We team-up with researchers who want translate their scientific research into marketable products and investors or corporate ventures which intend to invest in intellectual property.
It’s not about the Area. It’s about long-term Collaborations.
Innovation Area
The energy storage and the ability to green all transportation systems are closely interlinked and face major European challenges, to build a competitive and sustainable value chain in Europe.
We can identify major objectives in this area, such as the search for cross-sectoral solutions for decarbonization, storage solutions (with hydrogen or fuel cells), the creation of sustainable infrastructures, services and systems for intelligent and sustainable communities and cities.
Innovation Area
We believe that clean technology means improving the environmental sustainability of products and their production process.
Circular economy, waste treatment and valorization, reduction of flue gases and waste streams: these are some of the areas we are involved in to combat climate change through a better understanding of its causes, evolution, risks, impacts and opportunities.
Innovation Area
Apart from the discovery and the development of new drugs, we also focus on all technologies that can improve the diagnosis and care.
We focus on new medical devices, including new surgical tools and robotic systems, as well as advanced imaging systems and personalized medicine approaches.
We also pay attention to food innovations to build fair, healthy and sustainable food systems, covering the entire food chain. This objective is linked to the Green Deal’s “Farm to Fork” strategy.
Innovation Area
We invest in Industry 4.0 – including manufacturing, processing and construction – to develop a modern, competitive, sustainable and digital industrial network.
We seek technologies that change the way we exploit satellite data, to provide business and people with radically new services.
We love everything about space missions: new launchers, components and materials for satellites and spacecraft, new propulsion systems, communication and control systems, as well as re-entry and de-orbiting approaches.
Grant Funding: the best support for your innovation projects.
Italy and Europe offer many opportunities to support and foster Research and Innovation actions. Accessing these grants can be a vital support within the early-stage of the project, but the competition is very high.
It requires to understand the unique essence and particular requirements of each call and a well-thought-out plan of action to prepare the application and get the funding to realize the full potential of tech-transfer projects and startups.
We provide tailored support to build partnerships for creating Consortia, managing the proposals, designing value propositions roadmaps, improving the exploitation of the results and setting up communication & disseminations strategies for future and emerging technologies.
Hello Investors, how can we help you?
Investments in deep technologies are undergoing an explosion everywhere, as investors are increasingly supporting research-based startups, especially in the biotech and energy industries. The increasing adoption by corporates of Open Innovation is favouring the acquisition of startups by tech giants, which in turn is de-risking the investment decisions.
There are basically three characteristics of the startups we launch with European researchers:
1) they are based on revolutionary technologies which have been developed also through highly competitive and non-dilutive European funding;
2) they can have a huge impact on industries, even in a long-term perspective;
3) the underlying IP is well protected;
4) the team is set up after 2-3 years of Venture Building, complementing the founders with the core team necessary for executing the business plan.
Our cooperation with researchers starts when their technology is at TRL 3-4. A proof of principle of a revolutionary technology is available, but the problem-solution fit, business case and business model are still to be validated.
We raise 2M€ – 3M€ as non-dilutive funding (grant) to increase the Market Readiness Level and Investment Readiness Level, working 2-3 years with the research team to ensure that the product is designed to meet the market needs.
We also set up the initial team for the startup, considering that not always researchers/founders are willing to leave the academic career.
The most challenging and risky research activities (until TRL6) are carried out taking advantage of non-dilutive public funding, and the startup is launched when the market and technology readiness are validated. VC funding is sought for the “last mile” of technology development (until TRL9) and to setup the company’s operations.
The founders (i.e. the researchers/scientists that have invented the technology) own the majority of the shares, while Day One typically takes 10% of the equity.
Our startups are always founded by the investors of the technology and in almost all cases they have patent protection (either filed or in the PCT phase). Together with a patent attorney, we carry out an in-depth freedom to operate analysis to ensure that the technology is not infringing any third party’s IP.
It’s true that senior researchers are reluctant to give up their academic career to embrace a high-risk endeavor as a startup. When this happens, we surely have a motivated team of people willing to take the company to the next level and we work with them for 2-3 years to get them ready for the entrepreneurial world. When this does not happen, we do our best to identify the key staff that will take care of the core company’s operations. Then, we prepare them through our Venture Building process so that then they’ll join the company once it is founded. The founders usually maintain an advisory role and have a role in the Board of Directors.