According to the 2022 report of Social Innovation Monitor (SIM), there are 237 incubators and accelerators in Italy (8 more than last year), of which 44 incubators are certified by the relevant Chamber of Commerce (the list of accredited incubators is available at this link).
Approx. 55% of these companies are located in the north of Italy, mainly in Lombardy (24%) and Emilia Romagna (12%). 9% of them are located in Lazio.
Private sponsors own 67% of the Italian incubators and accelerators; 20% are public-private partnerships, while the remaining 13% are wholly owned and managed by public bodies.
In 2021, the overall turnover of Italian incubators and accelerators was € 550 million. The average turnover is € 2.33 million, and the median is much lower but in line with the previous year (€ 600 thousand).
65% of them were established in the last ten years. The industry has consolidated in recent years.
Incubators and accelerators are generally small in terms of employees. Around 67% of the analysed sample have 5 or fewer employees, with an average of 7 employees.
The primary services the Italian organisations provide are managerial support and training, support in search of funding programs, and networking.
If we look at the incubated/accelerated startups, the total number of incubated/accelerated teams and companies was 2,874, selected out of 13,494 applications. These numbers are related to 94 incubators and accelerators participating in the SIM survey (out of 237). Therefore, the average numbers of applications and incubated/accelerated companies are 149.9 applications and 31.9 teams or companies, whilst the median numbers are 40 applications and 15.5 companies.
The analysis shows that one incubator/accelerator out of two supports companies with significant social or environmental impact. About half of the incubators and accelerators in Italy are “Business Incubators” (0% of incubated/accelerated companies with substantial social and environmental impact). In comparison, the other half is “Mixed Incubators” (from 1% to 50%) or “Social Incubators” (more than 50%). The most represented industries of incubated/accelerated startups with significant social or environmental impact are health and wellness (including sports) and community development.
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For more info (in Italian) visit https://socialinnovationmonitor.com/italy-incubators/