Industrio

Before you apply

• Check that your company is, or will be, set up in Italy. Industrio invests only in companies that are based there and pay Italian taxes.
• Have at least two founders with complementary skills, and a product rather than a service.
• Find a referral from a university, research centre or company linked to Industrio if you can. The site says it makes the process easier.

How to apply

• Applications are open all year.
• Register on F6S and complete your profile, or use the form on the Industrio website. Use the route the site points to on the page you are reading.

How selection works

• Industrio says it reviews every application and gets in touch with the most promising teams quickly.
• Only a few teams receive an investment each year.

Industrio Ventures is an accelerator and boutique investor for product startups in Italy. It is based at the Polo Meccatronica in Rovereto, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, and works with each team on its own plan rather than a fixed course.

How the programme works

Industrio invests in a small number of teams each year. In some years it may make no investment at all. The teams it backs receive an equity investment along with support to develop the company, from setting it up if it does not yet exist, through filing patents and building a prototype, to testing the market.

The base package combines cash and services. Industrio takes a minority stake in the companies it backs, and the terms are agreed case by case. The formal support period lasts six months from the day the agreement is signed.

The site uses the name Hardware Startup Accelerator in its header. Its own pages describe the work as case-by-case rather than a standard programme, so expect a tailored plan rather than a set curriculum.

Who can apply

Industrio looks for product companies with at least two founders, ideally with complementary skills. It names electronics, mechatronics, Industry 4.0, robotics, biotechnology, biomedical, telecommunications, agri-tech and smart mobility among the sectors it works in.

Teams can come from anywhere, but they need a link to one of Industrio's referring partners, such as a university, a research centre or a company. The company that Industrio helps create must be based in Italy and pay Italian taxes, so a team based outside Italy has to set up an Italian company before it joins.

What the team expects from founders

For the first six months, at least half of one founder's time is expected in Rovereto. Teams are also expected to take part in Industrio's activities and events and to stay open to working with other startups in the community.

Facilities and support

Industrio offers professional resources to develop the prototype, management and relationship support to help launch the product on the market, and a desk at its office in Rovereto.

How to apply

Applications are open all year, and there is no fixed deadline. Earlier applications are preferred, because the team wants to assess them quickly. The pitch page directs founders to register on F6S. The site also points to a form on its own website. Founders should check both routes before applying. A referral from one of Industrio's partners makes the process easier, though Industrio says it tries to answer every request.

Location

Industrio is headquartered in Rovereto, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy.