Rome, 9 February 2026 – Eni, together with CDP Venture Capital, invested €550,000 and announced a collaboration with the startup EXE Engineering in the field of carbon offsetting initiatives in Africa. This new investment will enable the startup to accelerate its roadmap and support the expansion of its projects into new operating contexts, including international growth in Europe and Africa.
The funding round was led by Zero and Eni Next, Eni’s Corporate Venture Capital company, which invests in innovative startups with high technological potential.
Zero is part of the National Accelerator Network of CDP Venture Capital, developed in collaboration with Zest and Elis. The project also includes Eni as the main corporate partner through Joule, its School of entrepreneurship, with the involvement of additional companies from the sector.
EXE Engineering took part in the Zero acceleration programme between 2024 and 2025 and developed a pilot project (Proof of Concept) with Eni. This was followed by the signing of a cooperation agreement in Africa to assess the development and implementation of innovative solutions aimed at emissions reduction and the environmental valorisation of waste.
“The EXE Engineering transaction is a clear example of how the National Accelerator Network model promoted by CDP Venture Capital can turn innovation into real industrial development opportunities. Through Zero, we supported the startup along a path that combined entrepreneurial growth, technological validation and collaboration with a major partner such as Eni,” commented Stefano Molino, Head of the Accelerators Fund at CDP Venture Capital. “The entry of Eni Next into the investment further strengthens the industrial and strategic value of the transaction.”
“The acceleration path through Zero,” underlined Clara Andreoletti, CEO of Eni Next, “was key in enabling Eni Next’s investment in EXE Engineering. It not only supported the team’s industrial and managerial growth, but also fostered, through a structured experimentation process, strategic alignment and greater clarity on the medium-to long-term development potential. This transaction validates our integrated open innovation model, which structurally links acceleration programmes with corporate venture capital activities.”
During 2025, EXE Engineering also received several important recognitions. The startup was included in the “Top 100 Italian Startups” selected by Forbes and Ventive and received the special mention “Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship” as part of the Eni Award, which aims to promote the best innovative and sustainable entrepreneurial ideas. The award was presented to the startup by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinale Palace.
“The partnership established with Eni,” explained Gianni Cordaro, CEO and Founder of EXE Engineering, “marks an important milestone for the growth of our startup, which focuses on developing and deploying cutting-edge technologies to close the waste cycle, particularly in the capture and utilisation of biogas from landfills. This optimisation delivers not only a clear improvement in environmental impact, but also significant economic returns. It is therefore a great source of pride,” he concluded, “to collaborate with our partners and continue growing the company.”
Elena Martelli, Portfolio Manager at Zest, also expressed strong satisfaction “with this first milestone, which marks the start of a long-term collaboration with a positive impact on the planet. During the Zero acceleration programme,” she added, “we saw the team quickly strengthen its structure and begin thinking at scale, bringing innovation and execution capabilities to a sector that is still underserved – landfills – yet crucial for the ecological transition. EXE Engineering,” Martelli concluded, “demonstrates that even from landfills, where everything may seem ‘at the end of the line’, innovation, energy and efficiency can emerge. We are proud to have planted the first seed and to see its fruits grow.”
Eni and CDP Venture Capital are related parties. Both Companies applied their own internal Procedure.
Download document
