Eureka!'s News #23
Our journey through entrepreneurship, innovation, growth, and impact
The beginning of a new year is always a moment to reflect on milestones achieved and to look ahead to new opportunities. For us, 2026 opens with a recognitions that not only celebrates the past, but also sets the direction for the future. More details below….
News from our Portfolio
BeNewtral
Last round has been announced, 7M€, in our startup that wants to revolutionize the industry of building with a new sustainable concrete. Corriere della Sera reported the news. CDP Venture Capital joined us, alongside with Nova Capital and a few business angels. Also, Marco Gay joined the Board of Directors, alongside with our Stefano Peroncini and the CEOs Niccolò Verardi, Riccardo Frezzato and the ChairMan Federico Vitaletti.
Caracol
Last January Caracol received the institutional visit of Mr. Guido Guidesi, Councilor “Sviluppo Economico” at Regione Lombardy Region, as a witness of an impressive example of scaling up a startup in large robotic additive manufacturing: from Lombardia to Texas through Emirati Arabi, with operations and sales in 5 continents and 30+ countries, thanks to 100 committed people led by Francesco De Stefano and his leadership team, Giovanni Avallone, Paolo Cassis, Jacopo Gervasini, Violetta Nespolo, Lorenzo Triboli
In the final days of last year, during the year-end event of I3P – Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino our portfolio company Novac was awarded Startup of the Year. Read more via La Repubblica
And when research becomes concrete technology, important things happen: in February Novac obtained patent in Italy for Poresel™️, a low-viscosity polymerisable resin designed for solid electrolytes: it is introduced in liquid form and polymerises at moderate temperatures, transforming into a solid electrolyte inside the cell.
These milestones confirms Novac’s strong commitment to developing sustainable supercapacitors a strategic technology for the future of energy and mobility, shaping the next generation of energy storage solutions.
We are proud to support a company that transforms advanced research into tangible impact, thanks a committed team led by Matteo Bertocchi, Aldo Girimonte, Loris Bruzzi, and Alessandro Fabbri.
EYE4NIR
Our semiconductor startup has recently joined StartupBootcamp at INNOVIT – Italian Innovation and Culture Hub, in Silicon Valley. This cohort is an opportunity to step outside the comfort zone, sharpen the focus and align growth with international standards. Congrats to Andrea Ballabio!
BeDimensional
From the lab to the market: Vittorio Pellegrini, CEO of spin-off from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia announced an innovative heating paint, in collaboration with Covema Vernici.
Thanks to these extraordinary results, Gruppo Boldrocchi joined the company as new investor. Hear the news. Boldrocchi is a world-renowned engineering, manufacturing & service firm with over 115 years of experience and a wide-ranging portfolio of integrated solutions to the heavy industry and power generation sectors.
The evolving landscape of entrepreneurship calls for new models, new skills, and new leaders capable of combining investment discipline with entrepreneurial vision.
That’s why we launched ETA Fund, the first Italian Institutional fund dedicated to search funds: after the first two investments at the end of 2025, the portfolio will be further enriched with amazing searchers and SMEs. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, this April marks the launch of the first ExecutiveProgram in Italy fully dedicated to Search Funds and Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA).
Designed by POLIMI Graduate School of Management in partnership with Eureka! Venture SGR, the program blends academic rigor with hands-on investment experience.
Participants will be guided through the entire Search Fund journey — from opportunity sourcing and SME acquisition to value creation as a CEO-entrepreneur. The program aims to equip aspiring searchers, investors, and entrepreneurial leaders with the strategic framework, financial tools, and operational mindset required to successfully acquire and scale small and medium-sized enterprises.
By combining theory with direct exposure to practitioners and investors, the initiative represents a concrete step toward strengthening the ETA ecosystem in Italy.
On the road
Milan, March. Stefano Peroncini in a talk with Chiara Arosio, Partner of Carter&Benson, about search fund and about how to became an entrepreneur acquiring a company already on the market. Listen here!
Milan, February. Paolo Guida and Stefano Peroncini attended to the event held by SDA Bocconi University about Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition.
Bari, February. Anna Amati was on of the key speakers at the event ‘‘Investire dell’innovazione’’. The initiative fostered dialogue among institutions, investors and companies, creating a platform to discuss strategies capable of growing growth and strengthening competitivesness within the European landscape.
Rome, February. Stefano Peroncini, Anna Amati and Alessia Gennaro attended in Rome the presentation of the new Technology Transfer Lazio - TT Lazio Program, an initiative by Lazio Innova funded under the PR FESR Lazio 2021- 2027 framework.
Milan, December. Stefano Peroncini representd Eureka! and the italian investment community at a round table with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A meaningful exchange of viseion and ideas that lays the groundwork for stronger collaboration beetween Italy and the UAE.
Bolzano, December. Anna Amati served as a jury member at Klimahouse, hosted by Fiera Bolzano. An opportunity to engage with entrepreneurs shaping the next generation of building technologies and to support initiatives driving the transition toward a more responsible and resilient industry.
Things worth sharing
A recent Linkedln roundup highlighted the 10 venture capital firms to watch in 2026 - key players in the Italian VC landscape that backed, guided and supported startups throughout 2025.
The list includes well-known investors driving growth, innovation, and value creation across early and scaling stages.
Among them, our Stefano Peroncini, was recognized as one of the top Vcs to keep eye on, acknowledging the firm’s contribution to the ecosystem and its active role in venture capital activities.
***
Regione Lazio, through Lazio Innova, is a virtouse example of how European Community funds can be used to support startups and SMEs.
With targeted programs under the PR FESR Lazio 2021-2027, including preseed and technology transfer initiatives, the region is turning research into business by providing funding, services and growth opportunities for innovative ventures. By leveraging public capital to attract private investment, Lazio strengthens its inoovation ecosystem and competitiveness.
That’s all for this edition — stay tuned and follow us for more stories, news, and insights from the world of innovation.