Alessandro Zaccaria
Professional Background and Role at 360 Capital
I started my career as an entrepreneur while earning an MSc in Engineering from Politecnico di Milano. I spent 3 years as founder & CEO of my startup and made an exit out of it. Then I moved to strategic consulting, where I stayed for seven years, focusing on energy and industrial clients. However, I missed the fast-paced startup environment. Over the past three years at 360 Capital—a leading European VC with over €500M in assets under management, where I am now a partner—I have been focused on identifying disruptive opportunities, supporting portfolio companies, and shaping investment strategies, particularly within the climate-tech and deep-tech verticals.
Financial Management in Early-Stage Companies
Early-stage financial management is about resilience, smart allocation and great networks. We guide founders to maintain lean operations, extend runways through non-dilutive capital financing (e.g., EIC Accelerator, public grants), and reach profitability at the right time. On fundraising, we emphasize the power of human relations—connecting our startups with our international network of investors and encouraging transparency and timely updates to build long-term trust.
Strategic Initiatives in Response to Shifts
In recent years, we have doubled down on climate tech and deep tech, leveraging our knowledge and attracting capital from new investors entering these high-growth sectors. At the same time, we have continued our investment activity in digital businesses. We have also strengthened our operational support for founders, working together with them towards profitable business models and supporting them to secure non-dilutive funding where possible.
“Focus on fundamentals, execution, and creating real value. The best founders and investors understand the problem space deeply, adapt as markets evolve, and stay ahead of the curve.”
Prioritizing Competing Demands in Startups
Prioritization is about focus - knowing when your input or support is needed and when to say “no” is just as important as spotting new opportunities. We try to coach founders on this as well, creating a favorable and lean board dynamics to help them identifying important milestones and prioritizing speed, which is a relevant KPI in our competitive ecosystem.
Assessing Technologies to Stay Competitive
We constantly track market signals—founders’ pitches, technical breakthroughs, and policy trends—to stay ahead. Also hiring top young talents, within the 360 Capital team and the teams of our startups, helps us keep the pace. Staying competitive means being an early mover, but with calculated bets and investments in people and new supporting technologies. A key relevant strategy is being more proactive rather than reactive.
Advice for Aspiring Startup Professionals
Build conviction early. The best investors and founders are those who deeply understand a problem space before making their move. Learn from experienced operators, develop a strong network, and don’t chase trends - focus on fundamentals, execution, and creating real value. Most importantly, stay adaptable - markets evolve, and so should your approach.
Additional Information on 360 Capital Some additional information on 360 Capital: over 25 years of a track record in supporting talented tech entrepreneurs in developing ambitious and disruptive companies from pre-seed to Series B. Led by a diverse and experienced team of professionals located in Milan and Paris, 360 Capital has over €500M of assets under management and an active portfolio of more than 70 companies within the climate-tech, deep-tech, and digital verticals. In Dec-24, we announced the first closing of 360 Life II, a €200M fund dedicated to Series A investments within the climate-tech space, supporting ambitious companies like Oxyle and Resilco, our two latest investments in this vertical.
