VITA Accelerator

VITA Accelerator is Italy’s leading digital health acceleration program, part of the CDP National Accelerators Network, launched in May 2022 by CDP Venture Capital SGR (Italy’s state-backed venture capital manager, controlled by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti) together with Accelerace (a Danish accelerator with 650+ startups in its track record). Healthware Group was an original co-founding partner and operator (via its corporate VC arm Healthware Ventures), but was acquired by EVERSANA in October 2023, with integration completed by April 2024; VITA’s own current site now names EVERSANA as the co-founding/operating partner in place of Healthware Group (unconfirmed whether “Healthware Ventures” survives as a distinct operating name within EVERSANA). Based at Palazzo Innovazione in Salerno, with founder/Managing Partner Paolo Borella. Eligible startups are pre-seed or seed-stage digital health companies — Italian-based, international with an Italian founder, or international with strong strategic intent to enter the Italian market (must open an Italian legal entity if selected) — with breakthrough technology, a functioning business model, initial traction, product-market fit, and strategic relevance to digital health. The 13-week programme (delivered over 4 months, hybrid on-site/online) provides €150,000 initial investment (€90,000 cash convertible loan + €60,000 in-kind) for 3-6% equity, with follow-on investment up to €400,000 (cumulative up to €2 million for top performers) against a total programme AUM of €6.35 million. Benefits include access to Italian patient associations and hospitals, fundraising mentoring, full access to the Frontiers Health Global Conference, optional Salerno residency, a dedicated mentor per startup, and Proof-of-Concept collaboration with corporate partners Petrone Group and SIFI. Startups without an Italian legal entity may still apply. VITA ran three annual cohorts as originally planned (2022, 2023, 2024 — matching its stated launch commitment of “1 batch per year over 3 years”); no public confirmation of a 2025 or 2026 cohort was found. VITA has invested in 5+ startups across its cohorts, including Paperbox Health (€230K bridge round post-programme).