Federico Martelli, an alumnus of the University of Bologna, is among the Italian leaders selected by Forbes for the prestigious 30 Under 30 Europe 2026 list. Every year, this list highlights the continent's most influential young talents in business, science, culture, and innovation.
Martelli was included in the newly established Artificial Intelligence category, alongside co-founders Riccardo Maggioni and Camilla Mazzoleni, thanks to the entrepreneurial journey developed with Forgis, a Zurich-based DeepTech startup founded in 2025.
The company develops advanced software to help factories operate more efficiently and intelligently by integrating data from machinery, robots, PLCs, internal systems, and cameras. The goal is to reduce downtime, improve production quality, and increase industrial competitiveness through advanced automation tools and applied AI.
At the heart of the project lies a personal motivation linked to the effects of industrial offshoring experienced directly by Martelli and his family—an experience that helped define Forgis's entrepreneurial mission.
Federico stated: “I am honored by this recognition, which reflects the team's hard work and the vision we built with Forgis: to bring competitiveness back to European manufacturing, starting from the industrial districts that made it great. Offshoring hit me personally: my father lost his factory job, and we moved back from Tuscany to Abruzzo, my parents' homeland. Forgis was born to reverse this dynamic using technology, not labor costs. Per aspera ad astra.”
Among the solutions developed by the company is Fabrica, a platform that integrates and interprets diverse industrial data sources—from PLC and SCADA systems to technical manuals, production specifications, electrical diagrams, and CAD models—transforming them into actionable insights to optimize production processes. Applications range from predictive maintenance and quality control to line conversion and lead-time improvement, with the ultimate goal of increasing overall efficiency and reducing operating costs.
In just a few months, Forgis has already captured the investment world's attention, raising approximately $5 million in pre-seed funding from investors such as Redalpine, Venture Kick, and Kickfund. This is a significant signal of confidence in the project's technological and industrial potential.
This Forbes recognition confirms the value of a new generation of entrepreneurs capable of blending international vision, innovation, and a concrete focus on today's manufacturing challenges. The University of Bologna follows this journey with pride, celebrating the global success of its Alumni and their contribution to developing ideas with a real-world impact.
