According to the 2024 report of Social Innovation Monitor (SIM), Italy currently has 239 incubators and accelerators, representing a decrease of 8.8% compared to the previous year. Of these, 64 are officially certified by the Chamber of Commerce (a list of accredited incubators can be found here).
Approximately 54% of these organisations are located in northern Italy, with the highest concentrations in Lombardy (23%), Emilia-Romagna (11%), and Lazio (11%).
In terms of ownership, 65% of Italy’s incubators and accelerators are privately funded, 22% are public-private partnerships, and the remaining 13% are entirely managed by public bodies.
In 2023, the average turnover for Italian incubators and accelerators was € 2.61 million, with a median of € 0.71 million – an increase from the previous year’s € 0.54 million. This reflects the sector’s growing financial stability.
The incubator and accelerator sector has seen significant growth, with 65% of these organisations being established within the last ten years, marking a period of consolidation in the industry.
Despite the sector’s expansion, these organisations tend to be small in size. Around 80% of the incubators and accelerators surveyed employ 10 or fewer people, with an average of 14.41 staff members.
The primary services provided by Italian incubators and accelerators include networking opportunities, managerial support, training, and assistance in securing funding. Many of these organisations also engage in activities beyond incubation and acceleration, such as participating in projects and calls for proposals, organising events, offering fee-based scouting, and facilitating open innovation initiatives for corporate clients and other entities. Additionally, coworking services are often available.
Regarding the startups being incubated or accelerated, a total of 1,806 teams and companies were supported in 2023, selected from 9,707 applications. These figures represent 55 incubators and accelerators that participated in the SIM survey (out of a total of 239). On average, each incubator or accelerator received 194.1 applications and supported 36.1 teams or companies. The median number of applications was 60, with a median of 18 teams or companies being incubated or accelerated.
Compared to the previous year, funding for startups in incubators and accelerators has increased significantly. In 2023, the average funding raised by startups in these programmes reached more than € 7.7 million per incubator, up from € 3.1 million in 2022. The report further highlights that 46% of incubators and accelerators focus on supporting companies with a substantial social or environmental impact.
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For more info (in Italian) visit https://socialinnovationmonitor.com/italy-incubators/