The ecological transition towards a “Net Zero” economy is one of the most important challenges for the future of the planet. It is estimated that, in order to avoid the temperature increase of more than 1.5 ° C on a global scale, the decarbonization process should now proceed at a growth rate of 12.9%, eight times higher than that recorded annually since 2020. Le start up cleantech play a central role in accelerating this process, as venture capital investments confirm: over 44 billion dollars raised in 2021 and $ 9 billion invested in the first quarter of 2022, with projections that see the sector grow at a faster rate than the market.
Stimulating the birth of new innovative Cleantech companies and supporting their growth is the goal of ZERO, the cleantech start-up accelerator of Cdp’s National Accelerators Network, launched by Cdp Venture Capital, with main partner Eni through the Joule business school. , LVenture Group and ELIS and supported by corporate partners Acea, Maire Tecnimont, Microsoft and Vodafone. Now in its second edition, the accelerator has selected 9 startups among the over 150 applications received.
The launch of the program saw companies focus on sustainability and environmental impact during the impact planning appointment. Led by experts on the issues and enriched by the contribution of corporate mentors, the session provided start-ups with the necessary tools to define their own solution in a sustainable key, highlighting the objectives for sustainable development on which to generate impact. At the same time, the start-ups will work on the development of the product and business model for the “go-to-market”, with the opportunity to test their solutions through industrial collaborations with corporate partners.
The 9 startups selected for the second batch of ZERO are: BEAWaRea solution that integrates open data and sensors distributed throughout the territory to optimize logistics and increase the transparency of the waste collection and management system; Circular Technologiesa tech company specialized in the circular management of companies’ ICT products, favoring the recycling of raw materials and the reuse of reconditioned products; Ecosostenibile.eua platform that helps companies in defining ESG processes, allowing them to internalize them thanks to the automation of information collection; Gevi Windwind turbines that autonomously adapt to different wind conditions, allowing the production of energy even in weak wind conditions; Microxdevice that allows the measurement of the presence of heavy metals and water quality in a fast and reliable way; Preinvela startup that has patented a fluid dynamic filtering technology capable of removing micro-dust and pollutants from industrial emissions; Proteinitalya startup that transforms food waste into animal feed following a treatment with insect larvae, from which to extract proteins and fats; ReLearnwaste monitoring system that transforms simple containers into smart devices capable of analyzing the type of waste and production, making processes more efficient; Smart Islandartificial intelligence cloud software for agriculture, capable of detecting and recording huge amounts of data ensuring the traceability of each product.