About

About a tight knit team with a passion.

We are an investment company operating in the fashion industry, providing full business support and acceleration consulting services to startups and enterprises, unleashing the power of digital technology.

We assist our clients in all aspects of their business, to achieve growth and valorization.

Since 2014, Fashion Technology Accelerator Milan’s aim is to advance the fashion industry through innovative business models and the use of digital processes. Today we are part of an international network with the main office in Milan and a subsidiary in London.

Being highly industry-specific and with a global reach, we select and work with the best players worldwide. For this reason, in 2018 Fashion Technology Accelerator has been chosen by Hatcher+ as their global partner to invest in fashion technology startups.

Mentors

Partners

Chairman & Partner

Paolo Ivancevich

Paolo is our Chairman & Partner. He has been a member of the boards of investment companies, banks, and fund management companies. A former Executive Manager of important Italian banks, including Banco di Napoli and Banco di Sicilia, in addition to CEO of Diners Club Europe, Paolo is the Founder and CEO of Captha, which provides training in the banking and financing sector, and Novenero, a corporate finance advisory company.

He has a degree in Economics from the University of Siena.

Read Paolo’s blog articles

Chief Executive Officer

Giusy Cannone

Giusy is our Chief Executive Officer and she has 10 years experience in the investment and startups area. She has been Investment Manager at Italian Angels for Growth, business angels network with 14M€ invested.

Previously, she was innovation specialist at in Intesa Sanpaolo bank, running a program which supports business development of tech start-ups. Earlier, she had working experience in the United States working first as Researcher at the Kauffman Foundation then at the Mind the Bridge as coordinator of the incubation program in San Francisco.

She has also been involved in consultancy projects to develop entrepreneurial ecosystem in different countries. She is lecturer at the major Italian Fashion Schools such as Istituto Marangoni and Domus Academy.

Read Giusy’s blog articles

Head of Operations

Marco Filocamo

Marco is our Head of Operations and he has in-depth expertise in data analysis, operations and project management.

He is a lecturer at fashion institutions such as Domus Academy and Istituto Marangoni.

He is also a Facilitator for Startup Weekend in Southern Europe and the co-founder of Activators Pavia, an association of tech and business enthusiasts promoting innovation at all levels.

Read Marco’s blog articles

Head of Marketing Communications and Digital

Francesco Fiume

Francesco is our Head of Marketing Communications and Digital and he has 12+ years of experience in sales and marketing, focusing especially on sportswear and streetwear.

He is the founder and Senior Digital Strategist of the web lifestyle project strettoblaster.com and has been the Managing Director of the Italian branch of Marc Ecko for 6 years.He has also worked as Country Manager for New Era Cap, and for Nike’s branding activities.

Read Francesco’s blog articles

Project Manager - Fashion Technology Accelerator Doha (Scale 7)

Stefano Merenda

Stefano is our Project Manager of Fashion Technology Accelerator Doha, the new fashion tech accelerator developed as part of the Scale 7 initiative in Qatar.

He has worked in multiple international environments and has supported multiple FTA portfolio startups especially in data-related and project management activities.

Our Advisory Board

Fashion Technology Accelerator has built its advisor board consisting of executive profiles who are experts in the fashion, technology and entrepreneurship sectors.

The board also states the important relationship between FTA and the corporate world.

The board will be able to provide greater skills, capabilities and critical eye during the operations of recruiting and selection of promising new startups.

President - Milano Unica CEO - Successori Reda

Ercole Botto Poala

Born in 1971, after his university education and the international experience Ercole joins Reda, which is now at the fourth generation, and from 2005 he took the responsibility upon himself becoming the new ceo of the wool factory. During the early years he held different positions: from production to marketing, from new business to design where he has learnt all the details of this job. Strongly attached to his region, like Reda’s woollen fabrics, he would like to improve the idea of an ethical factory, strongly connected to the quality of the product and, at the same time, to the respect of the human relationships, of the environment and, last but not the least, of the tradition. All these elements let Reda’s brand strengthen its position in the world market, becoming today synonymous of luxury and made in Italy.

