The Club degli Investitori announces the strategic entry of its Members into AIKO, a Turin-based scaleup that develops advanced software based on artificial intelligence and automation for space applications. Through Simon Fiduciaria, the members of the Club degli Investitori contributed with an investment of 520,000 euros, bringing the Series A funding round to 4 million. This new investment will enable AIKO to boost growth in Europe and the United States by further expanding its artificial intelligence solutions on board satellites.
The Club degli Investitori, known for its support of the most promising startups and scaleups, joins the main players in the round, which in December had led AIKO to raise 3.5 million euros, led by Deep Blue Ventures, the venture capital fund dedicated to deep tech managed by Deep Ocean Capital SGR SpA, and Primo Ventures SGR SpA, through the specialized fund Primo Space.
Among the members of the Club degli Investitori, the involvement of Marco Villa, Champion of the Club degli Investitori, stands out, who said: “AIKO is a pioneer in automation based on the practical use of Artificial Intelligence, thanks to a flexible architecture that has made it possible to accelerate the adoption of their technology in the space sector, quickly establishing itself as a reference in Italy and Europe. Lorenzo is a determined founder, leading a team of the highest quality, which has already demonstrated the value of its solutions in the field. I am proud, as Champion of the Club degli Investitori, to support this Italian excellence in the world, which is redefining the future of space automation and beyond”.
With this funding, the total raised by AIKO comes to €7 million, and the Series A round remains open to further investments up to a maximum of €5 million. AIKO aims to consolidate its presence globally. The new capital will be used to strengthen the company’s position in the European market, with a particular focus on France, where AIKO already has an office in Toulouse, and to start expanding in the United States by 2025. Thanks to the funds raised, the company intends to increase its workforce from 40 to 70 people in the next two years.
Zeno Kastelic, Associate of the Investor Club, said: “We have been following AIKO for some time and are excited to realize this partnership with the Investor Club. Lorenzo and his team have demonstrated excellent planning and execution skills, supported by strong demand in the aerospace industry, in which we strongly believe. We will make our network and the skills of our members available to accelerate their growth”.
Lorenzo Feruglio, Founder and CEO of AIKO, commented: “The entry of the Members of the Club degli Investitori into this round represents a strategic step for us at a key moment in our growth: the support of the Members will allow us to enhance our solutions, accelerate scalability and start expanding into overseas markets. This is a further confirmation of the market’s confidence in our project and our vision: to establish ourselves as a global player capable of serving the main players in the space industry, in Europe and the United States, with cutting-edge software solutions for space applications based on artificial intelligence”.
AIKO will continue to invest in the development of innovative software solutions to automate the entire operational process of space missions. Key products under development include gifted_GENE, the predictive maintenance software for space missions, and orbital_OLIVER, the on-board operating system that enables autonomous operations for satellites. The company’s goal is to develop an integrated platform that allows it to fully automate the operations of space missions, improving efficiency and reducing associated costs.
The contribution of the Club degli Investitori and the involvement of Marco Villa represent a further sign of confidence in AIKO’s potential and its ability to innovate the space sector.
(Source: Club degli Investitori press release)
