Innovation

Up2Stars: Grand Finale in Naples on 13 November

On Wednesday 13 November, the Complex of S.S. Marcellino and Festo at the University of Naples Federico II will host the grand finale event THE FUTURE BEGINS WITH AN IDEA, marking the end of the training course and exchange of experiences and excellence generated by the second edition of Up2Stars.

Up2Stars: the journey of 12 innovative start-ups in the Silicon Valley

Up2Stars, the acceleration start-up programme delevoped by Intesa Sanpaolo  in collaboration with  Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Centre, focusing entirely on the creative and visionary potential of the most innovative Italian start-ups, confirms its mission to support and offer greater opportunities for implementing business know-how that can benefit young entrepreneurs in Italy.

The initiative forms part of the Bank's overall commitment to supporting opportunities for the socio-economic and industrial growth offered by new technologies. A dedicated value mission that also sees Intesa Sanpaolo as an active partner in the development of technology transfer models to local companies, in its capacity as the founding partner of four National Research Centres in Milan, Bologna, Naples and Padua, within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan [PNRR].

Working in conjunction with Innovit - Italian Innovation & Cultural Hub, based in San Francisco - 12 innovative start-ups that were already included in the Up2Stars programme had the opportunity of directly experiencing an intense apprenticeship from Monday 2 to Friday 6 September in the Silicon Valley in San Francisco, the pulsating and ultimate hub for every vital idea linked to models and acceleration processes, as well as the hub for innovative start-ups.

The week in San Francisco in the Silicon Valley, focusing on accelerating start-ups, brought together mentors, experts, investors and academics from UC Berkeley. It provided major growth opportunities for the innovative start-ups, with more than 20 training sessions, combining mentorship, networking, visibility and practical training. The objective was to provide personalised support on key aspects of business development, helping innovative start-ups to grow and develop so as to compete on the global innovation market and connect with potential investors.

On Thursday, 5 September, Demo Day was held to celebrate the initiative together with US investors, head of the Intesa Sanpaolo Banca dei Territori Division Stefano Barrese, Intesa Sanpaolo USA & Americas Country Manager Nicola Baiocchi, and Italy's Consul General in San Francisco Sergio Strozzi.

“We are a bank with deep roots in the Italian territory where these start-ups of excellence originate. Thanks to our international reach and a network of strategic partners, we can help them grow in the world and, at the same time, attract new investments to Italy”

Stefano Barrese, head of the Intesa Sanpaolo Banca dei Territori Division

Discover some of the experiences in the Silicon Valley in San Francisco and listen to the voices of the most innovative start-ups.

Intesa Sanpaolo supports innovative start-ups in the Silicon Valley of San Francisco

Intesa Sanpaolo fosters the growth of state-of-the art business projects, providing strategic consulting and targeted networking services to facilitate their global expansion. The initiative aims to create a bridge between the Italian innovative ecosystem and Silicon Valley, offering opportunities for growth and consolidation for start-ups in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, fintech and green technologies. This commitment confirms Intesa Sanpaolo's role as a leader in innovation and in promoting sustainable economic development.

Through the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Centre, the bank offers young Italian and international companies access to an ecosystem of technological excellence, resources and investors.

The 12 innovative start-ups selected for the Up2Stars accelerator programme

The 12 innovative start-ups, all with great potential, were identified throughout Italy among the eighty businesses selected in the two editions of Up2Stars, falling within certain macro-categories such as: Digital/Industry 4.0; Agritech and Foodtech; Medtech/Healthcare; Aerospace; Watertech; Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; AI for business transformation; IoT, Infrastructure and Mobility.

The 12 innovative start-ups selected for Up2Stars

• Keplera: a legal-tech start-up that works to support legal firms and SMEs in the digital transition of legal processes;

• 2NDSpace: a start-up offering “Sat-as-a-Service” to provide access to a fleet of multi-active satellites, hired on a pay-per-use or subscription basis;

• Novac: a start-up operating in the energy storage sector that develops modular supercap solutions to enhance the power of electric vehicles and satellites;

• PINPOINT: a start-up that uses proprietary AI to generate digital mathematical models of machines;

• Monitor The Planet: a start-up offering innovative solutions for topographical surveying and infrastructure monitoring;

• Novalimb: an innovative start-up operating in the non-surgical orthopaedics sector;

• Infinity ID: a start-up engaged in innovation in the automatic identification sector;

• bitCorp: a start-up offering cyber-intelligence and cybersecurity services based on advanced proprietary technologies;

• CityZ: an innovative start-up that develops smart parking solutions;

• Joule: an innovative HR-tech start-up that has developed and patented an AI-based software able to extrapolate the skills and aptitudes of candidates from a 40-second presentation video;

• Oraigo: a neuro-tech start-up that uses brain waves and artificial intelligence to prevent drivers from falling asleep at the wheel and improve the safety and productivity of transport fleets;

• M2Test: an innovative start-up offering SaaS for Bone Elastic Structure Tests, a new medical test designed to assess the quality of internal bone structure to assist in the diagnosis, monitoring and prevention of fragility fractures.