Former Director of Research & Development - YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP

Gabriele Tazzari

Gabriele Tazzari is a Technology Strategist & former Director of Research & Development at YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP. He was in charge of product evolution strategy and innovation adoption, focusing particularly on product design and personalisation, apps, mobility, rapid prototyping techniques and technology organisation. Tazzari began his professional career at Nexus as Area Manager and in 2000 joined YOOX S.p.A. as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the then nascent business. As CTO, Gabriele built and grew the Technology capacities leading a team of several hundred technologists, setting the baseline of the global e-commerce platform covering Europe, US, Japan and China. From 2011, he started focusing on Innovation as Governance and Innovation Director, working on software performance, scalability, automation and governance models to support the fast-paced growth of software applications and infrastructures. He took on his current role in 2015 and joined the Advisory Board of Fashion Technology Accelerator Milano in January 2018. Tazzari graduated in electronic engineering from Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna.

Vice President - Miroglio Group

Giuseppe Miroglio

Giuseppe Miroglio is the Vice-President of the Miroglio Group. He has been the CEO of the group from December 2006 to July 2013. He is also the President of Miroglio Textile, Vice-President of Miroglio Fashion and of the Joint Venture Ayaydin-Miroglio. He has started his career in Miroglio in 1997 in London, supervising the activities of Miroglio Fashion UK. During this period he has personally contributed to the development of the sales network of Miroglio, strengthening business ties with the most important department stores of the UK. Two years later, he has become part of the Board of Directors of Miroglio S.p.A. In 1999, he has started the development of the retail activities of Elena Mirò, one of the most prominent brands of the group. In 2003, he has become the Managing Director of Miroglio Fashion, focusing his attention on the brand strategy of the company brands’. He is currently a shareholder and part of the Board of H-Farm, RCR Cristalleria Italiana, Egea and APRO. He was born on the 4th of April in 1972 in Turin and he has graduated in Business at the Cattolica University in Milan.

Brand Experience Advisor - H.Edge

Helen Nonini

Widely known as H., she is a well-recognised brand advisor and strategic consultant, bringing out the best of companies’ key assets, shaping them to better fit the present and future. She starts her career in the financial world passing through the fundraising and non-profit sectors, then landing in the luxury industry. She also worked as Head of Operations for the luxury concierge company Quintessentially and as PR in companies worldwide.

CEO - Piquadro

Marco Palmieri

Marco Palmieri starts his career in IT while still an engineering student and at the age of twenty he founds Mediacom, a company specializing in optical and computer systems applied to process controls. In 1987 he starts Piquadro and, after ten years’ production on behalf of prestigious Italian brands, he decides to dedicate himself to leatherware by creating the Piquadro brand and launching it on the Italian market. In 2007 he oversees the placement of Piquadro shares on the Italian Stock Exchange, where they are still listed. In 2016 he signs the acquisition of the Florentine leather goods brand The Bridge, creating a Group of around 100 million euros in turnover. Marco Palmieri’s great sensitivity for the discovery of new talents drives him to create in 2005 Piqubo S.p.A, an investment company that is mainly involved in financing new entrepreneurial activities. With the same purpose, in 2017 Palmieri launches Piquadro MyStartup Funding Program, an open innovation project which promotes innovation and enterprise by rewarding the best business ideas in the area of technology applied to the luggage and fashion accessories industry and rewards the best business idea with 100,000 euros and an acceleration path in Silicon Valley.

Partner - Milano Investment Partners SGR

Stefano Guidotti

Stefano is CEO and co-founder of Milano Investment Partners SGR, the first venture growth / expansion capital fund focused on Italian scale-up companie. He is co-founder and former CEO of U-Start, a consulting firm offering services to private investors, family offices, HNWI and corporates. The company create club deals through private investors. Stefano is also advisor of many startup around Europe and collaborates with various Early Stage VC Funds in Italy, UK, Switzerland and Germany. He has also dealt with strategy consulting and international marketing with a specific focus on the digital and renewable energy sectors. He has created the widest accelerator network in Africa during his collaboration with ALTIS.

CEO - Sergio Rossi

Riccardo Sciutto

Former Head of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility - Gucci

Rossella Ravagli

Mentors with experience are here for you

Experience is the key.
Our dedicated network of mentors and experts is here to help.

From fashion to technology, from finance to investments, every aspect of the life of a startup is fully covered.
Meet your next advisors here.

Antonella Maria Monte

Marie-Pierre Schickel

Gabriele Cavargna Bontosi

Francesco Bottigliero

Industry ties to make you stronger.

