Holifya Closes €2 Million Round to Become Italy’s First Digital Clinic for Pharmacologic Obesity Treatment

The round, of which €1.6 million in equity and €0.4 million in debt capital and grants, was led by Next Age, the Silver Economy program of CDP Venture Capital’s National Accelerator Network, established by CDP Venture Capital and AC75, Growth Engine, which renews its commitment from the previous round, Doorway, 20Fund with its GP Serra Elizabeth Falk, and Zooga VC. The cap table also includes a group of notable business angels, including Micol Fornaroli, Pier Francesco Rimbotti, Tommaso Gamaleri, Duccio Vitali, and Matteo Mainetti. Holifya was supported by Growth Capital as exclusive advisor for the transaction, in particular by specialists Giacomo Bider and Emma Celli.

Holifya, launched in 2023, is the first Italian digital clinic focused on pharmacologic treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Its proprietary technology is based on a Patient Support Program (PSP) diagnostic-data-driven model, with an AI system that integrates up to 3,000 biomarkers per patient (genetic, blood chemistry, and anamnestic), combined with behavioral and clinical data collected throughout the entire care pathway, supported by a multidisciplinary team of specialist physicians, nutritionists, nurses, and coaches.

The round comes at a time of profound transformation: in 2025 the Italian Parliament recognized obesity as a chronic progressive and relapsing disease, while the new GLP-1/GIP drugs are redefining treatment. In Italy, over 23 million adults are overweight or obese, of which approximately 11 million are eligible for GLP-1 therapy: one of the largest pools in Europe. However, adoption remains among the lowest on the continent: less than 1% of eligible patients are currently in treatment, compared to 2% in Germany and over 4% in the United Kingdom. There is also an efficacy challenge: approximately 30% of patients discontinue therapy within the first month and more than half within 12 months, due to unmanaged side effects, incorrect dosing, or the absence of a structured clinical pathway.

In this context, Holifya, which since its founding has treated over 3,000 patients, positions itself as first-mover to build the clinical and technological infrastructure for GLP-1/GIP care. Clinical results confirm the model’s effectiveness: Holifya patients achieve weight loss up to twice that of patients taking the drug alone (-17% vs. -7.1% at 6 months) and adherence up to three times higher than the market standard, thanks to therapy personalization that leads to mitigation of potential side effects. Eligibility screening occurs in less than 48 hours, compared to months of average waiting time in the Italian National Health Service. The AI system predicts and informs the treating physician of dropout risk and possible adverse effects, dynamically suggests - only to the physician - the optimal dosage, and automates follow-up with intelligent escalation. The physician validates and proceeds with the best therapy for the specific patient. With each new patient treated and each medical validation, the technology refines its predictive accuracy.

The capital raised will be allocated across three strategic pillars: strengthening the tech and data team and developing proprietary artificial intelligence models; B2C growth and development of strategic distribution partnerships across the Italian territory; and expanding the internal clinical team to sustain the growth of patients under care. The goal is to bring the team to over 60 people by the end of 2026, with a priority focus on the expansion of the clinical network and the clinical team, with targeted hires in the tech, data, and growth areas.

“We start from Italy, which today is one of the European markets with the greatest untapped potential in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome with the new pharmacologic therapies, with the ambition of building a clinically scalable model at an international level, thanks to the fundamental role of AI in supporting physicians.” – commented Alessandra Cestaro, Co-founder & CEO Holifya – “The round allows us to grow the team with new top technical talent, accelerate the development of the clinical and technological infrastructure that enables access to therapy, pathway personalization, and long-term adherence. Together with CDP Venture Capital, the pre-seed investors who have renewed their trust and those who are joining the project now, we have the ambition to make Holifya the Italian and European go-to for every patient who is considering or undertaking a pharmacologic pathway for obesity.”

“We strongly believe in Holifya: it contributes to making the management of a chronic disease with high social impact more effective and sustainable. The team has already demonstrated a strong ability to build a structured model for obesity management, combining pharmacologic therapy with continuous monitoring of the patient’s pathway, from diagnosis to follow-up. The systematic use of data and artificial intelligence enables the support for the physician in decisions on dosage, adherence, and therapy effects, improving the quality and continuity of care”, stated Stefano Molino, Head of the Accelerators fund at CDP Venture Capital.

The company has raised a total of over €2.5 million since its founding from institutional investors and notable business angels in the sector, and has been selected by some of the most relevant European acceleration and growth programs, including Endeavor Elevator Italy, Plug and Play, A-Road following the first Bocconi 4 Innovation. With this round, Holifya strengthens its positioning as the only Italian company comparable in model to well-capitalized international players in the digital obesity clinic segment, such as Oviva (UK/CH, over $400M raised) and Calibrate (USA, over $160M raised).

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