Equiply is building a digital platform designed to help SMEs access heavy machinery — without tying up capital. Through a single, integrated workflow, businesses can rent, lease, or finance the equipment they need by comparing aggregated supplier and financing options in one place.
The platform addresses a structural inefficiency across the industrial SME sector: fragmented procurement processes, opaque financing options, and disconnected supplier relationships used to manage machinery access. Equiply enables businesses to centralize their equipment needs, compare access models in real time, and move from search to contract through a streamlined digital experience.
Starting from small and mid-sized enterprises across Italy, Equiply supports operators in replacing phone-based negotiations, legacy broker relationships, and manual coordination with a scalable and intuitive platform. This foundation allows businesses to reduce friction, improve deal transparency, and progressively enable advanced use cases such as automated financing flows, integrated supplier marketplaces, and data-driven procurement insights.
Equiply is developed within a venture-building environment and leverages direct industry validation, with the ambition to scale across European markets as a core digital infrastructure for SME equipment access.
Tasks
As Entrepreneur in Residence & CEO, you will:
* Drive the venture from early-stage product development to successful go-to-market execution
* Validate the business model and lead the first customer and supplier acquisition efforts
* Build and lead a high-performing founding team
* Manage relationships with equipment suppliers, leasing companies, and financial partners
* Collaborate with venture building experts to develop financial models, pitch decks, and fundraising strategies
* Raise the remaining part of the seed round (50% already committed)
* Represent the company to investors and key ecosystem stakeholders
Requirements
* Strong entrepreneurial mindset and hands-on attitude
* Experience in early-stage start-ups, ideally as a founder or first hire
* Proven ability to raise funds from angel investors and VCs, and to craft compelling, investor-ready narratives
* 10+ years of professional experience
* Deep domain exposure to industrial equipment, leasing, asset finance, or B2B marketplaces
* Excellent communication, leadership, and decision-making skills
* Fluency in English and Italian
* Willingness to re-locate to Italy and work on-site (optional Milan or Rome)
Benefits
* Founder-level equity in a validated, high-potential venture
* Access to Maritime Ventures' entire ecosystem of strategic partners, industry mentors, and investors
* The opportunity to lead a start-up that is transforming how SMEs access and finance industrial equipmentHands-on venture building support from Bridgemaker and Cariplo Factory
* Direct collaboration with CDP Venture Capital and major industrial and financial players
* A chance to shape the future of equipment access and capital-efficient business infrastructure
If you are ready to launch and lead a venture that could redefine how businesses access industrial equipment across Europe, we would love to hear from you.
Apply now and let's build Equiply together.
Maritime Ventures is a venture builder supported by CDP Venture Capital, together with leading industrial, financial, and innovation players from Italy and Germany. Our mission is to launch 10 high-impact startups to drive the digital and sustainable transformation of the maritime industry.
Backed by key partners like Fincantieri, PSA Italy and Intesa Sanpaolo, among others, we provide a unique ecosystem where experienced founders, technologists, and operators collaborate to turn bold ideas into scalable companies.