# Giovanni Battistini

> Giovanni Battistini is a New York-based innovation executive and founder whose career has moved from industrial technology and startup software to flavor science, corporate open innovation, and biosensing. He is CEO and co-founder of PhenoTap, managing director of Better Gambit, and a venture partner at Barnstorm Foundry. At PhenoTap, he leads the commercial strategy for KetoTap Core, a patent-pending BHB oxidase designed as an enabling component for blood ketone strips and continuous monitors.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-Founder at PhenoTap
- **Organizations:** PhenoTap, Better Gambit, Barnstorm Foundry, Cornucopian Capital, Biocanic, Ferrero, Firmenich, Zonebee, ABB
- **Education:** M.S. in Electronic Engineering, Università di Pavia, Executive program, MIT Sloan
- **Known for:** Built Ferrero's global open-innovation organization for external science, technology, and entrepreneurial innovation., Co-founded and led Zonebee, a University of Arizona spinout combining software and hardware for informal learning., Founded Better Gambit and co-founded PhenoTap.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Started his career at ABB in industrial technology.
- **Before Firmenich** — Co-founded and led Zonebee, a University of Arizona spinout developing software and hardware for informal learning.
- **Before Ferrero** — Served as Global Vice President of Flavor Innovation Discovery at Firmenich.
- **2019** — Served as Senior Vice President of Open Innovation Science at Ferrero and spoke publicly about the company's open-innovation approach.
- **2021** — Founded Better Gambit and PhenoTap in New York.
- **2023** — Became a venture partner with Barnstorm Foundry.
- **2025** — PhenoTap received a $3 million, 18-month charitable grant for development of a BHB oxidase enzyme.
- **2026** — PhenoTap stated that KetoTap Core was commercially ready and scheduled customer sampling for Q2 2026.

## Achievements

- Built Ferrero's global open-innovation organization for external science, technology, and entrepreneurial innovation.
- Co-founded and led Zonebee, a University of Arizona spinout combining software and hardware for informal learning.
- Founded Better Gambit and co-founded PhenoTap.
- As PhenoTap CEO, coordinated a partner network spanning UC Davis, UC San Diego, Codexis, EvoEnzyme, and Barnstorm Foundry.
- Helped position KetoTap Core as a patent-pending BHB oxidase for ketone measurement applications.
- PhenoTap received a $3 million grant in 2025 for an 18-month enzyme-development project.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — PhenoTap scheduled customer sampling of KetoTap Core to begin in Q2 2026.
- **2025-03** — The Helmsley Charitable Trust awarded PhenoTap $3 million for an 18-month BHB oxidase development project.
- **2025-01** — Battistini announced that Janet Tamada had joined PhenoTap's founding team to lead biosensing work.
- **2024-09** — Appeared in a 47-minute FlavorWiki webcast about PhenoTap and the path from Firmenich and Ferrero to startup building.

## Links

- Website: https://phenotap.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giobattistini

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/giovanni-battistini
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-22