Italian Tech Week 2025: Stories of startups anticipating change

Every startup is born from a flash: an intuition that breaks the mold, a question no one had asked before, an answer that attempts to change the rules of the game.

From October 1st to 3rd, many of these sparks will ignite the Italian Tech Week , the conference that every year celebrates disruption , that is, the ability to break the mold, disrupt consolidated markets and open new paths to innovation.

Young entrepreneurs will share how they're building the future, striving every day to anticipate change and stay one step ahead of the curve.

“New technological waves never come with instructions or guarantees, they move quickly and in advance, and only a few manage to ride them at the right time” says Diyala D'Aveni , founder of Italian Tech Week and CEO of Vento , a €75 million fund that invests in the best early-stage Italian founders.

The manifesto of this year's Week , which will take place as per tradition at the Officine Grandi Riparazioni in Turin, is precisely “ The Wave Ahead ”, a reference to those who “don't wait for the signal, but are the signal”.

"In Turin, we will showcase Italy's entrepreneurial spirit," D'Aveni explains, "from its visionary founders to the creativity that is making our country a hub of growth and innovation. Italy isn't just building for itself. We're creating new opportunities that will shape Europe's future."

A report by Growth Capital demonstrates this: in the second quarter of 2025, the venture capital ecosystem in Italy showed interesting signs of vibrancy. Between April and June, 104 rounds were closed, for a total investment of €227 million. There were 12 Series A rounds, while there were two Series B deals, with nine exits. In terms of individual deals, the largest round involved Milan-based Jet HR, an emerging company in the human resources sector.

Marco Ogliengo himself, founder and CEO of Jet HR, will speak on the stage in the Sala Fucine at the OGR on the afternoon of October 1st. He will share how he overcame every obstacle with the startup he founded in 2022—together with Francesco Scalambrino—with the goal of offering companies and SMEs a smart tool for personnel management. This spark has paid off: last June, Jet HR closed a €25 million round. Ogliengo's success story won't be the only one to grace the stage at Italian Tech Week.

Matilde Giglio , founder and CEO of Even, will explain how she realized her dream: creating a modern, technologically advanced hospital, with digital technology that cuts down on time and costs. The first recently opened in Bangalore, India. It has 70 beds and was designed to offer Even members comprehensive specialized care, from pre-op to recovery.

Martina Domenicali , co-founder and CRO of Lexroom.ai, a legal-tech startup that uses AI to make lawyers' work easier and faster, will also bring her experience to the Week .

Finally, Yoram Wijngaarde , founder of Dealroom.co, will offer an overview of Italy's entrepreneurial potential. Our technology sector continues to expand: it raised more than $315 million in the first quarter of 2025, reaching a total value of $82 billion. But the road is still uphill. Compared to other venture capital markets, such as France or Germany, Italy continues to experience slower growth.

"Our ecosystem has progressed over the past five years thanks to the increase in the number of startups, the strengthening of VC players, and growing institutional attention," says Emanuele Levi , who since last May has been CEO of CDP Venture Capital, Italy's leading venture capital fund. "However, there remains a gap with European countries where VC began earlier and where private capital significantly complements public funding," explains Levi. "Italy must leverage its strengths: scientific research and the widespread presence of industrial districts. A strengthened supply of capital, both public and private, will contribute to the development and emergence of national champions."

In Turin, it will also be possible to look beyond our borders, listening to the stories of startups born abroad and now a source of inspiration for those who want to start a business. Among these is Too Good To Go, the Danish app that fights food waste, described by its CEO Mette Lykke .