The Demo day the presentation event of the accelerated startups from the second edition of Zero, the Cleantech startup accelerator of the Cdp national accelerator network, launched by Cdp Venture Capital, by the main partner Eni through the Joule business school, LVenture Group and Elis and supported by the corporate partners Acea, Maire Tecnimont , Microsoft and Vodafone.

Selected from over 150 applications, the 9 startups that have successfully concluded the second batch of Zero have developed innovative solutions which, responding to the mission of the accelerator, aim to solve some of the most important challenges in the field of ecological transition and decarbonisation: from the management of water resources and the waste cycle with a view to saving and circular economy, to the production of energy from renewable sources, up to the reduction of emissions and optimization of ESG compliance processes.

The startups received a pre-seed investment from Cdp Venture Capital, LVenture Group and Elis and carried out a 5-month program which had the spaces of the Eni Technological Innovation District in the Gasometer area of ​​Rome as a reference location Ostiense, with the support of LVenture Group and Elis and aimed at technological development, the definition of the business model and the go-to-market, also through the mentorship contribution of the experts involved by the corporate partners.

Contextually, startups have been working on sustainability, defining the sustainable development objectives (SDGS) on which to generate impact according to the ‘Circularity and social impact assessment methodology’ developed in collaboration between Eni Joule, Ergo Srl, the spin-off company of the Scuola Superiore Sant ‘Anna of Pisa, Elis and Open Impact. At the end of the program the solutions developed by the startups have reached 15 of the 17 SDGS set by the UN Agenda 2030 and 10 out of 12 Equitable and Sustainable Wellbeing (Bes) indicators defined by Istat.

“It is a great satisfaction to see today the results of the acceleration process of the 9 startups that participated in the second edition of Zero, one of the very first programs of the National Accelerator Network that we launched together with leading industrial partners”, he declares Stefano Molino, Cdp Venture Capital senior partner and manager of the accelerator fund. “The solutions and products presented have great impact potential for companies and individuals facing the energy transition and as Fondo Acceleratori we will continue to support the best projects even in the later stages of their development“, has continued.

“Today we open the doors of Eni’s technological innovation district to the second edition of Demo Day Zero“, he has declared Mattia Voltaggio, Head of Joule, Eni’s school for business. “The 9 startups accelerated in recent months will contribute to the development of ever lower emission supply chains and to the generation of environmental and social benefits for everyone. Since 2014, Eni has launched a profound and radical transformation of its business model which aims at the sale of products completely decarbonised.The challenge of the energy transition is however a collective one where the commitment of a single actor is not enough, but it is necessary think from a supply chain perspective with an approach to innovation based on the continuous interaction between ecosystems. With Zero we have adopted this paradigm,” he continued.

“The startups in which we have invested in this second edition of Zero have developed innovative solutions that can concretely accelerate the decarbonisation processes of large corporations, SMEs and the public administration. We are satisfied with the growth process of startups accelerated by Zero, confirmed by the international fund investments and from the collaborations they are pursuing with important industrial players. Innovation and the ecological transition are an inseparable pair today: for this reason cleantech is a central investment focus in the strategy of LVenture Group”, said Giulio Montoli, Head of Pre-Seed of LVenture Group.

“Investors expect startups first and foremost clear goals and the ability to measure them”, explained Luciano De Propris, head of open innovation and sustainability at Elis Innovation Hub. “For this reason, in this second edition of Zero we aim to promote innovation strategies that are increasingly guided by the recognition, generation and measurement of impact. In collaboration with Eni Joule and Open Impact, a spin-off of the University of Milan-Bicocca, we have experimented an evaluation process of the impact generated by the Accelerator and by the individual startups which, also through co-innovation projects with large companies, can measure their environmental, social and economic impacts in concrete experiments and accelerate their go-to-market”, he concluded.

The startups presented at ZERO’s Demo Day are:

BEAWaRe, a solution that enables the punctual tariff through software that processes the tariff calculation and, by leveraging a network of IoT sensors, plans more efficient collection through real-time monitoring of waste production.

Circular Technologies, a tech company specializing in the sustainable management of ICT products through a circular supply chain in which companies and the p.a. exchange used or refurbished ICT with refurbishers and recyclers.

Ecosustainable.eu, a modular and scalable SaaS platform that supports companies to achieve their ESG goals by fulfilling compliance by automating the collection of information and supporting them on the path to sustainability.

Gevi, a startup that designs and builds wind turbines with artificial intelligence. The turbines can adapt to different sites and wind conditions to maximize clean energy production.

Microx, startup developing microfluidic technologies with the goal of providing devices for fast and 90 percent cheaper measurements, of environmental parameters in the water resources monitoring and management sector, for more sustainable use.

Preinvel, a startup that has patented an innovative filtration technology that can more efficiently remove micro-dust and pollutants from industrial emissions.

Proteinitaly, a startup that transforms waste from agribusiness and retail companies into proteins and oils extracted, following biotechnological treatment, from insect larvae that are grown on the said waste.

ReLearn, an innovative startup created with the goal of using artificial intelligence to help companies reduce their environmental impact by monitoring waste collection within their offices.

Smart Island, a startup that supports farmers at every stage of the production process with Daiki: a modular system that monitors and analyzes the health of a crop through sensors installed directly in the soil.