What Deep Ocean Capital does

Deep Ocean Capital SGR S.p.A. (DOC) is an Italian venture capital management company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Rome. The firm holds an SGR license (Albo SGR ex Art. 35 TUF Sez. Gestori FIA n. 203) and manages Deep Blue Ventures (DBV), an early-stage deep tech venture capital fund that achieved a first closing of €40.8 million in June 2023 against a €70 million target. The fund's investment thesis targets Key Enabling Technologies — including AI, NLU/NLP, visual computing, edge/ASIC computing, and quantum computing — applied to aerospace, healthcare, cybersecurity, synthetic biology, photonics, advanced materials, and sustainability, with check sizes at seed and selective Series A.

The firm operates a proprietary "Deep Tech Factory Model" that combines a financial VC component with an industrial startup-factory component, intended to accelerate technology de-risking in partnership with research institutions (IIT, CNR), corporate venturing units (Leonardo, RoboIT), incubators (I3P, PNICube), and pan-European backers (ESA, EIF, EIB, CDP Venture Capital). The portfolio comprises approximately 12 companies spanning aerospace materials (K3RX, AIKO, Fluid Wire Robotics), healthcare AI (InSilicoTrials, UpSurgeOn), photonics (PhotonPath, Genoa Instruments, OhmSpace), AI/data (AI4IV, Random Power), and cybersecurity (INTA, Gyala).

Revenue is generated through two streams typical of European VC fund managers: recurring management fees (typically ~2% of committed capital) on the Deep Blue Ventures fund, and performance-based carried interest on successful portfolio exits. Customers are institutional Limited Partners (cornerstone: EIB, CDP Venture Capital, Leonardo, Intesa Sanpaolo) and, on the deployment side, deep tech startups and research spin-offs. The firm is led by CEO/Founder Domenico Nesci and Chairman/Founder Emilia Garito, supported by a small investment team and a board that includes former senior government, academic, and corporate executives.

Name

Deep Ocean Capital

Legal name

Deep Ocean Capital SGR S.p.A.

Website

https://deepoceancapital.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deep Ocean Capital SGR S.p.A. is a Rome-based Italian VC management company that operates Deep Blue Ventures, an early-stage deep tech fund (€40.8M first closing on €70M target) investing in AI, aerospace, photonics, healthcare, and advanced materials startups sourced from European research and corporate ecosystems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Fund Management

NAICS

Other Financial Vehicles (52599)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Deep tech funding
• Seed stage investments
• Fund management services
• Technology transfer finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Fund Management: Deep Ocean Capital SGR generates revenue through management fees from its venture capital funds, primarily Deep Blue Ventures. The fund targets early-stage deep tech investments with the goal of generating returns through equity appreciation and eventual exits.
2. Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest from successful portfolio company exits, aligning fund manager incentives with investor returns in deep tech investments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Deep Ocean Capital SGR S.p.A. is an independent venture capital management company that hosts and manages the Deep Blue Ventures (DBV) fund. DBV is an early-stage deep tech venture capital fund investing from pre-seed through selected Series A in companies developing breakthrough technologies in aerospace, healthcare, cybersecurity, synthetic biology, photonics, quantum technologies, and sustainability. The fund operates through the proprietary Deep Tech Factory Model, which combines financial capital with a startup-factory industrial component to de-risk technology development.

Product overview

Deep Ocean Capital is a venture capital management company offering a single fund product: Deep Blue Ventures (DBV), an early-stage deep tech VC fund. The fund operates through the Deep Tech Factory Model, which combines financial investment with industrial venture-building components. Investments are focused on deep technologies including aerospace, healthcare AI, cybersecurity, synthetic biology, photonics, quantum technologies, and special materials, targeting companies from pre-seed through Series A stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deep Blue Ventures: Early stage deep tech venture capital fund managed by Deep Ocean Capital SGR, investing in outstanding deep technologies and people able to harness them to global success. Focus areas include aerospace, healthcare technologies, sustainability technologies, cybersecurity, synthetic biology, photonics, quantum technologies, and special materials.

Products and services

• Deep Blue Ventures (DBV) Fund Early-stage deep tech venture capital fund that invests in outstanding deep technologies and founders capable of harnessing them to global success. DBV acts as lead investor at seed stage and invests in selected Series-A opportunities across aerospace, healthcare, sustainability, cybersecurity, and synthetic biology sectors, with international scale market opportunities.
• Deep Tech Factory Model Operational model that pairs the Deep Blue Ventures VC fund with a deep tech startup factory approach, enabling sustainable development of deep technology businesses by managing the technology de-risking phase through partnerships with venture builders and corporate venturing units.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deep Blue Ventures achieved first closing at €40.8 million
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LeonardocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2023Leonardo is a strategic partner of Deep Blue Ventures, providing industry expertise and ecosystem connections in the aerospace sector. Leonardo contributes to the partnership network supporting deal flow generation and portfolio company development in aerospace technologies.
• RoboIT (CDP Venture Capital)coreTechnology or IntegrationRoboIT is a technology transfer hub promoted by CDP Venture Capital SGR that serves as a source of deal flow for Deep Blue Ventures, accelerating startups development and technology de-risking.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Earlybird: One of Europe's largest early-stage VCs with a dedicated deep tech / industrial tech vertical. Represents the larger European benchmark DOC will be measured against for Fund II.
• CDP Venture Capital: Italy's sovereign VC arm of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and a cornerstone LP of Deep Ocean Capital's fund. Operates multiple sector-specific vehicles (including RoboIT) with far larger AUM, making it both a strategic partner and the dominant domestic incumbent for early-stage Italian capital.
• Lux Capital: US deep tech specialist investing across AI, robotics, space, and advanced materials. Useful benchmark for the deep-tech-only thesis DOC is pursuing in Europe.
• Speedinvest: Vienna-based early-stage European VC with a dedicated Deep Tech fund covering AI, quantum, robotics, and materials. Closest European comparable in vertical-specialist structure.

Direct peers

• Vertis Venture: Italian venture capital manager (Scaleup fund) where CEO Nesci is/was a Venture Partner. Comparable as an Italian early-stage growth investor and a fellow SGR in the domestic market.
• IQ Capital: Cambridge-based specialist deep tech VC focused on AI, quantum, photonics, and advanced materials at seed/Series A. Closest international model for a sector-focused KET fund.
• LVenture Group: Rome-listed early-stage venture capital and accelerator operator; CEO Nesci previously held deal-flow and investment roles here. Directly comparable by stage, geography, and B2B startup focus.
• Indaco Venture Partners: Italian independent venture capital manager with funds investing in early-stage technology and digital startups. Comparable as a fellow independent Italian SGR pursuing early-stage tech investing.
• Primo Ventures: Italian early-stage venture capital firm investing in seed/Series A technology startups. Closest direct domestic peer by stage and check size, competing for the same Italian deep tech and digital deal flow.

Regional players

• Open Venture: Italian early-stage venture capital supporting innovative Italian startups across digital and deep tech. Regional comparable sharing the same limited Italian LP base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments7 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deep Ocean Capital