Rome, 14 December 2021 - CDP Venture Capital Sgr announces the launch of Forward Factory, the accelerator dedicated to start-ups developing digital manufacturing products or solutions, conceived together with GELLIFY, Azimut Libera Impresa through Digitech Fund and eight other companies operating in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

Born out of an initiative of CDP Venture Capital through its Accelerators Fund, Forward Factory will be managed by GELLIFY, an innovation platform that connects high-tech B2B start-ups with established companies to innovate their processes, products and business models, and involves the participation of leading corporate partners and investors such as Azimut Libera Impresa through Digitech Fund, Comer Industries, Angelini Industries, SCM Group, Vis Hydraulics and Poggipolini, Auxiell, in the dual role of investor and ecosystem enabler in the lean production sector, Industrio Ventures, accelerator specialised in hardware start-ups, and EIT Manufacturing, ecosystem of the main European manufacturing players, as ecosystem enabler.

With total assets under management of 8.64 million euro, of which 3.57 million euro for subsequent post-acceleration follow-ons, the Forward Factory programme extends over a period of 3 years, involving around 10 start-ups each year, which will be able to access a process lasting 6 months aimed at consolidating their entry on the market.
The programme is aimed at seed and early stage start-ups able to provide digital services to innovate manufacturing production processes through blockchain, AR, VR, industrial IoT, AI and big data, cyber security, cloud computing and digital robotics.

"Industrial manufacturing has been completely revolutionised by digital transformation, which has brought about radical changes in the way of planning and working, experimenting with new production models and redefining the value chain on a global scale”, comments Francesca Bria, President of CDP Venture Capital Sgr. "Investing in an acceleration programme dedicated to digital manufacturing means investing in the industry of the future, and the participation of a wealth of partners and enablers of this innovative ecosystem bears witness to the significance of this new important hub of the CDP National Accelerators Network''.

During the acceleration programme, start-ups will have the opportunity to access vertical content in order to grow from an entrepreneurial and technical point of view, working side by side with the programme managers, ecosystem enablers and investing manufacturing companies all the way to the design and implementation of a POC (Proof-of-Concept) together with them, which each start-up will be able to present and enhance during the final Demo Day.

Forward Factory will be based in Casalecchio di Reno (BO) at the GELLIFY Phygital Hub and can be followed by participating start-ups in hybrid mode: physical and digital.

The call for the selection of the top 10 start-ups is open from today until 8 April 2022 on www.forwardfactory.io. Applications can be submitted by Italian and international start-ups intending to set up a registered office in Italy.

The launch of Forward Factory is part of the strategy of the CDP National Accelerators Network, which is implemented in the main technology districts across the Italian territory to support the development of skills and entrepreneurship in the innovation sector.