - IT4LIA AI Factory is one of the first European platforms specialised in accelerating the development and adoption of artificial intelligence in industry and society. Hosted at Bologna’s Tecnopolo – an international centre of excellence in supercomputing and data science – the Factory provides access to a cutting-edge supercomputer optimised for AI applications, providing Europe’s leading computing power. IT4LIA was created as a collaborative platform between research and industry, promoting technology transfer through specialist services, training, and a network of public and private partners – with the support of the European Commission, the Ministry of University and Research, the National Cybersecurity Agency, and various regional players. It aims to build a national and international ecosystem enabling startups, SMEs, large enterprises, and public institutions to access and maximise AI’s potential, positioning Italy as a global leader in the field.

CUBBIT - Cubbit is the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, developing sovereign solutions to protect the data of companies and institutions across Europe and worldwide. Its groundbreaking software enables service providers, enterprises, and public entities to create their geo-distributed cloud storage system in minutes, adaptable to each organisation’s infrastructure strategy. This ensures full control and sovereignty over data, simplifies management workflows, and optimises costs. Today, Cubbit’s hyper-resilient and cybersecure technology is adopted by 400+ companies and partners, including Leonardo (world leader in defence and cybersecurity) and Rai Way (part of the RAI group, active in the media and data centre sectors), and serviced by Exclusive Networks (global distributor, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange). Cubbit is also supported by international tech partners such as HPE, Accenture, and Equinix. For more information, visit: https://www.cubbit.io