Eni invests together with CDP Venture Capital €550K and announces a collaboration with the startup EXE Engineering in the field of carbon offsetting initiatives in Africa.
These new resources will allow the startup to accelerate its roadmap and support the expansion of projects into new operational contexts, including international growth in Europe and Africa. The round was led by Zero and Eni Next, Eni’s corporate venture capital company created to invest in innovative, high-tech startups.
Zero is a program of the National Network of Accelerators of CDP Venture Capital – implemented in collaboration with Zest and Elis – with Eni as the main corporate partner through Joule, its school for entrepreneurship, and involving additional companies in the sector.
EXE Engineering participated in the Zero acceleration program between 2024 and 2025 and developed a pilot project with Eni (Proof of Concept), subsequently signing a cooperation agreement in Africa for the assessment, development, and implementation of innovative solutions aimed at reducing emissions and enhancing the environmental value of waste.
Acceleration and innovation through the Zero program
“The EXE Engineering operation is a concrete example of how the CDP Venture Capital National Accelerator Network model can transform innovation into real industrial development opportunities. Through Zero, we guided the startup through a path that combined entrepreneurial growth, technological validation, and collaboration with a major partner like Eni,” comments Stefano Molino, Head of the CDP Venture Capital Accelerator Fund. “The entry of Eni Next into the investment further strengthens the industrial and strategic value of the operation.”
“The acceleration path through Zero,” emphasizes Clara Andreoletti, CEO of Eni Next, “was a key factor in creating the conditions for Eni Next’s investment in EXE Engineering. It not only supported the industrial and managerial growth of the team but also fostered, through an experimental path, strategic alignment and greater visibility on medium- to long-term development potential. The operation is a concrete validation of our integrated open innovation model, which structurally links acceleration and corporate venture capital activities.”
Innovative solutions to reduce emissions and valorize waste
During 2025, EXE Engineering also received other important recognitions. The startup entered the “TOP 100 Italian Startups” selected by Forbes and Ventive and received the special mention “Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship” as part of the Eni Award, which aims to valorize the best innovative and sustainable entrepreneurial ideas. The recognition was awarded to the startup by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinale Palace.
“The partnership with Eni,” explains Gianni Cordaro, CEO and Founder of EXE Engineering, “represents an important milestone for the growth of our startup, focused on developing and implementing cutting-edge technologies to close the waste cycle, particularly in capturing and utilizing biogas from landfills. This optimization not only improves environmental impact but also generates significant economic returns. We are therefore very proud to collaborate with our partners and grow the company.”
Elena Martelli, Portfolio Manager at Zest, expresses great satisfaction “for this first milestone, marking the start of a long-term, high-impact collaboration for the planet. During the Zero acceleration program, we observed the team quickly structuring itself and beginning to think big, bringing innovation and execution capabilities to a sector that is still underdeveloped but critical for the ecological transition. EXE Engineering,” Martelli emphasizes, “shows that even from landfills, where everything seems at the ‘end of the line,’ innovation, energy, and efficiency can emerge. We are proud to have planted a first seed and to see its fruits grow.”
Eni and CDP Venture Capital are related parties. Both companies have applied their respective internal procedures on the matter.