Support to innovation and startups

Support for companies and start-ups embraces the development of their innovation processes, also through the promotion and support to business transformation and multidisciplinary research projects, key strategic levers for competitiveness in a constantly evolving market. 

UN SDGs SUPPORTED

Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center is the Group's company dedicated to frontier innovation across five main areas: research, startups, ecosystems, open innovation, and spreading of the culture of innovation. As the Group’s competence centre for the circular economy (CE), it supports SMEs/Corporates in their path towards sustainability, contributing to make the Intesa Sanpaolo Group the driving force of a more aware, inclusive and sustainable economy.

Neva SGR is the venture capital of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, wholly owned by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center. Through Neva SGR, Intesa Sanpaolo can provide venture capital to high-tech companies (in areas such as Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, AI, 5G, and Blockchain), acting as a financial vehicle for the hi-tech sector.

Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center (ISPIC) collaborates with leading research centers to conduct multidisciplinary applied research in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), neuroscience and robotics. By promoting technology transfer and supporting spin-offs, ISPIC creates valuable intangible assets and intellectual property. As of 2024, 18 projects are active in the field of AI, neuroscience and robotics, with 8 projects launched in 2024 and more than 25 from 2022.

ISPIC supports high-potential startups through non-financial services, such as acceleration programmes, and by connecting startups to venture capital funds. This support is enhanced by the Group’s subsidiary, Neva SGR. Two notable initiatives, realized with Banca dei Territori Division and Insurance Division include: 

• the second edition of Up2Stars, supporting 40 startups across four sectors: Water-tech, Renewable Energy, AI for business transformation, and IoT, Infrastructure, and Mobility;
• the third edition of In Action ESG Climate, aimed at fostering green transition solutions and combating climate change. A total of 1.75 million euro has been awarded across the three editions, benefiting 11 startups.

ISPIC plays a key role in developing innovation ecosystems both locally and internationally, coordinating relationships with corporates, incubators, R&D centers, universities, and institutions. These partnerships facilitate the transfer of knowledge between academia and the financial sector, particularly enhancing innovation in green and high-tech industries. By the end of 2024, over 230 startups had been accelerated, over 450 collaborations and proofs of concept were realized, more than 120 million euro in capital was raised, and 830 new hires were made. ISPIC launched Maritimes ventures, a three-year programme focused on developing disruptive ventures in the nautical and port sectors. The ISPIC also joined the Galaxia initiative, promoting technological transfer in the aerospace industry. 

Dissemination of knowledge and culture of innovation through events and new training formats (e.g. positioning and match-making events, dissemination to retail and corporate clients and to high schools, universities and post-graduates). In 2024 ISPIC has carried out 41 positioning and match-making events with ~12,000 participants and in May the Company launched the Inclusive Innovation Experience, an interactive experience designed to engage people with sensory disabilities in exploring innovation.

In addition, ISPIC has published 18 innovation reports/publications (~50 since 2022) on technologies and trends in different fields (e.g. energy storage, decarbonization of the agri-food sector).

The innovative transformation paths of companies also require financial support and Intesa Sanpaolo is active on this front both through its own financing solutions, such as NOVA+, and through agreements at European and national level to allow companies to access public incentives.