• 8.7 million euros have been earmarked for the ‘Venture Builder for the Nautical and Logistics-Port Sector’ project
• The objective is to create 10 new companies in 3 years with a target funding of approximately 70 million euro to bridge the technological gap and keep the network of SMEs operating in the sector competitive
• The project involves leading investors, leading companies and institutions such as the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, Genoa City Council, Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, Friulia, Confindustria Genoa, Intesa Sanpaolo, Bridgemaker, Cariplo Factory, Fincantieri, and PSA Italy

Rome, 29 July 2024 - CDP Venture Capital is leading an ambitious venture-building project dedicated entirely to the digital transition and innovation of Italian SMEs operating in the nautical and port-logistics sectors.

Through the Boost Innovation Fund, CDP Venture Capital - in agreement with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy - has promoted the establishment of a special-purpose company dedicated to building and launching new business initiatives that will develop products or services for the digitalization and innovation of SMEs operating in the nautical and port-logistics sectors.

With an investment of EUR 8.7 million, the objective of the ‘Nautical and Port Logistics Sector Venture Builder’ project is to create 10 new enterprises over the next three years that will be the subject of subsequent equity investments by CDP Venture Capital's Boost Innovation Fund (the SGR's corporate venture building fund) amounting to about EUR 30 million, which will generate an additionality effect on the market that will bring total investments to about EUR 70 million. The new businesses generated will be able to bridge the process and technology gaps of SMEs developing components and services in the shipbuilding, yachting, cruise and port logistics sectors.

The investors in the venture building project are Bridgemaker - a German venture builder -, Cariplo Factory - one of the most relevant open innovation hubs in Italy - which will operate in joint venture as venture builder partners managing the construction of the new initiatives, Fincantieri, a world leader in shipbuilding, PSA Italy, which has three container terminals in Italy and represents 25% of the country's import-export, Intesa Sanpaolo Group, Italy's largest bank and one of the largest in Europe, through the Fondo Sei, Sviluppo ecosistemi innovativi of Neva Sgr, the Group's venture capital company; Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, which supports the development of the Genoa and Liguria area; and Friulia, Finanziaria della Regione Friuli-Venezia Giulia, which supports the development of the region.

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group will also contribute through the consulting services of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, a company dedicated to the promotion and development of innovation - which controls Neva Sgr - and will support the interaction between project management and the ecosystem of SMEs belonging to the production chains involved.

The Institutional Partners are also the Municipality of Genoa, which will host the Company's Genoa operational office at the Genova Blue District premises, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, which will host the Company's Trieste operational office at its premises, and Confindustria Genova.

The Nautical and Logistical-Port Sector Venture Builder program will operate in the two permanent offices in Trieste and Genoa.

“Innovation, sustainability and competitiveness: PSA Italy has chosen to be a partner in this project in order to be part of the process of technological acceleration of the logistics-port supply chain, which is increasingly necessary as much as it is inevitable,’ commented Roberto Ferrari, Managing Director of PSA Italy, ’This is a project which, thanks to important capital partners such as the Intesa Sanpaolo Group and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and the institutional support of Confindustria Genoa and the Municipality of Genoa, will lead to the development of new tools that will give added value not only to our company and its innovation process, but also to the SMEs operating in the logistics and port supply chains, contributing to a sustainable and highly competitive future for the entire sector.”