In 2023, the venture capital and private equity sectors in Europe surpassed €1,000 billion[1] in assets under management (AUM), and Milan aims to play a key role in this expanding alternative investment landscape by hosting the 0100 Conference Mediterranean 2024 from October 28-30th.
This international event, organized by Zero One Hundred Conferences in collaboration with the Milan City Council's Economic Development Department and Milano&Partners, will bring together leading global and local investment funds for networking and knowledge exchange to strengthen Milan as a hub for investors from across Europe and the rest of the world.
“Attracting an event of international caliber such as this to our city represents the response to the instances and solicitations we have collected from many operators in the sector,” says Alessia Cappello, Councillor for Economic Development of the City of Milan. ”We need the investments to develop and grow all the projects that are continuously being born in Milan, which has now become the main hub of Italian innovation in recent years.”
The 3-day event will bring together over 500 private equity and venture capital professionals, including over 50 General Partners (GPs) with a collective AUM exceeding €550 billion.
“With over 15,000 financial firms and 2,600 startups based in the city, Milano is home to a constantly growing and evolving finance and banking industry, making it a European hotspot for investors and innovators alike. With this first edition of 0100 Mediterranean we want to reinforce our commitment towards creating new opportunities for raising capital and investment that accelerate financial innovation, to increase the competitiveness and international visibility of Milano’s burgeoning ecosystem”, said Fiorenza Lipparini, General Director at Milano & Partners.
Prominent attendees also include Limited Partners (LPs) such as the European Investment Fund (EIF), Capital Dynamics, Golding Capital Partners, Unigestion, Partners Group, Arab Bank Switzerland, Alberta Enterprise Corporation (AEC), Allianz, AlpInvest and Hamilton Lane to mention some, setting as a key opportunity to attract more attention and resources to the Italian ecosystem.
"Networking is a strategic tool for investors—not only to raise funds but to foster long-lasting relationships. We want Milan to be the key meeting point for investors in Southern Europe,” added Mauro Marconi, Commercial Director at Zero One Hundred Conferences.
Industry Growth in Italy
"Milan is experiencing an important period of transformation that positions it perfectly to strengthen its role as a leading hub for venture capital in Europe. The city is benefiting from surging entrepreneurial activity, a robust industrial base, a highly skilled workforce, and a maturing venture ecosystem - all attracting significant global investment interest”, explained Massimiliano Magrini, Founder and Managing Partner at United Ventures.
“In ten years, Italian venture capital has transformed from a handful of players who invested 152 million in 2013, to an industry with more than 300 players who in 10 years have invested 8 billion euros in innovative companies, increasing their value tenfold to 67 billion euros,” added Andrea Di Camillo, Founder and Managing Partner of P101.
"The 0100 Conference confirms the growing relevance of Italy's innovation ecosystem, which is becoming increasingly attractive on an international level," commented Patrick Oungre, Group Head of Innovation, CVC, and Digital Hub at A2A. “In this context, A2A's strengthening of its Corporate Venture Capital program is also to be seen: as anchor investor and industrial sponsor, the group has in fact recently unveiled a new fund with a goal of raising 200 million euros, which will involve A2A and institutional and industrial investors, both Italian and foreign. This is the largest cleantech initiative on a national level and is unique in its approach to creating value for the ecosystem, combining the group’s industrial expertise and know-how with the experience and credibility of a VC operator like 360Capital."
Another sector benefiting from the growth of successful Italian companies in private markets is the stock market. As Claudia Parzani, Chairwoman of Borsa Italiana, emphasized: “The stock market provides companies with a valuable opportunity to finance growth, increase visibility, and attract talent. The capital market plays a crucial role in supporting the development of Italian businesses, significantly contributing to employment and the country's economic progress”.
Elena Vasco, Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce of Milan, Monza, Brianza, and Lodi, sheds light on the key factors fueling the city’s rapid ecosystem growth. "Milano represents an ideal platform for business development, innovation and investment, thanks to the city's distinctive competitive assets: a vast supply of skilled human capital and a thriving innovation ecosystem built around 8 universities, 10 certified incubators, an Industry 4.0 competence generator, numerous R&D outfits, institutional investors, public institutions, industry associations, science and engineering professionals. Coherent with the strategy of making Milano an innovation hub capable of competing with major technological districts around the world, last July the Milano Chamber of Commerce joined an exciting project which is a first for Italy: the Tech Europe Foundation, promoted by Bocconi University and the Politecnico Foundation in partnership with Ion Foundation and the FSI private equity fund, whose mission is to create a leading technological hub in the EU in the Lombard capital, by working at the intersection between research, technology and business to support the growth of path-breaking startups with an open-innovation approach aimed at maximizing the spillover of inventive products and solutions."
The 0100 Conference Mediterranean will be held from October 28-30 at the historic Palazzo Mezzanotte. Registration can be done here. For media inquiries please contact laura@0100conferences.com.
At our latest 0100 Conference Mediterranean, we gathered experts from Lombardy’s investment ecosystem, including Andrea Beretta of Cariplo Factory, Gessyca Golia from the Lombardy Region, and moderator Fiorenza Lipparini of Milano & Partners, to discuss the unique appeal of Milan for venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) investments.
The 0100 Conference Mediterranean Fireside Chat: VC Secondaries – the Market Opportunity and Ways to Select the Right Fund highlighted its unique potential for investors seeking more liquidity and quicker returns. This session featured Nick Hendra from AAF Management, Matt Russell from Vencap, and Luca Mannucci from Sella Venture Partners, who shared insights on the market dynamics of VC secondaries, effective fund selection, and key strategies for mitigating risk while maximizing returns.
LP panels are essential at every conference, especially as fundraising becomes increasingly competitive and challenging. One of the highlights at the 0100 Conference Mediterranean was the panel titled “Attracting LP Investors Outside the Region: Interest in the Regional PE/VC Market from Global Institutional Investors.” In this session, key investors shared insights into the growing global interest in private equity and venture capital markets within the Mediterranean and Southern Europe. Moderated by Francesco Cerruti, Director General of the Italian Tech Alliance, the panel brought together leading figures in the industry, including Emre Karabekirogullari, Director of Investments at Sarona AM; Patrick Aisher, Chairman of Kinled Holding; Benno Tieke, Director of Portfolio Management at Philips Ventures; and Veera Somersalmi, Director of Investor Relations at Bpifrance.
