ALUMNI THAT SUCCEED
Over 78% of Genoa ES students received unsolicited six-figure job offers or investment proposals before the program ended in 2025.
Average raised by
Genoa ES students
Of Genoa ES participants raised funding within 6 months of graduation
Luis with the referral from Genoa ES mentors was named Forbes 30 Under 30. After the program, he joined an accelerator to raise his first round and advance his technology.
Luis Medina Rivas
Founder at Tether
Forbes 30u30 and TechStarts
Brian joined Genoa ES with his logistics hardware startup in the early stages. During the program, he raised a €3M round, which helped him serve large customers.
Brian McNally
Founder at Ponera Group
€3M raised
Paolo joined the program with a few ideas in mind. After testing several, he created Genoa Ventures, which gained traction before demo day. He chose to grow without VC funding.
Paolo Marchesini
Founder at Genoa Ventures
€50k in revenue in 3 months
Successful in startup and corporate careers
Graduates can continue to develop and scale their startups, leveraging the skills and network acquired.
- Fundraise like Brian and Dario
- Cofound something new like Paolo and Tommaso
- Join a start up like Asmund
- Bootstrap like Chalermchon
- Attend an accelerator like Luis
of students looking for investors close a round within 6 months
maximum dilution Genoa ES students experienced
Graduates can continue to develop and scale their startups, leveraging the skills and network acquired.
- Fundraise like Brian and Dario who raised
- Co found something new like Paolo and Tommaso
- Attend an accelerator like Luis, (Forbes 30 u 30)
- Join a start up like Asmund
- Bootstrap like Chalermchon
of students looking for investors closed a round within 6 months
maximum dilution Genoa ES students experienced
and Brian
Dario Bruna, founder of DB Space, joined Genoa ES after working at Rolls-Royce with an idea for new rocket propulsion but no business experience. Brian Michitti, founder of Ponera, a hardware logistics company, entered the program with business experience and an early round closed, aiming to scale. Both used the skills and network acquired at Genoa ES to raise their next rounds during and shortly after the program.
Raised by Michitti after Genoa ES
Raised by Bruna after Genoa ES
Dario Bruna, founder of DB Space, joined Genoa ES after working at Rolls-Royce with an idea for new rocket propulsion but no business experience. Brian Michitti, founder of Ponera, a hardware logistics company, entered the program with business experience and an early round closed, aiming to scale. Both used the skills and network acquired at Genoa ES to raise their next rounds during and shortly after the program.
Raised by Michitti after Genoa ES
Raised by Bruna after Genoa ES
and Tommaso
Paolo and Tommaso joined the program with no startup experience but had previously launched student associations and small businesses in their city. Without an idea to test, they focused on problems learned from their growing U.S. network. After initially starting separate companies, they teamed up in the second semester of Genoa ES. Realizing that most people only learn about startups through YouTube, they created an in-person course—Genoa Ventures—that attracted students from across Europe. While not a typical software startup, they now draw hundreds to their events, with leaders flying in from the U.S. and across the EU to teach their carefully selected cohort.
revenue in 3 months for G. Ventures
students selected for the G. Ventures courses
Paolo and Tommaso joined the program with no prior startup experience, but they had already launched pioneering student associations and small businesses in their hometown. Without a specific idea to pursue, they began exploring real-world problems shared by their growing U.S.. After initially starting separate companies, they teamed up in the second semester of Genoa ES. Realizing that most people only learn about startups through YouTube, they created an in-person course—Genoa Ventures—that attracted students from across Europe. While not a typical software startup, they now draw hundreds to their events, with leaders flying in from the U.S. and across the EU to teach their carefully selected cohort.
revenue in 3 months for G. Ventures
students selected for the G. Ventures courses
like Luis
Luis, a Mexican engineering graduate from UPC Barcelona, joined Genoa ES with an idea and a few early testers right after graduation. Aiming to reinvent the energy grid, he chose the program for its strong industry network. Afterward, not yet feeling ready to scale, he joined Techstars and leveraged Genoa ES for feedback and referrals—ultimately being nominated on Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Energy.
Forbes named Luis to the global 30u30 energy list, thanks to a referral from Genoa ES mentors.
of funding received from Techstars Accelerator after Genoa ES.
Luis, a Mexican engineering graduate from UPC Barcelona, joined Genoa ES with an idea and a few early testers right after graduation. Aiming to reinvent the energy grid, he chose the program for its strong industry network. Afterward, not yet feeling ready to scale, he joined Techstars and leveraged Genoa ES for feedback and referrals—ultimately being nominated on Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Energy.
