In Italy, around 400,000 children are born every year, but less than 27% of them have access to educational services for the 0-3 age group. This shortage often leads to a frantic search from the early months of pregnancy, pushing new parents to find a place where they can entrust their children. The lack of such services can become an obstacle between the joy of birth and the quality of family life, as well as for female employment. To meet these needs The startup studio Mamazen launches a new business venture: Dino. The startup aims to create an enhanced network of micro nurseries and family nurseries, designed to offer quality, person-centred education, as well as promoting a sustainable business model for educators.
“The lack of early childhood services is not just a problem for parents: it is an obstacle to economic growth and gender equality,” comments Elisa Fogu, co-founder of Dino, in a statement. “With Dino, we want to bring accessible, reliable and high-quality educational services into families’ homes, allowing educators to do the work they love, with the right support and fair earnings.”
Dino offers a human and professional educational experience. For families, this means finally having an educational space close to home, where children are welcomed in small groups of five to ten members, in certified domestic environments, with the guarantee of a structured, person-oriented educational programme. Tailor-made activities, from bilingual experiences to music workshops and daily outdoor play, are adapted to the different inclinations of the little ones and the needs of families. Not only that, but flexible hours provide a concrete work-life balance in a safe and stimulating environment that promotes the development and well-being of children in their early years, when every experience counts.
If the family daycare model is so widespread in other European countries, such as Germany, what is the biggest obstacle in Italy? The fact that it is still perceived as poorly regulated. However, Dino overcomes this limitation thanks to a rigorous selection and training process. : every educator must have an appropriate qualification and pass thorough background checks. Homes are certified through careful inspections, and before opening, educators undergo specialist training: twenty initial hours with an educationalist, followed by periodic checks. Once part of the network, each facility is subject to regular checks, including unannounced visits, to ensure high educational and safety standards at all times. In short, the safety and quality of the people who work with young children are a priority in this type of nursery, which must not only comply with structural regulations but also meet appropriate professional standards with constant checks by experts.
With Dino, educators no longer have to deal with bureaucracy, taxation, promotion or finding families on their own. Dino supports them in setting up their spaces, provides initial and ongoing training, and supports the facilities in marketing and customer acquisition. Digital tools are also provided for the day-to-day management of the nursery, from attendance management to payments, and a dedicated platform for parents for communications, updates and educational content. Educators can thus focus exclusively on what they love to do, safe in the knowledge that they have a solid network, proven processes and constant support behind them to maintain autonomy, high quality standards and a sustainable income.
“We don’t just want to open nurseries: we want to create an infrastructure that helps families and promotes female entrepreneurship,” comments Stefano Pifferi, co-founder of Dino. “It’s a project that addresses birth rates, employment and educational quality: three pillars for the future of the country.”
One of Mamazen’s future goals is to set up two thousand home nurseries in 5-7 years, from large cities to small towns. This ambitious project aims to provide a concrete response to demographic challenges and work-life balance issues, offering a high-quality alternative to traditional nurseries and thus helping to boost the birth rate, in line with the priorities of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
While other similar initiatives have stopped at a few hundred facilities, Dino was created with the goal and the tools to scale up to a network of thousands of locations. The model integrates rigorous educational standards, comprehensive operational support and economic sustainability, removing the barriers that have limited the sector’s growth until now.
The background of the two founders, pictured here, reflects their focus on people and safety. Elisa Fogu has over eight years of experience in early childhood education and in opening and managing family nurseries. From 2016 to 2025, she was part of the management team at Scarabocchiando, Italy’s largest non-profit network of this type of facility. In this role, she led the launch of over 250 nurseries throughout the country, entered into agreements with more than 150 municipalities, designed onboarding and training courses for 150 educators, and promoted Montessori and Piklerian approaches.
Stefano Pifferi has always been involved in management and strategy through his extensive experience in the corporate sector, starting at Barilla where he held professional roles in sales, logistics and strategy. He then worked for the scale-up Getir, participating in the launch of operations in Italy and overseeing process performance. He went on to become a manager at Ernst & Young, leading teams on expansion and digital transformation projects, before launching his freelance career in fashion, supporting a contemporary artist in the launch of a fashion and furniture design line.
“Ours is an important project that we know will have a significant social impact and enormous economic potential. To improve the lives of all families and give children a quality education, all we have to do is get started, thanks to the support of Mamazen and the non-profit organisation Scarabocchiando, with which I have always collaborated,” adds Fogu.
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