Genoa Instruments, the deep-tech startup, born out of the Italian Institute of Technology, is the only Italian company producing next-generation optical microscopes. Thanks to new investments from Deep Blue Ventures, the deep-tech fund of Deep Ocean Capital SGR, Genoa Instruments will be able to accelerate the global adoption of PRISM, its super-resolution optical microscope.
Deep Blue Ventures is the Deep Tech Venture Capital fund of Deep Ocean Capital SGR SpA, established to support startups, spin-offs, and innovation initiatives in the aerospace, healthcare, and sustainability sectors. It focuses on artificial intelligence technologies, cyber technologies, and quantum computing.
Founded by a team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology with over 20 years of experience in imaging technologies, Genoa Instruments is revolutionising the sector with PRISM – Photon-Resolved Image Scanning Microscope. This innovative optical microscope uniquely integrates super-resolution in both spatial and temporal dimensions, enabling structural and functional imaging of living samples with unprecedented detail. PRISM’s plug-and-play design ensures seamless integration with existing microscopy systems, significantly reducing costs and complexity for research laboratories and academic institutions.
PRISM – Photon-Resolved Image Scanning Microscope
With the support of Deep Ocean Capital and our new investors, we are ready to attract key talent, strengthen our research and development capabilities, and accelerate the launch of our products, making our solutions available to a broader range of researchers and professionals worldwide.
We are excited about the opportunities ahead and determined to transform the super-resolution imaging market.
says Simonluca Piazza, CEO and Founder of Genoa Instruments.
The imaging technology developed by Genoa Instruments is revolutionary, as demonstrated by the growing interest in our imaging techniques at major international industry conferences.
By democratising access to super-resolution microscopy, we enable researchers at all levels and budgets to equip themselves with the best imaging technology available, fostering potentially groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
states Marco Castello, CTO and Founder of Genoa Instruments.
The investment from Deep Blue Ventures strengthens Genoa Instruments’ growth strategy, aiming to expand its market presence and bring its technology to leading research centres worldwide. The newly acquired capital will be used to enhance the sales division, accelerate the development of new PRISM versions, and consolidate its patent portfolio, ensuring a competitive edge in the field of optical microscopy applied to clinical research, pharmacology, and preventive medicine.
We are thrilled to support Genoa Instruments in its growth journey. Its cutting-edge super-resolution microscopy technology represents a radical shift in biomedical and healthcare research. Furthermore, it is a source of pride for Italy, which is reclaiming its status as a leader in technological excellence, tracing back to Galileo Galilei, one of the pioneers of microscopy.
Despite Italy being the birthplace of Galilean scientific discoveries, it has long lost the ability to create its own unique products in this field. With Genoa Instruments, we have the opportunity to re-establish Italy at the forefront of the European industrial landscape in a strategic sector for scientific research and the global pharmaceutical industry.
states Emilia Garito, Chairman and co-Founder of Deep Ocean Capital SGR SpA.
Genoa Instruments team (from left to right) Paolo Bianchini, Giuseppe Vicidomini, Simonluca Piazza, Marco Castello, Irene Nepita, Moreno Canepa, Alberto Diaspro
Genoa Instruments, a spin-off from the Italian Institute of Technology, was founded in 2019 by Simonluca Piazza (CEO, born in 1989), Marco Castello (CTO, born in 1987), Alberto Diaspro (Advisor, born in 1959), Paolo Bianchini (Advisor, born in 1978), and Giuseppe Vicidomini (Advisor, born in 1978).
Based in Genoa, it is currently registered as an innovative SME in Italy. Among its institutional investors are G-Factor of the Golinelli Foundation (Bologna) and B4i – Bocconi for Innovation at Bocconi University (with which it completed an acceleration programme in 2021).
In 2024, the Genoa Instruments team tripled its revenue compared to the previous year, acquiring significant clients in Italy and Europe. It also secured funding for industrial research projects from Filse S.p.A. (Ligurian Finance for Economic Development), Start 4.0 (Competence Centre for Industry 4.0), and PhotonHub Europe (a pan-European consortium for photonics innovation), with a total investment of approximately €750,000.
Among its recent achievements, Genoa Instruments has received prestigious awards, including the Genova Ban Liguria prize from Bper Banca, the SmartCup Liguria award in the Industrial category, and the “Showcase Italian Innovation” award from Harvard Business School and the Italian Embassy in Washington.
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