Forbes named Luis to the global 30u30 energy list, thanks to a referral from Genoa ES mentors
of funding received from Techstars Accelerator after Genoa ES.
Åsmund, a graduate of BI Norwegian Business School, joined Genoa ES with a few ideas in mind. After validating several of them, he was invited by a strong founder he met during the program to join his health tech startup as CMO. Åsmund realized he could bring more value to an early-stage startup by leveraging the network and marketing skills he had acquired during Genoa ES, rather than starting from the ground up.
of an early stage start up
Asmund joined a strong CEO as co-founder to help digitize the retail pharmaceutical sector.
Åsmund, a graduate of BI Norwegian Business School, joined Genoa ES with a few ideas in mind. After validating several of them, he was invited by a strong founder he met during the program to join his health tech startup as CMO. Åsmund realized he could bring more value to an early-stage startup by leveraging the network and marketing skills he had acquired during Genoa ES, rather than starting from the ground up.
of an early stage start up
Asmund joined a strong CEO as co-founder to help digitize the retail pharmaceutical sector.
Originally from Thailand and studying in the Netherlands, Chalermchon noticed that Asian expats were willing to pay more for authentic, hard-to-find food products, while small businesses in Asia struggled to export. His platform, Exlocal, sold out its first orders immediately. Ready to scale and highly selective, he felt that no VCs had enough expertise in his niche to join his cap table. Having self-funded his tuition, living expenses, and startup, he knew he could grow independently before approaching major retail chains. After the program, he took a high-paying job in the aerospace industry to fund his business until it reaches €5 million in revenue.
in the first week of business, before Chalermchon sold out
the countries where Chalermchon's customers were based
Originally from Thailand and studying in the Netherlands, Chalermchon noticed that Asian expats were willing to pay more for authentic, hard-to-find food products, while small businesses in Asia struggled to export. His platform, Exlocal, sold out its first orders immediately. Ready to scale and highly selective, he felt that no VCs had enough expertise in his niche to join his cap table. Having self-funded his tuition, living expenses, and startup, he knew he could grow independently before approaching major retail chains. After the program, he took a high-paying job in the aerospace industry to fund his business until it reaches €5 million in revenue.
in the first week of business, before Chalermchon sold out
the countries where Chalermchon's customers were based
Graduates are equipped with practical skills highly sought by employers.
- Invest in startups like Chantal
- Manage marketing like Juan
- Develop AI like Luigi
- Develop business like Marie
- Lead product like Gabriele
of our students received unsolicited job offers before graduation
is the salary of a Genoa ES student vs the average graduate in the country they work
Graduates are equipped with practical skills highly sought by employers.
- Invest in start ups like Chantal
- Manage marketing like Juan
- Develop AI like Luigi
- Develop business like Marie
- Lead product like Gabriele
of our students received unsolicited job offers before graduation
is the salary of a Genoa ES student vs the average graduate in the country they work
like Chantal
Leading corporate investments
Flyelectric is part of Flyren a leading green energy group in Italy.
Chantal, an ESCP graduate, joined Genoa ES with a strong understanding of the energy market but no startup experience, aiming to launch her own venture in the recycling space. Together with another student from the Master's, she started a plastic recycling startup that would require years of complex market penetration. Thanks to the expertise she built in U.S. and European startups—and the strong network developed during the program—Chantal was offered a position leading the corporate venture capital arm of one of Italy’s top players in the energy sector. Given her high energy and fast-paced approach, she to take this opportunity to have an impact in the space.
Key skills learned at Genoa ES that help Chantal succeed:
Law for startups
Finance for startups
Leading corporate investments
Flyelectric is part of Flyren a leading green energy group in Italy.
Chantal, an ESCP graduate, joined Genoa ES with a strong understanding of the energy market but no startup experience, aiming to launch her own venture in the recycling space. Together with another student from her master's, she started a plastic recycling startup that would require years of complex market penetration. Given her high energy and fast-paced approach, she accepted an offer to lead the corporate venture capital arm of one of Italy’s leading players in her sector, who offered her the position because of her U.S. and European startup expertise and network.
Key skills learned at Genoa ES that help Chantal succeed:
Law for startups
Finance for startups
Economics for startups
like Juan
Started a new branch of the family firm
La Moraleja Home is the leading real estate stager in Spain.
