By Martin Olczyk, Managing Director of the Torino Cities of the Future Techstars Accelerator

I’m very excited to announce the 2023 class of the Torino Cities of the Future Techstars Accelerator!

The 13-week program commenced on February 13th, and we are currently in week 3 of mentor madness, where founders are connecting with mentors, investors, and corporates to receive feedback on their companies.

The selected companies represent various verticals, including mobility, sustainability, deep tech, logistics, and EdTech. These companies come from different European countries, such as Italy, Germany, the UK, Portugal, and the Netherlands, and will stay at OGR Torino for the next 13 weeks. 

We are excited about the successful partnership that has been established over the past four years with Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, and Fondazione CRT. These partners have provided invaluable support to the Torino Cities of the Future Techstars Accelerator, helping to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the city of Turin and beyond. Through their mentorship, funding, and resources, these corporate partners have played a critical role in helping the participating startups to develop and grow their businesses. We are grateful for their ongoing commitment to the program and the startups participating in it.

Our fourth edition of the program features the highest number of Italian companies ever, including a diverse founder group, with eight female founders. According to data from the Italian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AIFI), the Italian Venture Capital industry saw a record-breaking year in 2022, with invested capital exceeding EUR1.8bn, representing a remarkable 48% increase compared to the previous year. This growth can be attributed to the increasing number of startups that are being founded in the country, as well as the growing interest from international investors. We are thrilled to facilitate a blending of Italian and international founders, enabling them to exchange insights and collaborate with entrepreneurs from other European ecosystems. I’m more than optimistic about the future of the Italian ecosystem.

Over the next three months, the founders and their mentors will collaborate to develop scalable companies, with a focus on customer discovery, selling, and fundraising. They will have the opportunity to engage with more than 100 mentors, investors, corporates, and subject matter experts, and participate in numerous workshops led by local and international mentors.

Three years of Techstars in Torino 

It has been an incredibly successful 3.5 years for Techstars in Torino. As pioneers in the city, we launched the first Smart Mobility accelerator and the first international accelerator program at OGR Torino. In 2022, we have expanded our program into Italy's first Smart City focused accelerator. Thanks to our partnerships with local corporates and innovation hubs, like Torino City Lab, our companies have received access to POC opportunities, the municipality and to corporate customers. Of the 46 accelerated companies, 15 were Italian-founded startups, and two international startups, Sheeva.ai (US) and Xworks Tech (UK), have opened subsidiaries in Italy. Our alumni from the past three years have seen remarkable success, having raised more than $70m in funding and created 400 jobs. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this class! 

Please join us in welcoming the Class of 2023 to the Torino Cities of the Future Techstars Accelerator.

Artificient (Germany)

Europe’s 1st AI smart driving App, towards safer & greener mobility

Automatika Robotics (France)

AI for human-like navigation in unstructured spaces

Empethy (Italy)

An end-to-end platform that is changing the way people find, choose, and adopt a pet

Heloola (Italy)

A digital book club revolutionizing the way books are marketed, sold, and experienced

Intuitivo (Portugal)

All-in-one digital assessment platform for schools

Pack (Italy)

HR-Tech platform to foster people’s growth with data-driven mentoring and increase employees' retention

Preflet (Portugal)

Reducing buildings’ carbon footprint with Energy AI

Sirius (Netherlands)

Empowering small businesses to decarbonize

Sorair (UK)

Automating end-to-end supply chains using software management systems and robotics technology

Tutornow (Italy)

Digital tutoring platform for students of all ages and all subjects

Wibo (Italy)

Wibo helps corporates retain talents using a community-based, mobile-first learning platform

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