New Altitude: A New Platform in Turin to Invest in Startups and Accelerate Their Growth

New Altitude – Turin Scaling Platform is a new program dedicated to high-potential innovative startups, combining investment, expertise and operational support to drive business growth and international scaling

A New Model to Support Startup Growth

New Altitude has been established to support Italian and international startups developing emerging and transformative technologies, offering an integrated model that combines capital with strategic guidance.

Promoted by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione Sviluppo e Crescita CRT and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, with Neva SGR as its investment partner and operational support from Pronto Ventures, the initiative aims to further strengthen Turin’s position as a European innovation hub.

The program provides investments ranging from €200,000 to €400,000 per startup, tailored to each company’s stage of maturity and delivered through equity or quasi-equity instruments. This is complemented by 12 months of tailored operational support, mentorship, dedicated workshops and access to a well-established network of investors, companies, universities and research centres. The goal is to support up to 30 startups over the first three years, helping them navigate their growth journeys and prepare for subsequent international investment rounds.

Unlike traditional acceleration programs organised in periodic cohorts, New Altitude adopts a flexible model, with applications open year-round and tailored support pathways designed around each startup’s specific needs. The initiative is sector-agnostic: applications will be assessed based on team quality, technological strength and market potential, with particular attention to startups operating in sustainable transition-related fields.

Turin: An Increasingly Prominent Player in European Innovation

The launch of New Altitude comes at a particularly favourable time for Turin’s innovation ecosystem. In recent years, the city has consolidated its position among Europe’s most promising emerging ecosystems. This gradual process of maturation has been driven by the quality of its research, the expertise available across the local ecosystem and its ability to attract talent and capital.

Contributing to this progress are also the initiatives promoted by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione Sviluppo e Crescita CRT and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, which jointly support numerous startups across the local ecosystem every year through investments and growth support programmes.

According to Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026, the value of Turin’s startup ecosystem has grown by 130% since 2021, reaching approximately $3 billion and confirming the city’s position among the most dynamic emerging ecosystems internationally. The report also highlights Turin’s increasingly prominent role in Deep Tech, Aerospace, Mobility and Artificial Intelligence, as well as the local ecosystem’s ability to attract international programmes and initiatives dedicated to scaling innovative businesses.

Against this backdrop, New Altitude aims to further strengthen the local ecosystem’s ability to create and grow innovative companies capable of competing in global markets.

Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center Strengthens Its Position as a Key Player in the Innovation Ecosystem

Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center is one of the organisations behind New Altitude, bringing to the initiative the wealth of expertise, relationships and experience it has built over the years in supporting Turin’s and Italy’s innovation ecosystems, as well as the growth journeys of technology-intensive startups and scaleups.

As Viviana Bacigalupo, General Manager of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, emphasises, New Altitude represents the next stage in a journey that began more than six years ago to strengthen the international positioning of Turin’s innovation ecosystem. The initiative is also fully aligned with the objectives of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group’s Business Plan, which focuses on supporting the growth of innovative startups and scaleups and promoting ecosystem initiatives capable of generating sustainable development and enhancing the country’s competitiveness.

Thanks to synergies with Neva SGR and the national and international network developed by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, the programme will offer selected startups tangible growth opportunities, access to investors, industrial partnerships and support for international expansion.

A Bridge Between Startups, Capital and Global Markets

New Altitude primarily targets early-stage startups that already have a validated product and demonstrable traction. Companies will be assessed based on team quality, technological strength and market potential, with particular attention to solutions capable of contributing to major economic, environmental and social transformations.

The goal is to create the conditions for an increasing number of startups to choose Turin as the place to establish themselves, grow and develop high-value-added activities, generating skilled employment, collaborations with the university system and new opportunities for the local industrial ecosystem.

Startups interested in the initiative can express their interest and submit their pitch deck by emailing pitch@prontoventures.vc.