Founded in 2024 by Marco Gambardella (CEO), with co-founders Felice Cupane (CTO) and Francesco Varuzza (COO), Smartwage offers a platform that lets employees autonomously spend corporate welfare credits with merchants of their choice. The technology integrates regulated digital payment tools such as cards and bank transfers with an AI-based assistant described as a “welfare coach” for employees and employers. Smartwage positions itself to address unused welfare budgets—reporting that over 20% of corporate welfare budgets go unused—and cites a domestic market worth over €7 billion and a broader European market of €80 billion. The company plans to invest in architecture, security, AI model enhancement, and go-to-market execution with proceeds from the pre-Seed round. Zest supports Smartwage via a strategic service agreement focused on governance, financial planning, and investor introductions.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Apr 2026