The first edition of VitalMatch Accelerator, the programme dedicated to start-ups working in the fields of sport, wellness and health, came to a close today with the Demo Day held at the Allianz Stadium. In front of an audience of investors, companies and representatives from the innovation ecosystem, seven selected companies presented the results of their journey. The initiative was launched by CDP Venture Capital and benefits from the operational support of Startupbootcamp and Wylab. A network has been built around the programme, comprising the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Centre, Lottomatica.Sport and Juventus.
From WeSportUp to VitalMatch
The programme is the evolution of WeSportUp, the accelerator dedicated to innovation in sport promoted by CDP Venture Capital. The results from the last three years set out the starting point: 26 start-ups supported, over 1,100 applications received and 2.2 million euros invested. Building on that experience, VitalMatch is broadening its scope to include wellbeing and health, with the challenge of longevity identified as one of the key emerging issues and, at the same time, a market opportunity. The programme runs over thirteen weeks. The scouting phase attracted nearly two hundred applications: the seven selected start-ups receive a total investment of €2.65 million from CDP Venture Capital and a co-investment from Wylab.
The seven leading ladies
The group operates across three thematic areas. The first concerns health, nutrition and prevention: NuHpro develops food products for people living with food intolerances or specific nutritional needs, StandUpWay brings online therapeutic programmes for the treatment of addictions, and PlanEat works on smart meal planning to prevent food waste.
The second area builds on the sport-tech core inherited from the group’s previous experience, now reimagined through the lens of artificial intelligence. DHTA offers clubs and athletes a platform to create, manage and monetise content, with a particular focus on controlling intellectual property and digital rights, whilst ReAIctivate applies an agent-based AI system to sports sector management software, identifying inactive fans and re-engaging them through personalised communications. HMBLE is a media company operating in esports, which, through competitive teams and content creators, develops engagement projects designed to bring brands closer to younger generations. Finally, the third strand concerns the sustainability of major events: 0 Waste eliminates single-use plastic through reusable smart cups.
Turin as an ecosystem
The relocation of the programme to Turin has enabled VitalMatch to build a network linking foundations, banks and professional sports organisations. Simone Ridolfi, head of digital innovation at Lottomatica.Sport, explains that he has worked directly with one of the selected start-ups, putting technologies and skills to the test against real business needs: the added value, he argues, lies in moving from networking to experimentation. Carolina Chiappero, Innovation Manager at Juventus, explains that the club has chosen to make available not only the stadium but also its expertise and contacts, highlighting the most tangible outcome of the collaboration: the inclusion of one of VitalMatch’s start-ups in the Juventus Forward Squad 2025–26, a team comprising eleven start-ups. Looking at more mature markets, and the United States in particular, the convergence of healthcare and new technologies is cited as one of the key transformations of the coming years.
