From ESCP MBA to €3.3 Million Funding: the Success Story of Fabrizio Custorella and NANDO

The ESCP alumnus co-founded the AI startup immediately after his MBA, scaling it globally and securing major investment

Entrepreneurship, innovation and measurable impact: Fabrizio Custorella, ESCP MBA alumnus and Co-Founder of NANDO, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that defines ESCP Business School.

Shortly after completing his MBA, Fabrizio Custorella co-founded ReLearn (now NANDO), a Turin-rooted cleantech startup leveraging Artificial Intelligence to transform waste management.
In February 2026, the company reached a defining milestone, closing a €3.3 million funding round, accelerating its international expansion and technological development.

From ESCP MBA to Entrepreneurial Leadership

A cross-functional mindset shaped in Paris and London 

With a background in Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino, Fabrizio began his career in Munich in innovation consulting. Yet he sought broader managerial capabilities, particularly in finance, growth strategy and international business.

His decision to pursue an MBA at ESCP Business School, studying across Paris and London, marked a turning point.

“My MBA at ESCP strengthened my ability to approach growth with structure and discipline. It reinforced the importance of aligning strategic vision with financial rigour, operational scalability and capital efficiency. At NANDO, this translates into data-driven decision-making, clear prioritisation of markets, and a strong focus on sustainable, profitable growth,” said Fabrizio.

Immediately after graduation, he co-founded the startup that would become NANDO — a concrete example of how ESCP supports entrepreneurial mindset.

In 2023, his entrepreneurial trajectory was recognised when he was named among Forbes Italy’s “100 Under 30”, highlighting his contribution to Italy’s innovation ecosystem.

Scaling NANDO: Data, AI and Sustainable Impact

From Italy to 15 countries in 20 months 

Founded in 2021 by Riccardo Leonardi, Fabrizio Custorella, Giovanni Lucifora, Federico Fedi and Simone Cavariani, NANDO has developed a proprietary platform integrating Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Computer Vision to monitor waste in real time and transform operational data into strategic insights.
As Co-Founder, Growth Director and CFO, Fabrizio plays a central role in:

• Expanding operations from Italy to 15 countries across three regions in just 20 months
• Managing strategic partnerships with global real estate and facility management companies
• Steering brand growth, marketing strategy and international sales
• Overseeing capital budgeting, management accounting and financial efficiency

Today, NANDO processes over 40,000 waste images daily and supports more than 80 organisations worldwide, including major industrial groups, corporate offices, airports and urban waste operators.

Why waste measurement is now a strategic priority 

Waste is no longer simply an operational matter, it is central to cost control, regulatory compliance and ESG performance.

“Waste measurement has become a strategic priority because it directly impacts cost control, regulatory compliance and ESG performance. Without reliable data, organisations cannot effectively manage or improve their environmental footprint.”

In a context of rising labour costs, increasing regulatory pressure and growing ESG scrutiny, the ability to measure waste accurately has become fundamental for both companies and municipalities.

“NANDO enables accurate, real-time waste recognition and analytics, transforming waste management into a measurable and optimisable process. This shift allows companies and cities to improve efficiency, transparency and sustainability outcomes,” said Fabrizio.

By digitalising traditionally manual and fragmented monitoring systems, NANDO positions data as the foundation for operational optimisation and environmental accountability.

A €3.3 million funding round to accelerate sustainable growth

The latest €3.3 million capital increase, led by MAIA Ventures and CDP Venture Capital SGR, will allow NANDO to further develop its AI technology, strengthen its presence in Europe and the UK, and accelerate expansion into the United States and Asia.

The investment will also support the development of new product lines dedicated to monitoring different types of waste, consolidating NANDO’s ambition to become a single point of access for waste data across the entire value chain.

From ESCP graduate to scaling a cleantech company across three continents, Fabrizio Custorella’s journey illustrates how ESCP alumni translate cross-functional education into entrepreneurial leadership and measurable global impact.