Industry ties to make you stronger.
Ranging from fashion to technology, we are able to oversee and advise on almost every aspect of the strategic development for a startup.

We have solid and reliable partners across several industries, because we don’t play solo, but we play hard.

Have a look at our network.

All partners Fashion Investment Startups we like Technology

e-PITTI.com is a project of Pitti Immagine, launched in June 2011. It hosts the digital version of Pitti Uomo, Pitti W, Pitti Bimbo and Pitti Filati. The platform, created by FieraDigitale, is a professional and innovative tool which maximizes the potential of trade shows always accessible from anywhere around the world. It provides an online stand where exhibitors can present collections, trends and products to international buyers certified by Pitti Immagine. It is a tool for acquiring, profiling and developing visitors’ database as well as an incentive for companies for new business and contacts opportunities.
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Re:Tech started as a meetup group in Tel Aviv, in May 2013. since then, they grew into a community of over 1,500 members, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, bloggers, brands, designers and everyone else interested in fashion innovation.
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As a holistic and inclusive open-source initiative, Fashion for Good invites the global fashion industry to reimagine how fashion is designed, made, worn and reused.
Fashion for Good aims to promote the five “Goods” of a new, transformed fashion industry: Good Materials, Good Economy, Good Energy, Good Water, and Good Lives. In pursuit of this goal, Fashion for Good enables the fashion industry to embrace innovation, change its business models and adopt a totally new mindset.
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DSTech offers digital support, training and development to both startups and established companies with over 100 employees and 4 local Italian branches.
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Since 2002, Infobip’s mission has been to create seamless interactions between people and enterprises through mobile. Today, more than 200,000 customers and 300 mobile operators trust Infobip to provide amazing mobile experiences, thus creating a better mobile world. As an integral part of the SMS industry evolution, we are committed to building mobile services that just work while having fun in the process.
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IAG is the largest business angels network in Italy, with more than 120 members. The investment focus is on seed stage startups and the investment size is between € 200.000 and € 800.000. Through its members and co-investors, IAG has invested more than € 24M, contributing to the growth of 28 innovative startups.
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Tech Silu is promoting the creation of a seed fund for Italian startups, building the first cross-continental demo day to match Chinese and Italian communities. Tech Silu selects the best Italian startups which have great attractiveness for Chinese investors.
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LITA.co is the first impact investing platform that connects individuals and social entrepreneurs. In order to manage your finances in a more ethical way, LITA.co allows you to invest online in companies seeking social, environmental or other positive impacts.
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Open Italy is the Italian sales accelerator that puts in contact startups and corporates for pilot projects. The initiative is organized by Elis.
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BizPlace Holding is the leader company in Italy in advisory and fundraising services for start-ups and innovative SMEs.
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The mission of Doorway is to support, also in the international context, the development of ground-breaking Startup or SMEs, providing a diversified portfolio for those investors who have a medium to long term investment horizon.
Moreover, the platform acts as a “gateway” to a virtual marketplace where high-scalability startups and SMEs can interact with business angels, family offices and other qualified investors, allowing the first to raise the capital needed to implement promising businesses and the others to allocate part of their financial assets to support disruptive businesses and successful, competent and fully committed entrepreneurs. The latter point is crucial as we believe that execution is the main factor of success and / or failure of the initiatives.
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ZigZag is a managed international returns service to help retailers re-sell stock instead of return stock. They integrate more than 200 carriers and 220 warehouses optimizing return management for leading brands and retailers.

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Mercaux brings the benefits of digital into retail stores to drive sales uplift. Their proprietary platform provides retailers with a suite of digital in-store solutions to support the path to purchase, from product discovery to mobile checkout.

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Ecomate is the sustainability solution dedicated to SMEs looking for a complete, all-in-one service dedicated to improving their ESG ((Environmental, social, and governance) rating . You can check your score with various parameters and discover hidden opportunities for improvements, including a complete study of your supply chain.

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The mission of C.L.A.S.S. is provide professionals, students, brands and contemporary consumers the tools and the services to become more aware, competitive and responsible. They strive to activate virtuous processes and trigger change by promoting a new generation of values, smart materials, ingredients, innovators, technologies and communication in the fashion world.

