Space Finance Arena - Where Capital Meets Space Innovation

As the Space Economy enters a new phase of growth, access to capital has become a key driver of innovation and competitiveness. Space Finance Arena brings together entrepreneurs, investors, banks and public financial institutions to explore how venture capital, banking and public funding can accelerate the growth of startups and SMEs. More than a traditional conference, it is a business-oriented platform designed to foster investment, strategic partnerships and new opportunities across the European Space Economy. The objective is to connect companies, investors and financial institutions, accelerating innovation and sustainable growth.

Programme

Moderator

Isabella Bufacchi, Journalist Il Sole24Ore

Roundtable: market landscape & capital mapping

Overview of investment dynamics, capital stack and key trends

Giuseppe Lorizzo, Partner EY

Augusto Cramarossa, Head of Strategic Area Coordination and New Space Economy, Italian Space Agency - ASI

Sascha Deutsch, Commercialisation Gateway Business Analyst European Space Agency - ESA

Lorenzo Scatena, General Secretary Fondazione E. Amaldi

Simonetta Di Pippo, Space Economy Evolution Lab SDA Bocconi

Roundtable: how space startups seally get funded

Discussion on investment criteria, timelines and funding strategies

Matteo Botticelli, Senior Partner, Responsible Fondo Italia Space Venture at Italian National Promotional Institution - CDP Venture Capital SGR

Luca Passariello, Business Development lead Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero - SACE

Paolo Giovanni Panzarini, Innovation Finance Manager Intesa San Paolo

Francesco Brescia, Senior Ventures Associate Aerospace Plug and Play

Simone Lavizzari, Principal Join Capital

Founder case

One or two real-life examples of start-ups and scale-ups among those present, who will share their journey of growth and fundraising, including the challenges, mistakes and lessons learnt

Dario Loffredo, CFO Argotec Group

Matteo Andreas Lorenzoni, Orbital Access Business Unit Director D-Orbit

Investor reverse pitch

Investors present ticket size, sectors and access to deal flow

Ilaria Cavalleri, Investment Principal Primo Space

Roberto Grosso, Partner TLI Space 

Alexandre Bonnet, Investment Manager, SpaceFounders

ESA INCUBED current and upcoming funding opportunities

Eligibility criteria, co-funding mechanisms and real case examples from the InCubed programme for startups, SMEs and non-space companies. At the end of the session, participants will have the opportunity to request a direct meeting with ESA within the Innovation District

Piera Di Vito, European Space Agency - ESA Phi Lab

Q&A

Networking Lunch