(Finance) – Takeoff startsthe acceleration program promoted and supported by CDP Venture Capital, CRT Foundation And Unicredit and dedicated to startup who develop solutions and services in the aerospace and advanced hardware sectors.
The program, which is part of the CDP National Accelerators Network, the national network that promotes the growth of young companies specialized in high-potential markets, starts from OGR Turinin the role of innovation & networking partner, and involves Plug and Play Tech Center, as co-investor and operational manager of the acceleration program. L’Industrial Union Turin is an institutional partner, the Leonardo Group is a corporate partner
Takeoff has one endowment of 21 million euros: 10 million prepared by the Accelerator Fund of CDP Venture Capital Sgr, 10 made available jointly by the CRT Foundation and UniCredit and 1.35 million by Plug and Play Tech Center. These resources will be used in accelerating investments and subsequent growth steps of operating startups in aerospace, aeronautics, air mobility and advanced hardware, characterized by the application of artificial intelligence and Big Data to manufacturing. There are numerous possible design variations, including the technological development of satellites and related software applications, space launchers, solutions for advanced and sustainable air mobility, autonomous aircraft, data driven logistics services, as well as sensors, batteries, semiconductors, computing technologies, robotics and data centers.
The program will select up to 10 startups each year for three years in the seed and pre-seed phase that will be able to access a 5-month acceleration path structured by the project partners, msino0 to the definition of the business model. The best teams selected by the accelerator will have access to further investments already allocated by the promoters of the initiative. There first call for the selection of 10 startups is open until 25 May 2022. Takeoff will have headquarters at OGR Techa hub dedicated to innovation and business acceleration.
“The CDP National Accelerators Network now has more than 10 hubs throughout Italy, each focused on an industry with high market potential and all connected to each other to grow a new generation of innovative companies”, he explains. Francesca BriaPresident of CDP Venture Capital Sgr, recalling that “the aerospace industry represents excellence in our country”.
“With Takeoff the country takes off: we are really proud of the agreement reached with CDP Venture Capital for this program, unique at national level for the development and strengthening of Italian competitiveness in a strategic and transversal sector such as aerospace and advanced hardware “, he declares Massimo LapucciGeneral Secretary of the CRT Foundation and CEO of OGR.
“Takeoff is part of the country’s economic transformation process that sees us actively involved together with the foundations of banking origin”, he declares Niccolò UbertalliHead of UniCredit Italia, adding that this investment “allows us to further strengthen the close collaboration relationship with the CRT Foundation, also enhancing the investments already made
in OGR – Officine Grandi Riparazioni, as a hub dedicated to innovation and business acceleration in which UniCredit also plays an important role in its capacity as shareholder “.
“In the process of digitization, we know that Italy still has a lot of ground to recover at a global and European level”, he says Andrea ZorzettoManaging Partner of Plug and Play Italy, adding “in aerospace more than in any other sector we have to think big and the task of Plug and Play is precisely to bring this ambitious mentality from Silicon Valley to Turin”.
(Photo: Photo by NASA on Unsplash)