Hi-tech Startups & Scaleups

The Hi-tech Startups & Scaleups Observatory is fostered by the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with InnovUp (www.innovup.net), the association representing the Italian innovation ecosystem that aggregates startups, scaleups, innovative SMEs, innovation centers, scientific and technology parks, accelerators, investors, professional practices and corporations.

Hi-tech Startups & Scaleups Observatory analyzes the entrepreneurial dynamics and the scenario of hi-tech startups funded in Italy, aiming to spread awareness and consolidate knowledge at all levels (economists, politicians, managers, students) on the impact and opportunities provided by the inception of new organizations in the mature Italian economy. The Hi-tech Startups & Scaleups Observatory targets all players of the Italian startup ecosystem with the ultimate goal of speeding up such emerging and positive dynamics through the implementation of a stable point of reference within this multidimensional process.

By means of a comprehensive Research conducted for the most part through primary sources, the Hi-tech Startups & Scaleups Observatory provides unique data on overall investments in startups made in Italy by formal and informal investors, in addition to presenting leading strategic and entrepreneurial dynamics and significant cases of the ecosystem at national level, as well as a number of international level benchmarks.

In the scope of the 2023 Research the Observatory will:

• Map all hi-tech startups funded in Italy and critically examine the impact of startups on economic and employment growth in our Country;
• Perform a unique estimate from primary sources of the high-tech startup investment market in Italy, split by “formal” investors (e.g. independent Venture Capital funds, Regional investment companies, Corporate Venture Capital funds), and “informal” ones (Venture Incubators, Family Offices, Club Deals, Business Angels, Equity Crowdfunding platforms and company investments);
• Analyze the overall capital raised, the capital invested throughout the current year, and the capital from Italian “formal” investors still available for further investments;
• Investigate startup investment dynamics from well-established companies or incumbents acting upon  an “inbound open innovation” focus (jointly with Startup Intelligence Observatory research and Digital Transformation Academy activities), and disclose the main strategic implications stemming from  Incumbent-startup collaborations;
• Analyze performances of Italian hi-tech startups which received investments throughout the main life-cycle phases (funding, growth and exit);
• Further explore some interesting startups to grasp key strategic and entrepreneurial phenomena, such as: drivers for success, main challenges and difficulties faced, most significant business model design and innovation decisions made;
• Delineate some evolutionary paths and dynamics for the entire Italian funded hi-tech startups’ ecosystem.