UCP (Ulixes Capital Partners)

Ancient Greek vase painted with Ulysses' ship, on a white background

Est. 2019Rome, Milan

Ulixes Capital Partners

Working where capital meets innovation.

01About

Innovation needs capital, structure and the right people around the table

UCP is a financial holding company working where capital meets innovation. Since 2019 we have invested alongside founders, supported companies through their financings and worked with the investors who back them.

We work with a small team and a long-term horizon, backing selected initiatives that we choose carefully and follow closely.

02What we do

Three ways we work with innovation

Club deals

We have backed a number of startups through multiple dedicated investment vehicles, many of which have grown to become Italian success stories. We continue to structure club deals for selected opportunities alongside a trusted network of co-investors.

Corporate finance

We help companies prepare their financial documentation and set up management control and reporting systems, to give leadership a clear view of how the business really performs. When it's needed, we help them structure fundraises, M&A and IPOs.

Support to funds

We provide operational support to venture capital funds, starting with scouting, screening and first-level analysis of dealflow. UCP acts as the exclusive advisor to NVM Ventures, supporting the fund in its scouting and sourcing activities.

03Governance

The people behind UCP

UCP is guided by its Board of Directors and a group of Strategic Advisors with backgrounds across finance, industry and entrepreneurship.

Select a card to read more

Niccolò Bienati

Strategic Advisor

Niccolò Bienati

Strategic Advisor

Niccolò Bienati is a Shareholder and Strategic Advisor to Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP), where he has helped lead the holding's investments since 2020. With Andrea Bonabello, he also co-founded NVM Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in deep tech and dual-use startups. He previously worked in deal advisory at world leading consulting firms, advising corporates, private equity firms and financial investors. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management and a master's degree in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology from Bocconi University.

Andrea Bonabello

CEO and Board Member

Andrea Bonabello

CEO and Board Member

Andrea Bonabello is a Shareholder and Board Member of Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP), the financial holding active in the innovation sector that he founded. With Niccolò Bienati, he also co-founded NVM Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in deep tech and dual-use startups. He previously co-founded and exited BizPlace, a financial advisory firm for startups and SMEs, and served as CFO of Execus, a company listed on Euronext Growth Milan. He holds master’s degrees in Corporate Finance from Luiss Guido Carli University and in International Management from Fudan University.

Alessandro Benedetti

Board Member

Alessandro Benedetti

Board Member

Alessandro Benedetti is a Shareholder and Board Member of Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP). A corporate lawyer, he co-founded BLB Studio Legale, a law firm with offices in Rome, Milan and Luxembourg, where he advises domestic and international clients on extraordinary transactions involving Italy. He also serves as an international arbitrator at the Shenzhen Arbitration Commission. He holds a law degree from Sapienza University of Rome and trained at the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno.

Cristoforo Montefusco

Chairman of the Board

Cristoforo Montefusco

Chairman of the Board

Cristoforo Montefusco is a Shareholder and Board Member of Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP) and chairs its Board. An aviation professional with more than 35 years of experience in air traffic management, he is Head of Services Delivery Planning at ENAV, Italy's air navigation service provider, and previously worked with the European Space Agency and on SESAR, Europe's air traffic management modernisation programme. He is an angel investor and a member of Italian Angels for Growth. He holds a PhD in Geomatics and Satellite Navigation Systems from the University of Trieste and an Executive MBA from Luiss Business School.

Giorgio Gulienetti

Board Member

Giorgio Gulienetti

Board Member

Giorgio Gulienetti is a Shareholder and Board Member of Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP). He is also Fund Manager of NVM Venture Lazio, a fund investing in early-stage deep tech and dual-use startups. He brings more than thirty years of experience in aerospace, defence and security, including as Head of R&D Policy at Leonardo and Deputy Head of the Italian Delegation to the NATO Industrial Advisory Group. A mechanical engineer, he graduated from Sapienza University of Rome and holds a master’s degree in composite materials and nanotechnology.

Stefano Castelluccio

Board Member

Stefano Castelluccio

Board Member

Stefano Castelluccio is a Shareholder and Board Member of Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP). He is the founder and CEO of Prometheus Capital Finance, an independent financial institution based in the Dubai International Financial Centre and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. He previously led Prometeo Investment Services in Switzerland, first as CEO and then as Chairman. He studied finance at Bocconi University.

Maurizio Castello

Strategic Advisor

Maurizio Castello

Strategic Advisor

Maurizio Castello is a Shareholder and Strategic Advisor to Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP), supporting its investment team on investments and fundraising. He brings more than 30 years of consulting experience, including over two decades as a Partner in Deal Advisory at KPMG in Italy, after earlier roles as an Associate Partner at Bain & Company and CEO of KMatrix. He holds an MBA from Bocconi University and studied robotics at Politecnico di Torino.

04Track record

Selected past investments

Our track record of backing innovative early-stage startups.

Biovitae

Deeptech2021IT

Makes LED lights that eliminate harmful microbes in the air and on surfaces, using a human-safe light spectrum that mimics sunlight.

Cubbit

Deeptech2020IT

Encrypts and scatters data across many sites, protecting files from outages and complying with local data laws while cutting storage costs.

Execus

Digital2019IT

Trains sales teams and manages LinkedIn outreach to help companies build predictable B2B lead pipelines.

Flashka

Edtech2025EE

Building the AI-native learning platform for higher education, starting with flashcards, quizzes and explanations generated from students' own materials.

Foreverland

Foodtech2024IT

Turns upcycled Italian carob into Choruba, a cocoa-free chocolate base that matches cocoa's taste while cutting its footprint by 80%.

Tot

Fintech2023IT

Combines current accounts, payment cards and tax-ready bookkeeping in one digital toolkit for Italy's freelancers and small businesses.

05Contact

Get in touch

For any enquiry, write to us.

info@ulixescapital.com

Rome

Registered office

Via di Torre Argentina 21
00186 Roma (RM)

Milan

Office

Via Giosuè Carducci 38
20123 Milano (MI)