Startup funding in Italy 2026
January to September 2026. Data as of 23 October 2026.
Release
Total
Startups in Italy raised $575M in 126 venture rounds from January to September 2026, 23rd of 119 countries, according to FundingWatcher.
Without rounds of $100M or more
Italy had no round of $100M or more in January to September 2026.
Largest round
The largest round was Smartness in Riva Del Garda: $55M, Series B, in May 2026.
Cities
Milan startups raised $327M, 56.9% of the national total, ahead of Riva Del Garda with $55M.
Early stage
Pre-seed, seed, angel and Series A rounds under $100M: 122 rounds, $483M.
Source
Source: FundingWatcher, startup funding by country and city 2026, https://fundingwatcher.com/research/startup-funding-by-country-2026/
Cities
| City | Rounds | Total | Under $100M | Rounds of $100M+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan | 50 | $327M | $327M | 0 |
| Riva Del Garda | 1 | $55M | $55M | 0 |
| Cernusco Sul Naviglio | 1 | $45M | $45M | 0 |
| Trieste | 1 | $17M | $17M | 0 |
| Cantù | 1 | $17M | $17M | 0 |
| Bari | 3 | $11M | $11M | 0 |
| Rome | 8 | $10M | $10M | 0 |
| Turin | 6 | $10M | $10M | 0 |
| Bergamo | 3 | $10M | $10M | 0 |
| Castell'azzara | 1 | $6M | $6M | 0 |
| Bolzano | 3 | $6M | $6M | 0 |
| Ghizzano | 1 | $6M | $6M | 0 |
Largest rounds
| Company | City | Round | Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartness | Riva Del Garda | Series B | 2026-05-04 | $55M |
| Aptadir Therapeutics | Milan | seed | 2026-09-29 | $45M |
| Niulinx | Cernusco Sul Naviglio | seed | 2026-04-11 | $45M |
| Subbyx | Milan | Series A | 2026-03-25 | $35M |
| Trifoglio | Milan | seed | 2026-03-26 | $35M |
| DRONUS | Trieste | Series A | 2026-03-24 | $17M |
| Dialybrid | Cantù | Series A | 2026-09-22 | $17M |
| Complaion | Milan | seed | 2026-09-28 | $15M |
| Pillar | Milan | seed | 2026-05-12 | $14M |
| Cosmico | Milan | Series B | 2026-05-18 | $14M |
Method
126 rounds in Italy in the FundingWatcher startup file: companies whose most recent round is a named stage, pre-seed and angel through Series J, dated January to September 2026. One round per company, the latest. Debt, grants, corporate rounds, private equity and secondary sales are not counted. 114 of the 126 rounds carry an amount. Method and data files: startup funding by country and city, 2026.
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