VITA

VITA is the Accelerator for startups developing new solutions or services for the Healthcare sector, based on technological and digital applications. The programme is part of the CDP National Accelerators Network, the network operating across the territory to help the growth of young companies specialised in high-potential markets.

VITA takes shape from an initiative of CDP Venture Capital Sgr, through the Accelerators Fund, and is set up together with Healthware Group, a company in the portfolio of the FITEC Fund managed by Fondo Italiano d’Investimento Sgr and a global leader in innovation and technology in the health sector and committed to financing digital health start-ups through the corporate VC Healthware Ventures - which will manage the project from an operations point of view -, and the Danish accelerator Accelerace, specialised in seed investments, with a track record of over 650 international start-ups and scale-ups.

The programme also benefits from the support of Zcube - Zambon Research Venture, as Innovation Partner, and the Corporate Partners Petrone Group and SIFI, a leading international company in ophthalmology which, through an Open Innovation model, intends to invest in innovative digital solutions and therapies, thereby enriching its pipeline of drugs and medical devices.  Around 20 national and international Ecosystem Partners have already joined the programme, including major institutions such as Fondazione ENPAM and IRCCS (Scientific Institutes for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare) such as the National Cancer Institute - Fondazione Pascale of Naples.

VITA’s total assets under management for investments in the acceleration phase and for the subsequent growth steps will amount to 6.35 million euro, 4.55 million euro of which is allocated by the CDP Venture Capital Sgr Accelerator Fund together with Healthware Group and Accelerace, in addition to 1.8 million euro made available by the initiative's corporate partners. 

The accelerator aims to support the development of start-ups operating in the digital health sector and able to provide innovative solutions for the digital transformation of the health sector and the health system, including: digital therapies, telemedicine and digital health platforms, remote diagnostics and monitoring, mental health solutions and support in therapy management, as well as innovative drug distribution systems. A particular focus will be placed on innovative solutions for respiratory diseases, ophthalmology, women's health, rare diseases, chronic pain management and more.

Up to 10 startups in the seed and pre-seed phase will be selected each year for three years, which will be able to access a development process structured by the accelerator's partners, to be guided towards the certification of their own business model. The selected start-ups will also have access to a network of national and international stakeholders, as well as the opportunity to participate in sector events, including the Frontiers Health global conference.Furthermore, the stand-out teams within the project will have the opportunity to access additional investments already allocated by the initiative's promoters.

The VITA accelerator is based at Palazzo Innovazione, the Italian headquarters of the Healthware Group and a new co-working model in the historic centre of Salerno, while specific mentoring and networking activities will be hosted by OpenZone, the scientific campus dedicated to health on the outskirts of Milan - in Bresso - conceived by Zambon as a place of knowledge exchange to create unique value in the health sector, promoting a dynamic community and facilitating access to skills and capital.

The startup call for the first batch of the Accelerator has closed on June 12th.

More info at www.vitaaccelerator.it.