Techstars Transformative World Torino is the acceleration program dedicated to startups developing high‑impact technologies for smart cities, smart mobility, sustainability and artificial intelligence.
Techstars is an international accelerator supporting early‑stage startups through structured programs, mentorship, and a wide network of partners and stakeholders. The program promotes technological development, business growth, and the validation of innovative solutions.
Originally launched as the first accelerator in Italy for Smart Mobility, and later Smart Cities, in 2024 the program evolved into Transformative World, focusing on technologies for a changing world.
The initiative is promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Fondazione CRT, and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, together with the American accelerator Techstars.
The Techstars selection process includes an in‑depth evaluation of the online application, comparative analysis across thousands of global submissions, and two rounds of interviews designed to identify the strongest, most cohesive, and fastest‑learning teams. The *team* is the most important criterion.
Official criteria:
The program includes 13 weeks of mentoring, networking, and seed funding. Startups receive $120,000, strategic guidance, and support for market validation.
Mentorship
Strategic and business support
Mentorship is at the heart of the journey: internationally selected experts—entrepreneurs, managers, investors—work alongside startups to define strategy, product, and positioning.
Execution and growth
Strategy and results
Lavorando quotidianamente con managing director, program manager e lead mentor per trasformare gli insight iniziali in azioni misurabili, le startup mettono a terra le priorità, sviluppamo prototipi e validano il modello con i primi risultati concreti, costruendo crescita misurabile e preparando eventuali Proof of Concept con i partner.
Go‑to‑Market preparation
Fundraising and pitch
Startups refine the fundraising strategy, hone pitch and storytelling, and consolidate the data needed to present to investors. The goal is to make the value proposition clear and compelling, preparing the final presentation for Demo Day.
Demo Day
Demo Day
Demo Day finale, un momento decisivo per generare nuove opportunità e rafforzare l’ingresso nel network Techstars.
On May 22, 2025, the Demo Day of the second edition of the Techstars Transformative World accelerator took place—the sixth when considering all the editions run so far with the American accelerator Techstars.
Over these years, remarkable results have been achieved: 69 startups accelerated, over $130 million in investments raised by the accelerated startups, more than 600 new jobs created, over 80 Proof of Concept agreements signed with companies, and 3 successful exits.
The 2025 edition selected 12 startups from Montenegro, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Portugal, and six from Italy—a clear sign of the growth of innovative entrepreneurship in the country.
During Demo Day, the 12 startups in the class presented their innovative technologies to an audience of over 350 people at OGR Torino and more than 200 connected from 26 countries around the world, after three months of mentorship, meetings, and workshops—an intense effort that enabled the validation of the business model and supported the validation of their entrepreneurial ideas.
The proposed solutions ranged from Artificial Intelligence to Deep Tech, from the Future of Work to robotics, and innovations for health, creativity, and the environment, in line with the ESG, Net‑Zero, and Circular Economy trajectories that guide the program’s investment thesis.
Demo Day was not only an opportunity for pitching, but also a moment for taking stock and discussion among the program partners: Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, and Techstars on the results and the future of the Turin ecosystem. The program represents a concrete growth platform for emerging startups and for the region, contributing to the development of skills, qualified employment, and new connections between the entrepreneurial world, research, and institutions.
2025 Edition - Interviews
Alterecho | Marco Molinari - CEO & Co-Founder
Bettaknit | Barbara Fani - CEO & Co-Founder
Granter | Bernardo Seixas - CEO & Co-Founder
Lemons in the room | Alessandro Napoli - CEO & Co-Founder
Litlyx | Antonio Verdiglione - CEO & Co-Founder
MATERIAIntel | Francesco Martella - CEO & Co-Founder
Vocations | Alessio Primo Gavinelli - CEO & Co-Founder
TECHSTARS 2025 | Trailer Kickoff
Highlights from past editions
In 2024, Techstars Transformative World Torino launched its first edition with a strong focus on technologies capable of improving life in the cities of the future (the fifth overall considering all editions with Techstars), focusing on strategic verticals such as decarbonization, circular economy, health & safety, advanced AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity, hyperautomation, and digital asset communities, consistent with the evolution toward the Transformative World model. The "12 selected startups", chosen from over 300 applications, embarked on an intensive journey aimed at building high‑impact solutions. Thanks to the collaboration between Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Compagnia di San Paolo and Fondazione CRT, the program confirmed the maturity of the Turin ecosystem, enabling the city to grow as an innovation hub, attract talent, foster collaborations with local companies and create new jobs.
At the end of the program, during the Demo Day on May 16 at OGR, the startups delivered their pitches to an audience of more than 500 people in person and remotely, presenting technologies and business prospects to investors, program partners, institutions, companies, the press and stakeholders of the Turin innovation ecosystem.
Selected startups: G2Q Computing, Impact AI, SylloTips, Shion, Plain, Nubo, Bestie Bite, Trainizi, Reviway, Intuos, Vision Anchor, Voovo.
Interviews
Interview to Adam Ubrankovics
Laura Berta
Founder & CEO at New Urban Office
Giorgio Barnabò
Co-Founder & CEO at SylloTips
Matija Jasarov
Co-Founder & CEO at VisionAnchor
Taisa Mukha
Co-Founder & CEO at Plain
Anna Maria Brunnhofer-Pedemonte
Founder & CEO at IMPACT AI
Ekaterina Polyakova
Founder & CEO at G2Q Computing
Techstars 2024 | Kickoff Trailer
The 2023 edition of Torino Cities of the Future Techstars Accelerator stood out for the strong engagement of the Turin ecosystem and the quality of the solutions presented. After the class kicked off on February 13, the accelerator brought together "10 selected startups"from among 326 European applications, active across various smart‑city verticals - from mobility and decarbonization to energy efficiency, edtech and digital media.
On May 11, the Demo Day at OGR recorded more than 400 participants, confirming the strategic role of the program in growing local innovation. Over the years, the accelerator has encouraged the arrival in Turin of numerous international ventures, generating collaborations with the municipality and local businesses, the establishment of new startups and hundreds of jobs.
Startups of the 2023 edition: Empethy, Heloola, Pack, Tutornow, Wibo, Intuitivo, Preflet, Automatika Robotics, Sirius, Sorair.
Supported by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Compagnia di San Paolo and Fondazione CRT, the program continued to strengthen Italy’s innovation ecosystem, contributing to new collaborations, job growth and the attraction of emerging technologies to the city.
Cities of the Future Techstars Accelerator concluded its third edition with a record‑breaking Demo Day at OGR, with strong participation both in‑person and online. This edition marked an important evolution: from the initial focus on smart mobility, the program expanded its scope to the smart city, involving areas such as Industry 4.0, Agritech, Digital Health, Cultural Heritage, Energy & Sustainability.
The Demo Day celebrated the work of a class made up of 12 high-potential European startups, confirming the strong dynamism of Turin’s innovation ecosystem.
Startups of the 2022 edition: Family+Happy, Strategic BIM, Gymnasio, Hive Power, Voltaage, Inputsoft, Lawyerd!, Optimiz, Xworks Tech, Natix, NRGI.ai, Volteum.