They have a variety of activities that can be summarized as follows:

SMART TOOLS: the platform of responsible and traceable materials, innovations, tools and technologies to inject sustainability into textiles, fashion collections and companies’ performance.
SMART ACADEMY: a rich program of events, talks, classes and services to educate, raise awareness and inspire professionals, manufacturers, students and all those who strongly believe in sustainable values.
SMART SHOP: the inspirational materials’ bank and samples e-shop for creatives and brands willing to explore and test latest innovations in sustainable fabrics and fashion ingredients.

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Today Marangoni Institute is an established and recognized aesthetic laboratory of European-style culture with a specifically Italian imprint. Working with the most interesting names in fashion and design, teachers are able to pass on their expertise to train the excellence of tomorrow’s industry professionals, enabling them to contextualize classroom learning in the realities of the marketplace. The path includes constant contact with the best companies in fashion and design, who look to the Istituto for new individuals to work in their companies.
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Politecnico di Milano is a scientific-technological university which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers.
The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of its teaching and research, developing a fruitful relationship with business and productive world by means of experimental research and technological transfer.
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The education provided by Milano Fashion Institute is based on the competence and experience of three of the most important Italian universities, which are also recognized as international centres of excellence, proposing an unprecedented integration of skills in the framework of Design, Management, Communication and Lifestyle.
Programs proposed have been set up through a process of interaction and dialogue with the companies of the fashion system and the Italian excellences of Design, Wellness and Events, and focusing on those professional profiles which have proved to be of great interest for companies represented by the leading trade associations involved in the project.
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VENTE-PRIVEE, THE EUROPEAN E-COMMERCE LEADER, IS THE PRODUCT OF A CONSTANT PROCESS OF INNOVATION THAT HAS ALWAYS DRIVEN OUR BUSINESS.
To keep breaking the mould in its preeminent sector – fashion – vente-privee is opting for open innovation to support the growth of the best European start-ups that are creating new on- and offline consumption patterns for tomorrow’s fashion.
The vente-privee accelerator, an initiative originally developed by Jacques-Antoine Granjon and his team, is part of an ambitious R&D plan that aims to assist and spur changes in e-commerce.
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Skolkovo Foundation is the principal agency responsible for the Russian Skolkovo Innovation Center, a scientific and technological centre for the development and commercialisation of advanced technologies. It is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 and charged by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev with creating a new science and technology development centre in the Moscow suburb of Skolkovo. The Skolkovo innovation system comprises the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (SkolTech) established in partnership with MIT, corporate R&D centres, business incubators, private seed and venture funds, and start-up companies, as well as residential space and social infrastructure. It is a city with over 30,000 residents and employees.
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CFE International specialises in strategic planning and organisational development. Through their expert knowledge they can empower organisations at a local level and the global marketplace. CFE international is highly respected for its expertise in fashion business development with a proven track record. Satisfied clients looking to develop their fashion sector include public and private organisations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. They enable clients identify economic and cultural opportunities and provide solutions to act upon and develop through suitable platforms.
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As one of the fastest growing digital magazines writing about fashion technology and wearables, FashNerd.com’s foundation is based on the need to start an open conversation about the merger of fashion with technology.
Founded January 2015 by Muchaneta Kapfunde and Mano ten Napel, this digital magazine is required reading for those addicted to the fashion tech, IoT and the wearable tech space. “FashNerd does not seek to shape opinions, we instead arm readers with the kind of knowledge that helps them approach the ever-evolving fashion tech space with an open mind”, said Muchaneta.
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Loomish provides digital investment consultancy services in the fashion and retail industry. Loomish advises on mergers and acquisitions within the ecosystem. Loomish offers an innovative opportunity for promising start-ups in the Fashion Digital Lab in Ticino.
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IT4Fashion is an industrial and scientific conference and exhibition where fashion companies, brands, practitioners, researchers and software houses, from all the Europe, discuss on IT technologies in the field of fashion and luxury.
The conference represents, since its first edition, a unique event where fashion companies present their greatest success stories in the application of IT solutions, together with keynotes on new technologies and IT solutions made by leading industry experts.
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Innogest is a venture capital company founded in 2006 with offices in Turin, Milan, San Francisco and Berlin. It manages investment funds with a total value of €180 million and it invests in innovative companies active in the digital and and medical sectors, with a focus on seed and early stage ventures. With regard to the digital practice, Innogest has developed specific expertise and track record in the foodtech, fintech and fashion-tech fields.
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