TORINO (ITALPRESS) – The first edition of VitalMatch Accelerator, the program dedicated to startups that develop innovative solutions in sport, wellness and health, born on the initiative of CDP Venture Capital, with the operational support of Startupbootcamp and Wylab, and the support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center as ecosystem partner, Lottomatica. Sports as a corporate partner and Juventus Football Club as a sports and hosting partner.
In the final event of the acceleration path, the selected startups presented the results achieved, the evolution of their business models and the prospects of growth in front of a audience composed of promoters and partners, investors, corporate companies, mentor, professionals and representatives of the innovation ecosystem.
VitalMatch represents the evolution of WeSportUp, the acceleration program promoted by CDP Venture Capital dedicated to innovation in sport. Thanks to the experience gained in support of the growth of 26 startups with more than 1,100 applications received and 2,2 million euros invested in the last three years, the program expands its focus to the fields of wellness and health, recognizing in longevity one of the main challenges and emerging opportunities, and supports other 7 innovative companies already on the market, with high growth potential to generate a positive economic and social impact on the territory and on the communities.
In line with these objectives, the 13-week path was designed to meet the needs of innovative companies in the growth phase. The program has integrated specialized mentorship moments, business development activities, confrontation with industrial partners, fundraising support and operational sessions with professionals and high profile mentor on key areas for startup development: technological validation, business strategy, conflict prevention, financial planning and corporate evaluation and public speaking.
The startups of VitalMatch, selected after a scouting phase that attracted almost 200 applications, in addition to the acceleration program receive a total investment of 2.65 million euros from CDP Venture Capital and in co-investment from Wylab.
The 7 startups protagonists of Demo Day are the main innovation directors of the program:
● NuHpro: develops innovative food products in Food as Medicine, designed for people with intolerances, gastrointestinal issues and specific nutritional needs, with focus on sports and health.
● StandUpWay: offers online therapeutic paths for dependency treatment, through an innovative and scientifically validated method that combines professional support, remote accessibility and multidisciplinary approach.
● DHTA: GenAI platform for sports clubs and athletes that allows you to create, manage and monetize audio content, images and videos generated with AI, ethically and maintaining control over IP, brand and digital rights.
● ReAIctivate: AI system for sports CRM that identifies inactive fans and reactivates them with personalized communications for subscriptions, tickets, merchandise and services of the club or companies.
● HMBLE: media company active in esports, which brings Italian excellence to the global stage through competitive teams, creators and fan engagement projects that bring brands closer to young generations.
● 0 Waste: eliminates disposable plastic in big events through reusable smart glasses and a digital platform for engagement, gamification, flow tracking and sustainability reporting.
● PlanEat: digital platform that prevents food waste through smart meal planning, helping companies, schools, hospitals, families and collective catering to reduce waste and measure environmental and social impact.
The startups presented confirm the vision of VitalMatch: to make sport a transversal platform of innovation able to promote health, well-being and quality of life, accelerating the growth of enterprises that generate economic value and positive social impact and producing concrete benefits for people, territories and communities, well beyond the dimension of sports performance and great events.
“This first batch of VitalMatch strengthens the path that has been completed over the last four years, confirming the program as a strategic point of reference for the sports, wellness and health industry,” said Stefano Molino, Head of the Venture Capital CDP Accelerators Fund. “The seven selected startups have demonstrated the potential and quality of innovation that is emerging in these areas, today increasingly central in people’s daily lives. We are convinced that the path initiated will help to accelerate the development of new products and technologies capable of generating concrete benefits for physical and mental well-being, creating a positive and lasting impact on the industry and society.”.
“With support for VitalMatch, the Foundation invests in the ability to attract talent, develop skills and transform innovation into growth opportunities. This programme is part of the strategy outlined in the Multiannual Programme Document 2025-2028 with which we work to strengthen the ecosystem of Turin’s innovation, leveraging the potential of health, sport, prevention and longevity sectors as areas capable of generating new development trajectories. Demo Day returns the value of this path: it demonstrates how a qualified collaboration between institutions, enterprises, investors and research can accompany the growth of high-potential enterprises and create conditions for innovation to produce economic, social and territorial impact,” said Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.
“Sport, wellness and health are increasingly strategic areas for innovation, able to open new business and investment opportunities and the startups protagonists of VitalMatch are a concrete demonstration”, says Viviana Bacigalupo, Managing Director of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center. “As an ecosystem partner of the program, we accompany the growth of innovative enterprises, contributing to the development of innovation ecosystems capable of generating new entrepreneurship, qualified skills and quality occupation on the territory and to foster the growth of a dynamic and resilient entrepreneurial fabric. A commitment that reflects the vision of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, which considers sport a factor of innovation and sustainability and, at the same time, a powerful instrument of inclusion and participation.”.
“After over 20 years, first as an entrepreneur and then also as an investor next to hundreds of founders, I learned that a good idea and good technology are not enough. What we try to convey in Startupbootcamp is above all the entrepreneurial mindset: the ability to see what the market still does not see and have determination, almost a healthy obsession, to transform that vision into an enterprise. VitalMatch represents this approach well: we have entrepreneurs able to create around them the conditions to grow, putting together capital and skills. ” commented Nazzareno Mengoni, Founder & Partner of Startupbootcamp Italy. “Even thanks to the last five years alongside CDP Venture Capital, we realized that the next step is to go further: not to follow only what the market has already recognized, but to identify before others where value will be created. It is an evolution that can significantly strengthen the Italian venture capital ecosystem. Looking at the most advanced markets, particularly in the United States, we believe that the encounter between health and new technologies will be one of the great transformations of the coming years. We want to be there before it becomes apparent to everyone. ”
Federico Smanio, CEO of Wylab and Program Director of VitalMatch says: “These startups tell how well sport is today an extraordinary transversal platform of innovation, able to connect different worlds: from well-being to longevity, from content to communities, from gaming to sustainability. Precisely the comparison with reality so heterogeneous has led us to evolve our model of acceleration, making it increasingly tailored, concrete and close to the real needs of the founders. But the most ambitious challenge goes beyond the single program: together with partners like Juventus, Compagnia di San Paolo, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Lottomatica, we are creating the conditions to grow in Turin and Piedmont an increasingly strong and open ecosystem for innovation in sport and well-being”.
“Participation in VitalMatch has enabled us to transform the comparison with the innovation ecosystem into a concrete experience of collaboration. During the course we had the opportunity to work directly with one of the selected startups, testing technologies, skills and new approaches to the real needs of our business.” commented Simone Ridolfi, Head of Digital Innovation in Lottomatica. Sport. “This is exactly the value we seek in open innovation: creating connections that do not stop at networking, but can become concrete experiments and, when there are conditions, opportunities for collaboration capable of generating value for both parties. VitalMatch created the right context for this to happen. ”
“After three years of collaboration with WeSportUp, today VitalMatch, it seemed natural to become a reference point for the program when the accelerator moved to Turin. But we did not want to limit ourselves to making available an iconic location like the Allianz Stadium, but also to contribute to the experience, skills and network of the Club.” commented Carolina Chiappero, Innovation Manager of Juventus. “It was an opportunity for comparison and contamination, in which startups brought new ideas and perspectives within the reality of whitener. This is one of the functions of innovation for us: to create connections that help transform needs and problems into concrete opportunities. The presence of one of VitalMatch startups in the Juventus Forward Squad 2025-26 is a natural evolution of this route. ”
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