Forbes Under 30 Italy 2026: Meet ESCP alumnus Francesco Ghiglione

The MBA alumnus, recognised in the Manufacturing & Industry category, discusses building FloFleet, turning ambitious ideas into reality, and how ESCP supported his entrepreneurial journey.

ESCP MBA alumnus Francesco Ghiglione has been recognised in the 2026 Forbes Under 30 list in Italy in the Manufacturing & Industry category as Co-founder of FloFleet, a startup developing autonomous, zero-emission airships for monitoring energy infrastructure.

Alongside his role at Innovo Renewables, Francesco has helped grow FloFleet from an ambitious idea into a promising venture. In this interview, he reflects on the lessons he's learned as a founder, the value of perseverance, and how his MBA and the Blue Factory supported his entrepreneurial journey.

Turning an ambitious idea into reality

Forbes Italia named you among its 2026 Under 30 talents in the Manufacturing & Industry category. What do you think has been the key milestone behind this recognition? 

I do not really see it as a personal recognition, but more as a recognition of FloFleet’s founding team and of the work we have done together.

I think the main milestone was proving that even an idea that initially seemed almost impossible or a bit crazy on paper could start becoming something real and concrete. Of course, there is still a long way to go, but this recognition shows that ambitious ideas can become credible projects when the right people and skills come together.

What sparked the idea behind FloFleet, and what problem were you trying to solve from day one? 

The original idea came from Andrea Cecchi, whom I have to thank for involving me from the very beginning. He wanted to develop a more efficient and sustainable solution for aerial monitoring.

I joined as a founding member to support the technical team and help structure the company from a legal, corporate and financial perspective. My role also expanded to supporting contractual matters, fundraising and investor relations.

Learning to build a company

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a founder so far?

I am naturally quite pragmatic and probably more pessimistic than optimistic, which is not always the best mindset for a founder. I have learned, especially from the people sharing this journey with me, that you need to remain positive even when things seem to be going in the wrong direction. It may sound like a cliché, but perseverance can really change a situation.

You recently graduated from the ESCP MBA while continuing to grow FloFleet. What did that experience add to your entrepreneurial journey? 

The MBA gave me a broader business perspective. Although this kind of programme may be more naturally suited to people pursuing a corporate career, it was still very useful for me.

Coming from a legal background, it helped me better understand strategy, finance and management, and gave me new tools to support FloFleet’s development alongside my other professional commitments.

The value of the ESCP ecosystem

How did ESCP and Blue Factory support your entrepreneurial journey? 

The Blue Factory teams in Turin and Paris were always open to listening to us and helped FloFleet gain visibility, including by inviting us to different events.

I think it can be challenging for a business school incubator to support a company with such a strong hardware and technological component. However, their support was certainly valuable, especially in terms of networking and helping us connect with new people and opportunities.