Zero cleantech accelerator turns three

Zero cleantech accelerator turns three. The results achieved in this first three-year period were presented during the “Demo Day: 3 years of Impact Innovation”. Joule, the Eni School of Entrepreneurship, has been part of the programme since its inception, helping to stimulate entrepreneurial skills and accompany the growth of Italy's best innovative talent.

The event took place in the ROAD (Rome Advanced District) area of Eni’s Gazometro in Rome's Ostiense district.

A total of 30 startups went through the acceleration process in the first three years of Zero, 850 applications were received, of which about 30% came from over 50 countries.

The verticals most represented in the applications were solutions for land sustainability, industry and infrastructure, and alternative energy sources. Accelerated startups raised a total of more than EUR 3 million, with some major pre-seed rounds also involving European venture capital funds.

"In these three years of activity within the acceleration programme," said Mattia Voltaggio, Head of Joule, the Eni School of Entrepreneurship, "we have seen more than thirty startups operating in the cleantech field and initiated five trial agreements with Eni's business lines, in different sectors. We have always been able to involve our people in the selection, mentoring and testing of solutions, creating a positive “osmosis” effect in terms of technological development, but also in terms of entrepreneurial mindset. We have done this, moreover, in an iconic location, that of the Gazometro in Roma Ostiense, which Eni has begun to transform into the Rome Advanced District, a space for technological experimentation on new energy chains".

Launched in 2021 on the initiative of CDP Venture Capital - as part of the National Accelerators Network - and main partner Eni, through its entrepreneurship school Joule, Zero aims to select 30 cleantech startups in three years and accelerate their development by creating a real ecosystem for their growth. Eni is joined by a network of corporate partners including Acea, Maire Tecnimont, Microsoft and Vodafone.

The third edition of Zero accelerated 11 startups with innovative solutions ranging from the energy efficiency of spaces and environments to the development of new materials, from industrial waste to the implementation of energy communities and ESG certification. The following successfully completed the third edition of Zero:

• Arxax, a digital infrastructure to facilitate the refuelling of low or zero carbon fuels;
• Climate Standard, a platform that accelerates ESG processes related to climate declarations, verifying and certifying their authenticity;
• Deentra, a solution that allows people to buy a photovoltaic panel and install it on the roof of a business, enabling anyone to produce sustainable energy.;
• Dropper, a hardware and software solution for indoor and outdoor people counting and space management;
• Hexergy, a blockchain-based SaaS platform to manage all aspects of energy communities, from design to implementation and management;
• Koalisation, a company that implements high-impact projects based on the social development of indigenous communities and the regeneration of natural ecosystems;
• Lit, an IoT device linked to an app that uses artificial intelligence to monitor energy consumption in real time, avoid waste and reduce CO2;
• Northern Light, a startup that has developed and patented an alternative product to fibreglass composites that solves the problem of their “end of life”;
• RECO2, a company that transforms industrial waste into high quality building materials, reducing environmental impact and promoting the circular economy;
• Sly, a fire prevention solution based on a network of perimeter AI sensors capable of covering large areas and detecting ignition events within minutes;
• Solho, a solution for designing large solar heating and cooling systems for industrial or residential applications.