Turin Cities of the Future Techstars, a success for the first time in attendance

The third edition of the Torino Cities of the Future Techstars Accelerator acceleration program has officially ended. The class of 2022 involved 12 companies from all over the world with a focus on innovative solutions to improve transport, housing, energy efficiency, infrastructure and basic services such as education and healthcare.

The initiative was promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and Foundazione CRT. The collaboration is part of the broader partnership launched in 2019 with the aim of promoting the development of the city of Turin as an international ecosystem for innovation and its affirmation as a model of success in Italy and in Europe.

After two editions held in full pandemic, this year the Demo Day of April 21st was held for the first time in the presence of the OGR in Turin. Among others, many colleagues from the various Divisions and Governance Areas of the Group participated, showing their appreciation and renewed attention to the project. The event was an opportunity for the participants in the third class to meet the most relevant stakeholders of the Turin innovative ecosystem. The meeting comes after 13 intense weeks of work in close contact with the mentors. The three Liason Partners of the Program also attended the ceremony: Valentina Berbotto for Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Michele Osella for Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and Massimo Bottin for Foundazione CRT.

Valentina Berbotto, the only female Liason partner, first of all wanted to thank the startups that have made the third class a success. The program "has the ambition to support the development of an ecosystem of international startups in Turin with the aim of attracting the brightest minds from around the world with the most innovative solutions and creating fruitful connections with local stakeholders. In this scenario, Intesa Sanpaolo plays the role of engine and connector between different ecosystems thanks to the long-term relationship of trust with its customers: companies, SMEs and other private and institutional stakeholders. We believe that enabling the link between Italian companies and innovative startups is essential for the competitiveness and risk reduction of our customers. Last but not least, the Turin Cities of the Future program, focused on Smart Mobility and Smart City, is totally in line with the significant ESG commitment, fundamental in Intesa Sanpaolo's strategy. The initiative with Techstars and the two banking foundations is a successful example of ecosystem development that has already generated positive and tangible impacts on the local community”.

Collaborating with Techstars means generating a real impact on the community, allowing the Intesa Sanpaolo Group to establish itself as the main player in the industrial ecosystem: "First of all - continues Berbotto - we invest in startups through the investment company Neva which is a tangible way to support the industrial scenario. Then we engaged our companies and our SME clients as mentors to provide technical support and to perform P.O.C. Among the key clients I would like to thank Iren, Stellantis and CISCO Italia for the extraordinary support provided since the first lesson of the 2020 program: they brought coaching and advisory throughout the program. Thanks also to Banca dei Territori of Intesa Sanpaolo which offered match-making opportunities to all SME customers who showed interest in open innovation. The Bank also supported the startups of the program which decided to open a branch in Turin. Finally, Intesa Sanpaolo with its connection with local institutions has allowed synergies with the Municipality of Turin, in particular with Torino City Lab and La Casa delle Tecnologie Emergenti with the aim of promoting the education and employability of young people, involving key partners such as Piazza dei Mestieri to attract local talents and give them the opportunity to work with Techstars and startups".

On the occasion of the Demo Day, the President Maurizio Montagnese underlined the role played by the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center: “Turin is confirmed as a very attractive ecosystem. This is demonstrated by the startups, partly rooted in this territory, which during the Demo Day illustrate their projects, all aimed at the future and innovation. It is a very rich third edition which confirms the importance of having brought the third accelerator in the world to Turin. The experience gained here has allowed us to repeat these initiatives, with other partners, throughout the country, focusing on issues such as lifestyle in Florence and bioeconomy in Naples".

The success of the first three years prompted Techstars together with the three corporate partners Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, Compagnia di San Paolo and Fondazione CRT to extend the experience with a further class in 2023.