Intesa Sanpaolo and Vertis SGR together to strengthen innovation in the Mezzogiorno
The collaboration between Intesa Sanpaolo, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, and Vertis has started to make consultancies, services, and networking events available to the southern innovative ecosystem.
Who is Vertis SGR and the new agreement
Established in 2007 in Naples, Vertis SGR is an independent asset management company, authorized by the Bank of Italy, which has launched so far nine closed-end securities investment funds, reserved for professional investors, taking stakes in startups, scaleups, and SMEs. Active in private equity and venture capital, Vertis SGR is today a point of reference for the development of innovative entrepreneurship in Southern Italy.
In this context fits the new collaboration launched with Intesa Sanpaolo, aimed at favoring the growth and consolidation of innovative businesses in the Mezzogiorno and strengthening the territorial innovation ecosystem.
Consultancies, networking and support for startup development by Intesa Sanpaolo and Innovation Center
The agreement sees as protagonists the Banca dei Territori Division of Intesa Sanpaolo and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, which commit to making available to Vertis SGR and the selected startups an articulated set of services: specialist consultancies, connections with a national and international network composed of universities, research centers, accelerators, and businesses, in addition to the organization of events and meetings dedicated to the valorization of the innovative ecosystem of Southern Italy.
A contribution that fits into the broader commitment of the Banca dei Territori, which in 2025 alone disbursed 70 million euros to innovative startups and SMEs in the Mezzogiorno, strengthening its support through financial and non-financial solutions, also thanks to the acceleration programs and Innovation Hubs present in the territory.
The investment of Neva SGR in the Vertis Venture 6 Digital Sud fund
Within the collaboration also falls a contribution of a financial nature, namely the investment of Neva SGR, a venture capital company 100% controlled by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, in the Vertis Venture 6 Digital Sud (VV6) fund, managed by Vertis SGR, through the Innovation Ecosystem Development Fund.
The VV6 fund is dedicated to the growth of innovative startups and SMEs in Southern Italy, supporting businesses in every stage of development – from seed to scaleup – that introduce product and process innovations thanks to digital technologies. The investments, with tickets between 0.5 and 5 million euros, are aimed at strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, cybersecurity, microelectronics, digital health, agritech, fintech, proptech, and spacetech.
A little over a year since the start of operations, the fund has already raised over 49.5 million euros and made seven investments, with the goal of carrying out another six by the end of the year.
A partnership to create value in the territories
«Intesa Sanpaolo aims at the growth of the innovative ecosystem of the Italian Mezzogiorno» – declared Viviana Bacigalupo, General Manager of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center – highlighting how the collaboration with Vertis SGR favors the development of the most promising local startups, supporting their growth and maximizing the positive impact on the territories.
The initiative is a concrete example of how Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center wants to contribute to closing the scale and exit gap in the Italian venture capital market. Exits are facilitated if there is contact between startups and industry. Precisely in this area is placed the agreement with Vertis.
The objective is to create quality jobs, enhance the excellence of the Mezzogiorno, and enable an international bridge, also through the attraction of talents.
The model of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center in the world of innovative ecosystems has the final objective of creating a positive impact on society in economic terms, but also environmental and social.
