How and Where to Invest in Italian Scientific and Technological Excellence: Spin-offs and Start-Ups for VCs and Corporate VCs

Research in Italy’s Land of Hidden Gems, a report prepared by this office and Innova Consulting Group, which offers an overview of the Italian R&D landscape, with a particular focus on early stage ventures, is available to download.

The report hopes to acquaint potential investors with Italian locations where start ups and spin offs are active or are forming. It includes:

•  A snapshot of Italy’s R&D system
• An overview of Italy’s science parks and research centers
• A selected list of early stage companies
• An outline of some current US-Italy collaboration agreements
• A selected list of Innovation-focused events in Italy
• Information on funding programs available for Italy’s research industry
• A list of current local investors and relevant associations, which can serve as insightful local partners to foreign counterparts.

Italy has registered a gradual but significant increase in R&D expenditures, and currently ranks favorably in global classifications of scientific publications and citations. Most importantly, readers will discover that the country is also displaying strong signs of acceleration in number of new enterprises, as universities and research centers are spinning out a growing number of companies, which have started to gain the attention and backing of investors. Of the 600 spin offs generated by universities over the last 8 years, half operate in the ICT sector and the Life Sciences.

An expanded SECOND EDITION of this report, to be released in March, will contain even further information, such as tax and legal issues faced by VCs in Italy. To ask for a copy, please, send an email to: RFishler@italtrade.com.

For more information please contact:

Valentina Petricciuolo – Investments Desk – vpetricciuolo@italtrade.com

Italian Trade Commission
33 East 67^th Street
New York, NY 10065
Tel. 1 212 980-1500