About This Fund
CDP Venture Capital Accelerators Fund is a €254 million early-stage venture capital fund managed by CDP Venture Capital SGR S.p.A., the venture capital arm of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), Italy's national development bank. The fund operates as Italy's National Network of Accelerators, deploying capital across a portfolio of 20 sector-specific acceleration programmes launched from 2020 onward in partnership with leading Italian and international corporations and research institutions.
The fund employs a blended direct and indirect investment approach across two stages. At the pre-seed and seed phases, the fund deploys €70,000–200,000 per company through its vertical acceleration programmes, targeting startups that have completed prototyping and need validation of their business model and product-market fit. Following the acceleration phase, the fund makes direct follow-on investments in the highest-potential graduates at the Series A/B stage with tickets of approximately €1–5 million per investment. Vertical programmes span high-tech sectors including automotive, aerospace, advanced mechanics, energy, food and agritech, fashion, and the circular economy, with a deliberate nationwide distribution across all 20 Italian regions.
The CDP Venture Capital Accelerators Fund has supported 435 startups through its seed-stage and early-stage programmes, building a diversified portfolio across Italian deep technology, industrial innovation, and sustainability sectors. Notable follow-on investments include a lead position in the €5 million Series A round of Wearable Robotics (April 2026), a Pisa-based medical robotics spin-off from the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies specialising in neuromotor rehabilitation exoskeletons. CDP Venture Capital SGR manages over €3 billion in assets under management across multiple fund vehicles, functioning as Italy's anchor institutional venture capital investor.