# Vincenzo Di Nicola

> Vincenzo Di Nicola is an Italian technology entrepreneur and investor who co-founded GoPago and Conio, formerly served as Conio’s co-CEO, and now leads the Artificial Intelligence fund at CDP Venture Capital. His career spans Microsoft, digital transformation at INPS and practical computer-science teaching in Italy; he founded the Premio Di Nicola mathematics competition and co-founded the nonprofit ./cogita ETS.

- **Role:** Senior Partner and Head of the Artificial Intelligence Fund at CDP Venture Capital
- **Organizations:** CDP Venture Capital, Conio, GoPago, INPS, Microsoft, Yahoo!, ./cogita ETS, Premio Di Nicola, Italian Ministry of Economic Development blockchain expert group, Italian Navy selected reserve
- **From:** Sant’Atto, Teramo, Italy
- **Nationality:** Italian; also obtained American citizenship, as reported by Italiani di Frontiera and The Local.
- **Education:** Secondary-school diploma, Piano Nazionale di Informatica, Liceo Scientifico Albert Einstein, Teramo, Laurea in Computer Engineering, with honours, University of Bologna, Exchange student and visiting scholar in computer science/engineering, University of California San Diego, M.S. in Computer Science, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Co-founded GoPago and led its technology development before the 2013 transaction involving Amazon., Co-founded Conio, whose patented digital-asset custody technology has been integrated with Italian financial institutions., Led INPS technological innovation, including participation in its first open-source release.

## Career timeline

- **1998** — Completes secondary school at the Liceo Scientifico Albert Einstein in Teramo.
- **2007** — Completes Stanford computer-science master’s; joins Microsoft, later leading a behavioural-targeting team in Redmond and Beijing.
- **2008** — Establishes the Premio Di Nicola for students in Abruzzo.
- **2009** — Co-founds GoPago in San Francisco and serves as CTO.
- **2013** — GoPago technology and engineers go to Amazon through a transaction; the commercial point-of-sale business is acquired by DoubleBeam. Returns to Italy and begins teaching in his former school.
- **2015** — Co-founds Conio with Christian Miccoli. On 7 July, accompanies a school delegation associated with the Ragazzi del ’99 history project at the Quirinale.
- **2018** — Joins the Italian Ministry of Economic Development’s blockchain expert group.
- **2020-2021** — Selected for INPS technological-innovation leadership in late 2020; publicly announces the role on 15 January 2021. Former Conio co-CEO role ends in December 2020 according to Crunchbase.
- **2021** — INPS releases open-source software on 31 March through a collaboration including his team, its technology directorate and Developers Italia.
- **2024** — By October, leads CDP Venture Capital’s Artificial Intelligence fund; announces appointment as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in April.
- **2025** — Reports taking his Italian Navy officer oath on 19 June; receives Ambassador of Abruzzo in the World recognition on 18 December.
- **2026** — Announces the mathematics competition’s eighteenth edition, scheduled for 6 June in Teramo and Pescara.

## Achievements

- Co-founded GoPago and led its technology development before the 2013 transaction involving Amazon.
- Co-founded Conio, whose patented digital-asset custody technology has been integrated with Italian financial institutions.
- Led INPS technological innovation, including participation in its first open-source release.
- Founded a mathematics competition for Abruzzo students that reached its eighteenth edition in 2026.
- Co-founded and serves as president of ./cogita ETS.
- Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
- Named an Ambassador of Abruzzo in the World in December 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Spoke as head of CDP Venture Capital’s Artificial Intelligence fund at the national association of regional financial institutions’ general meeting on 8 July; the recording is available from Radio Radicale.
- **2026-05** — Announced the Premio Di Nicola’s eighteenth edition, scheduled for 6 June 2026 in Teramo and Pescara; its website advertised a €2,500 total prize pool.
- **2026-03** — Published a reflection on receiving the Ambassador of Abruzzo in the World recognition on 18 December 2025.
- **2025-06** — Wrote that he took the oath as an Italian Navy officer on 19 June 2025.

## Links

- Website: https://vincenzo.me/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinicola/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/vincenzo

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vincenzo-di-nicola
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25