Juan, who joined Genoa ES with a business background, following the program decided to focus on launching an innovative new branch of his family’s leading luxury real estate company, even though having thousands of users and investor interest for his nightlife start up, Momento. Thanks to his understanding of customer needs and experience learned at Genoa ES, he recognized a market shift and new technological opportunities, successfully advocating for this new venture. He now leads the company’s most strategic area — marketing — attracting customers from all over Spain.
Key skills learned at Genoa ES that help Juan succeed:
Marketing
Product development
Customer interviews
Started a new branch of the family firm
La Moraleja Home is the leading real estate stager in Spain.
Juan, who joined Genoa ES with a business background, follwing the program decided to focus on launching an innovative new branch of his family’s leading luxury real estate company, even though having thousands of users and investor interest for his nightlife start up, Momento. Thanks to his understanding of customer needs and experience learned at Genoa ES, he recognized a market shift and new technological opportunities, successfully advocating for this new venture. He now leads the company’s most strategic area — marketing — attracting customers from all over Spain.
Key skills learned at Genoa ES that help Juan succeed:
Marketing
Product development
Customer interviews
Leading development at a fashion leader
Cucinelli is one of the world leaders in cashmere and the first fashion brand to pioneer AI.
Luigi was noticed by the HR team at Brunello Cucinelli thanks to his technical skills, but it was his achievements with Quince—the startup he developed at Genoa ES—that played a key role in their decision. Brunello Cucinelli is pioneering AI in the fashion industry and was looking for a technical lead with a customer-oriented mindset, and experience in building products from the ground up. Although Luigi initially wanted to continue growing his startup full-time, he decided to keep working on it alongside his new role.
Key skills learned at Genoa ES that help Luigi succeed:
Technical product development
Product management
User experience
Leading development at a fashion leader
Cucinelli is one of the world leaders in cashmere and the first fashion brand to pioneer AI.
Luigi was noticed by the HR team at Brunello Cucinelli thanks to his technical skills, but it was his achievements with Quince—the startup he developed at Genoa ES—that played a key role in their decision. Brunello Cucinelli is pioneering AI in the fashion industry and was looking for a technical lead with a customer-oriented mindset, and experience in building products from the ground up. Although Luigi initially wanted to continue growing his startup full-time, he decided to keep working on it alongside his new role.
Key skills learned at Genoa ES that help Luigi succeed:
Technical product development
Product management
User experience
like Marie
Marie, a bachelor's student at ESCP, was admitted to Genoa ES thanks to her strong communication skills. She had no startup experience, but through the sales and marketing classes at Genoa ES, she learned how to identify the best channels and strategies to reach her target audiences. She now works as a freelance sales professional for corporates in the travel industry—an area where she has personal expertise—achieving an impressive 80% conversion rate on qualified leads.
conversion rate on qualified leads as a sales freelancer
Marie, a bachelor's student at ESCP, was admitted to Genoa ES thanks to her strong communication skills. She had no startup experience, but through the sales and marketing classes at Genoa ES, she learned how to identify the best channels and strategies to reach her target audiences. She now works as a freelance sales professional for corporates in the travel industry—an area where she has personal expertise—achieving an impressive 80% conversion rate on qualified leads.
conversion rate on qualified leads as a sales freelancer
like Gabriele
A plastic engineer by training, Gabriele developed a reusable bottle prototype in just four months—patenting both the product and its manufacturing process. His rapid progress was driven by lean product management and a strong focus on customer needs, skills he developed at Genoa ES. By February 2025, he had all necessary approvals in place to start production and fulfill pre-orders from major industry players.
from idea to functioning prototype
pre contracts signed with plastic packing leaders
A plastic engineer by training, Gabriele developed a reusable bottle prototype in just four months—patenting both the product and its manufacturing process. His rapid progress was driven by lean product management and a strong focus on customer needs, skills he developed at Genoa ES. By February 2025, he had all necessary approvals in place to start production and fulfill pre-orders from major industry players.
from idea to functioning prototype
pre contracts signed with plastic packing leaders
"Completing the Genoa ES program not only gives you the chance to build a startup but also equips you with hands-on experience and critical skills highly requested in any corporate environment."
Thaddeus Anim-Somuah
Global Senior Manager Sustainability at Philips
Columbia's Career Success
accepted offer within six months of graduation
of students seeking employment received an offer within three months of graduation
TOP EMPLOYERS FROM OUR PARTNER UNIVERSITIES
Students prepared for the real world
The parents of Marie Guinchard, an ESCP student who joined Genoa ES, were initially skeptical about the program, as their daughter was part of the first cohort. In this video, hear what they liked—and didn’t like—at the end of the program.
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