Techstars and Compagnia Di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center announce Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator, first Techstars accelerator in Italy

BOULDER, Colo. – July 26, 2019 – Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, today announced the launch of the Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator based in Turin, Italy. In partnership with Turinese foundations Compagnia Di San Paolo and Fondazione CRT, and the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, the new 13-week mentorship-driven accelerator program will accept 10 premier startups on an annual basis focused on transformative smart mobility technologies, with the program concentrated on smart infrastructure and smart cities.

The Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator is part of a series of innovation and entrepreneurship-focused events and programming through a Techstars, Compagnia Di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center partnership that will build new opportunities for Italian and European entrepreneurs throughout the Turin ecosystem over the next three years.

The Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator will be hosted at the Officine Grandi Riparazioni (OGR) in Turin, a historic building recently transformed by Fondazione CRT into a center for contemporary culture and innovation. The program will be led by Martin Olczyk, previous managing director of the METRO Accelerator for Hospitality powered by Techstars in Berlin, and most recently, Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) for the Arcadis City of 2030 Accelerator, Powered by Techstars located in Amsterdam. Olczyk brings over a decade of startup mentorship and early-stage tech investment to the program, having invested, co-founded and advised dozens of companies and entrepreneurs over the years.

“We are in the middle of a mobility revolution, and smart mobility is a new and revolutionary way of thinking about how human beings, data and goods get around in a cleaner, safer, cheaper, more efficient and convenient way,” said Olczyk. “Turin has developed a thriving startup scene in the last few years, and with the support of institutions, successful entrepreneurs and corporations focused on innovation, there is a unique level #GiveFirst culture throughout the community that makes this an ideal locale for this program. We are excited to help founders, entrepreneurs, and startups build successful and impactful businesses right here in Turin.”

Applications for the Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator are open now through October 13, 2019. The program will run from January 2020 through April 2020. Startups interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to contact Techstars or visit https://www.techstars.com/programs/smart-mobility-program/ to learn more.

About Techstars

Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Techstars founders connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders, and corporations to grow their companies. Techstars operates three divisions: Techstars Startup Programs, Techstars Mentorship-Driven Accelerator Programs, and Techstars Corporate Innovation Partnerships. Techstars accelerator portfolio includes more than 1,900 companies with a market cap of $22 Billion. www.techstars.com

About Compagnia Di San Paolo

Compagnia di San Paolo is one of Europe’s most important private foundations. Since 1992 it has granted almost € 3 billion to the territory in the areas of research and higher education, social policies, health, artistic heritage and cultural activities. Founded in 1563 and now a philanthropic agent of development even through its Instrumental Bodies, it is a hub of knowledge and competence, services and policies for projects focused on people and territories of reference. www.compagniadisanpaolo.it

About Fondazione CRT

Fondazione CRT is a private non-profit organization founded in 1991. It is one of the “engines” of development and growth in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley in three main areas: Research & Education, Art and Culture, Welfare and Territory. In 27 years of activity, Fondazione CRT has distributed resources totaling around 1.6 billion euro, which has permitted the realization of over 39,000 interventions. Furthermore, with a budget of 100 million euros, Fondazione CRT has completely restored the OGR. Fondazione CRT is present in international networks of philanthropy, within the EFC (European Foundation Centre) and the EVPA (European Venture Philanthropy Association), and it implements projects in collaboration with international organizations including the United Nations. www.fondazionecrt.it

About Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center

The mission Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center lies in the research and analysis of innovative solutions in order to identify growth opportunities for our Group and customers. The Center, established in 2014, has the task of monitoring the Group’s innovation development plans and processes. With a central office on the 31st floor of Turin’s skyscraper, the headquarters of the Group, and a national and international network, the Innovation Center aims to be an enabling driver of relationships with other stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem, such as businesses, start-ups, incubators, research centres and universities. In addition, it promotes new forms of entrepreneurship in accessing risk capital. Innovation is at the core of the company’s evolution. For the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, innovation is a lever for competing in markets that are increasingly more complex and globalised.

About OGR

The OGR of Turin is a former railway workshops built in the nineteenth century on an area of 35,000 square meters, the OGR have been entirely redeveloped by Fondazione CRT with over 100 million euro and reborn on 30 September 2017 as workshops of ideas, creativity and innovation: a place open to the world for artistic experimentation, scientific, technological and industrial research, as well as food. In 2019 they will increasingly serve as international innovation hub, with spaces for business accelerators, research laboratories and a Big Data centre. They will also become the Italian “home” to BEST, the bilateral Italy US program designed to promote high-tech entrepreneurial culture in our country, with the aim of building a bridge between Silicon Valley and Turin. www.ogrtorino.it 

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