The Italian tech sector has shown remarkable growth in recent years. In Q1 2025 alone, the industry secured $315 million in funding, boosting its enterprise value to over $82 billion — double what it was just four years ago, according to Dealroom data.
This transformation is driven by key players like Vento, Italy’s most active early-stage VC, which has made over 100 investments since 2022 and recently launched a new €75 million fund. Beyond funding, Vento has played a pivotal role in inspiring Italy’s next generation of tech entrepreneurs through its flagship event: Italian Tech Week.
This year, Italian Tech Week will reach new heights as Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, Blue Origin, and the $10 billion Bezos Earth Fund, headlines the conference. His influence in technology, climate innovation, space exploration, and publishing once again underscores Italy’s growing importance on the global tech stage.
Tech Funding News spoke exclusively with Vento’s CEO, Diyala D’Aveni, about Italian Tech Week’s impact on Italy’s growing tech landscape, its success factors, the appeal of Italian tech to global investors and founders, and the event’s significance for Italian entrepreneurs. Here’s what she shared with us.
Behind Italian Tech Week: a platform for innovation
Italian Tech Week was founded and organised by Vento, the Italian chapter of Exor Ventures, in collaboration with the GEDI Group in 2018. In fact, this was a global initiative to strengthen Europe’s tech ecosystem and inspire Italian entrepreneurs to dream bigger.
Held annually in Turin, the event has grown into one of Europe’s premier tech gatherings. It attracts over 15,000 attendees and features industry leaders like Sam Altman (OpenAI), Peter Thiel (PayPal), Reid Hoffman(LinkedIn), Daniel Ek (Spotify), and Brian Chesky (Airbnb).
D’Aveni explained ITW’s mission to TFN: “We created the event to symbolise Italy’s growing ambition to transform from a traditional manufacturing powerhouse into a competitive digital economy, bridging historical Italian excellence in design and engineering with frontier technologies.”
The conference provides unparalleled networking opportunities. D’Aveni added, “Just last year, we had 180 speakers from 15 countries. Italian Tech Week has been the place for exceptional connections, facilitating 10,600 requests for one-on-one meetings in 2024 alone.
The caliber of our speakers included prominent investors from Sequoia Capital and General Catalyst, along with representatives from globally recognised brands like Ferrari. Over 90 national and international VCs attended, facilitating significant investor networking. The presence of 70+ major international corporations further broadened the networking scope.”
The Wave Ahead: What to expect at ITW 2025?
According to D’Aveni, “This year’s conference theme is a tribute to the innovators who don’t follow the current — they create it.We’ll celebrate the founders who build ahead of market readiness and the investors who venture beyond conventional choices. Our discussions will explore the European tech ecosystem, AI, robotics, manufacturing, and healthcare, all within this forward-thinking framework.”
Scheduled for October 1–3 in Turin, Italian Tech Week will explore cutting-edge topics like AI, robotics, climate innovation, manufacturing, mobility, and healthcare. The event will feature dual stages for keynote speeches and panel discussions, alongside masterclasses led by industry experts.
For the first time, ITW will introduce evening gatherings with special guests and live podcast recordings with prominent speakers. While maintaining its tradition of free general admission, ITW will also launch premium tickets offering enhanced benefits, including access to exclusive networking lounges. The basic free tickets will still grant access to the main program, dual stages, masterclasses, and citywide side events.
D’Aveni remarked, “Having Jeff Bezos join us at Italian Tech Week this year delivers a strong message: the world is watching, and Italy is poised to make an impact. Our Q1 results show that we’re not sidelined in Europe’s tech landscape — we’re building companies that can compete globally.
With increasing international investment, more Italian founders expanding beyond borders, and a growing pipeline of deep tech and AI startups, the momentum is clear. I’m eager for another remarkable Italian Tech Week event to continue propelling Italy’s growth.”
The state of Italian tech: Momentum amid global slowdowns
Despite global economic challenges, Italy’s technology sector continues to flourish. Funding for early-stage companies in Q1 2025 matches last year’s figures for the same period.
The sector’s enterprise value in Q1 2025 has doubled compared to four years ago and is $12 billion higher than the closing value of $68.2 billion in 2024. Significant funding rounds include Innovo Renewables ($32 million), CamGraPhIC ($27 million), Tethis ($16 million), and Subbyx ($16 million). The ecosystem is also maturing rapidly: while 89% of deals in 2024 were at pre-seed or seed stages, Q1 2025 has already seen 19 Series A rounds — over half the total recorded in all of last year.
As D’Aveni concluded, “As Europe seeks to build technological sovereignty and competitiveness amid clashes between global powers, Italian Tech Week is a crucial inflection point for ideas and capital. This is essential for a more balanced and resilient European innovation ecosystem where distinctive regional strengths contribute to collective digital advancement.”
