Forging the path to cleantech
leadership in Italy

We empower a net zero future of sustainable growth through innovation and policy collaboration.
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OUR MISSION

Cleantech for Italy works to bridge the gap between policymakers and the country’s leading cleantech innovators and investors.
The initiative is committed to accelerating the development and deployment of cutting-edge climate technologies in Italy by:

Advocating for a strategic policy framework to support the growth of Italy’s cleantech sector

Dedicated programs aimed at fostering both startup generation and late-stage market uptake

Developing Italy’s cleantech ecosystem through expert working groups

Providing data and insights through periodical reports on the state of the Italian cleantech space

Priority cleantech sectors

Long-Duration Energy Storage and Grids

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) solutions (mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrochemical) and grid infrastructure innovations (both hardware and software)
to enhance capacity, reliability, and integration of renewable energy sources.

Industrial Emissions Reduction Technologies

Solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industrial processes – from low-heat sectors such as food and textiles to hard-to-abate sectors such as cement and steel – through advanced technologies and efficiency improvements.

Innovative Molecules
and Advanced Materials

Development and application of new chemical compounds and advanced materials to enhance energy efficiency, sustainability, and performance in various sectors, such as transportation (sustainable fuels), agriculture (fertilisers), and energy (ceramics).

Small-Scale Storage and Electrification Solutions

Technologies and systems designed to store and manage energy at a smaller, decentralized scale, facilitating the transition to electrified transportation, homes, and businesses, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Circular Economy
and Sustainability Practices

Strategies and practices focused on minimising waste, promoting reuse and recycling, and creating sustainable production and consumption cycles, with the transition from linear to circular business models.

Italy’s cleantech sector has vast potential

Total VC funding saw an increase of 42.0% in 2023

42%

In 2023, the Energy sector enjoyed notable growth, largely due to the successful funding rounds secured by Energy Dome

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Our Policy Priorities

What’s needed to take the Italian Cleantech Sector to the next level:

Increase the scope of public guarantees for climate tech demonstrations to de-risk projects and enable access to debt instruments
Improve the number and scope of industrial partnerships between incumbents and new entrants through transparent frameworks
Sustain the positive trend in climate tech financial allocations at all stages, from Seed to infrastructure
Sustain market uptake and offtake agreements through financial incentives directed to organisations investing in climate technologies
Improve cleantech startup origination rates through up-to-date technology transfer programs and dedicated funding for early-stage projects

Cleantech for Italy Report

Download our 2024 Annual Briefing
Download our 2024 Annual Briefing
about us

Federico Cuppoloni

Federico Cuppoloni is leading the development of Cleantech for Italy, a new initiative gathering Italian cleantech stakeholders aimed at boosting the country’s industrial leadership. Cleantech for Italy is powered by Cleantech Group and supported by Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy.

Before joining Cleantech for Italy, Federico worked as a deep tech venture capital investor, specializing in climate applications of space technologies. He also has experience in R&D finance, where he assisted start-ups and SMEs in agrifood, smart city, and industrial sectors to identify and utilize non-dilutive funding instruments.

Federico earned his MBA from Collège des Ingénieurs, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Bologna, and a Bachelor’s degree in Diplomacy and International Affairs from the University of Trieste.

Michele Torsello

Michele is a 2024 Columbia University MPA graduate and a Director at the Italian Ministry of Economics, where he deals with climate change mitigation and industrial policy.
He has been working with the public administration since 2011. In particular, he served as Director of the Prime Minister’s Task Force for Hydrogeological Risks and Special Advisor for decarbonization for the Minister for Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, leading the European Green Deal negotiations on transports and infrastructures.

Part of the Cleantech for Europe Umbrella

Cleantech for Europe was formed in 2021 to bridge the gap between the cleantech community and European policymakers. The first coalition gathering 20+ European cleantech VC firms, has successfully advocated for EU policy advances in better financing and creating demand for cleantech.Following early success of Cleantech for Europe, similar initiatives are launching in selected countries and regions throughout Europe and beyond.
Cleantech for Europe is continuously looking for opportunities to promote the development and deployment of clean technologies locally, to provide input into national policy debates and to promote synergies and amplification of effort between regions and satellite initiatives.

Forging the path to cleantech
leadership in Italy

Download our 2024 Annual Briefing
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