Galaxia Investor Day 2026: bringing startups, investors and institutions together to shape the future of the New Space Economy

On 24 September, the Galaxia Investor Day took place at the headquarters of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center in Turin, an event dedicated to the projects and startups supported within the National Aerospace Technology Transfer Hub promoted by CDP Venture Capital and Obloo Ventures

The event brought together a selection of fundraising startups, investors, institutions and innovation ecosystem stakeholders to review the results achieved so far and discuss the growth prospects of new deep-tech ventures operating in the aerospace, space economy and enabling technology sectors.

Today, Galaxia represents one of Italy’s leading instruments for enhancing the value of scientific research outcomes and supporting the transformation of advanced technologies into high-potential companies. This is made possible thanks to the participation of Politecnico di Torino and Sapienza University of Rome, as well as the involvement of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Established in 2023 on the initiative of CDP Venture Capital SGR together with tech factory Obloo, the Hub works to foster technology transfer in the strategic aerospace sector by providing expertise, capital and a structured entrepreneurial development pathway.

In April 2025, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, through the SEI (Innovation Ecosystem Development) fund managed by its subsidiary Neva SGR, together with Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, invested a total of €2.5 million in Galaxia, further strengthening the initiative and contributing to the growth of Italy’s innovation ecosystem in the aerospace sector.

To date, Galaxia has completed 17 Proof of Concept (PoC) investments and 10 seed investments, for a total of more than €23 million invested. These results confirm the Hub’s ability to support the creation and development of deep-tech startups, facilitating the transition from research to market while contributing to the country’s technological competitiveness.

Investor Day: a discussion on the value of technology transfer

The event opened with institutional remarks by Alessandro Balboni, Head of Innovation Business Development at Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, and Stefania Ascione, Head of R&D Consulting and European Funding at Intesa Sanpaolo.

Following an in-depth session on New Space Economy trends, the Investor Day moved into its core discussion with a roundtable featuring representatives from CDP Venture Capital, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Neva SGR and Obloo Ventures.

The discussion focused on the role of technology transfer as a key lever for turning research into business, the importance of building ecosystems capable of supporting deep-tech startups in their early stages, the need to guide technological evolution towards sustainable business models, and the value of connections with corporates, investors and industrial partners in accelerating the growth of innovative new ventures.

In this context, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Neva SGR highlighted the strategic value of investing in innovation ecosystems that can generate new entrepreneurial opportunities and create the conditions for the most promising startups to attract subsequent investments to support their growth.

“To foster the creation and growth of new innovative companies in the Italian aerospace sector, it is essential to combine research and business, supporting startups throughout their entire development journey, from the laboratory to the market,” said Luca Pagetti. “This is why we invested in Galaxia through the Innovation Ecosystem Development Fund managed by our subsidiary Neva SGR, while also providing expertise and international networks to support the growth of selected startups and facilitate their access to industrial partners, investors and market opportunities. This support is part of our Group’s broader commitment to the space economy, which also led to the recent Space Lending Facility agreement signed by Intesa Sanpaolo, the EIB and ESA, mobilising up to €300 million in financing.”

Ten startups take centre stage in the final pitch session

A key moment of the Investor Day was the pitch session featuring ten startups from the Galaxia portfolio, presenting their solutions to investors and industry stakeholders.

The startups showcased innovations ranging from satellite communications and quantum-safe cybersecurity to advanced propulsion systems for aerospace applications, space surveillance technologies, as well as solutions for robotics, in-orbit energy services and long-range electric drones.

The participating startups were:

• AdapTronics – develops intelligent electro-adhesive surfaces for robotic grasping and object manipulation, with applications in industrial automation and space.
• Rotonium – designs compact photonic quantum processors operating at room temperature for use in satellites, drones, robots and industrial systems.
• SPiN – develops plug-and-play modular avionics for satellites, simplifying the integration and replacement of payloads and subsystems.
• ARCA Dynamics – provides space surveillance services to detect and track satellites and other objects in orbit.
• SatEnlight – develops high-capacity optical communication systems for satellites and terrestrial networks based on OAM technology.
• FAST Aerospace – designs ramjet propulsion systems for hypersonic applications, with potential uses in defence and access-to-space missions.
• levelQuantum – develops quantum-safe cybersecurity hardware for the local generation of cryptographic keys through quantum entanglement.
• ORiS – offers wireless in-orbit energy recharging services for satellites through laser-based technology.
• Picosats – develops miniaturised satellite telecommunications systems in the Ka and Ku bands, including transceivers, antennas and transponders.
• SUPAIR – develops a long-range electric eVTOL drone for the autonomous monitoring of critical infrastructure and for security and defence missions.

A growing ecosystem for the italian aerospace sector

The Investor Day provided an opportunity to showcase the achievements reached by Galaxia over its first three years of activity and to reaffirm the importance of supporting the growth of high-tech startups in the increasingly strategic Space Economy sector.

Thanks to the contribution of industrial partners, institutional investors and innovation ecosystem stakeholders, Galaxia now aims to further strengthen its role as a leading platform for technology transfer in the Italian aerospace industry, fostering the creation of new innovative companies and accelerating the development of the technologies that will shape the future.