Up2Stars: the second call for the Intesa Sanpaolo acceleration program has started
Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center favors innovation because it believes in its potential to generate positive impact for people and the environment. This is why he collaborated in the creation of Up2Stars, the acceleration program launched by Intesa Sanpaolo. The initiative is aimed at SMEs and startups that bring innovation in 1 of 4 high potential sectors: Industry 4.0, Bioeconomy, Medtech and Aerospace.
The program generates from the Group's desire to support the economy by investing in innovation as a development driver and offers the winners a personalized acceleration path and opportunities for networking and visibility to investors.
A journey in 3 steps
For each of the 4 sectors of interest, Up2Stars provides 3 stages:
- Online collection of applications and selection of 10 finalist startups
- Acceleration path with coaching and workshops with partners
- Presentation of the 10 finalist startups to investors
The project partners include the innovation platform Gellify, Elite-Gruppo Euronext, Microsoft Italia, Cisco and Opening Future with Noovle and Google Cloud. At the end of the entire program there is a final event that will see the participation of all 40 selected startups.
Bioeconomy and agri-food focus of the 2nd call
The 2nd Up2Stars call is dedicated to AgriTech and FoodTech with the aim of identifying innovative solutions for regenerative agriculture, safe quality tracking and effective logistics. The goal is to enhance a sector that is currently central to the Italian economy while at the same time promoting a sustainable approach in line with the objectives of the PNRR.
As explained by the Head of the Banca dei Territori Department Stefano Barrese: "With this second Up2Stars call we intend to select and accelerate the emerging entrepreneurial realities that are developing projects dedicated to Agritech and Foodtech, to encourage a new assimilation of sustainable and circular innovation also in the supply chain agri-food and new strategic assets capable of responding to the new emergencies dictated by the political-economic context ".
The role of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center
The acceleration path sees Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center in a key role in the implementation of the program, in the supervision of the acceleration path and its participation in the selection phase, as well as the supply of the digital application platform for startups. The Innovation Center hosted, at its headquarters on the 31st floor of the Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper, two days of meetings in which the jury made up of sector experts, colleagues from the Banca dei Territori division, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Gellify evaluated and select the innovative companies that will take part in the acceleration path dedicated to the Digital and Industry 4.0 category. The event was led by Marianna Ronzoni who has recently taken on the role of Head of the Startup Evaluation and Acceleration within the Financing and Growth of Startups structure.
