Forward-looking and dividing his time between Europe and the US, Alberto Onetti works at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and corporate transformation.
Alberto is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and recognized thought leader in Open Innovation.

He co-founded several ventures, including Funambol, a Silicon Valley-based mobile cloud company with R&D and operations in Europe.

Funambol was among the first European dual companies and one of the largest venture-backed Italian scaleups, ultimately exiting to Point Wild in 2026.
Since 2009, Alberto has served as Chairman of Mind the Bridge, a global organization headquartered in Silicon Valley that helps corporations and startups collaborate through Open Innovation.

In this role, he advises multinational companies on innovation strategy, Venture Client programs, Corporate Venture Capital, Venture Building, Intrapreneurship, Startup M&A, and ecosystem engagement.
Alberto has been collaborating with the European Commission since 2013.

He has coordinated the Startup Europe Partnership (SEP) initiative since its launch in 2014, helping connect Europe’s most promising scaleups with global corporations and investors.

He also leads Corporate Startup Stars, the global benchmark of Open Innovation best practices developed in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, he was selected to join the Task Force led by Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva for the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.
A Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management at the University of Insubria, Alberto is also a Visiting Professor at San Francisco State University and an Adjunct Professor at IE Business School.

He has authored more than 100 publications and research reports on scaleups, startup ecosystems, Silicon Valley, Startup M&A, and Open Innovation.

His work has been featured by leading international media, including the Financial Times, USA Today, The Times, Le Monde, El País, Corriere della Sera, and La Repubblica.

His latest book on Open Innovation was published by Springer in 2026.
In 2026, Alberto was recognized by Dealroom as one of the Top 30 Most Influential People in European Deep Tech.
During his downtime, he enjoys a sweaty tennis match and supporting Juventus Football Club.

All the cuddles go to his two daughters and his beloved black Lab.