Techstars is one of the best known startup acceleration programs in the world. Born in 2006 in Boulder, Colorado, in 16 years he has launched 48 programs in 34 cities and 12 countries around the world. Through its programs, 2,620 start-ups have so far passed, able to collect on the market 16.5 billion dollars and achieve a market capitalization of 63.3 billion.
In 2019 Techstars decided it was time to arrive in Italy. He has chosen Turin as the city to launch the Citiws of the future program. There is to direct it Martin Olczyk, born in 1980, Polish by birth but raised in Germany. Today he lives in the Piedmontese capital, after a long career as a manager and entrepreneur between investment banks and companies he founded between Europe and Southeast Asia. We have reached it to make a review of what has been done, between the potential of Italian start-ups and the difficulties encountered so far.
You are on the third acceleration program in three years. What is your assessment of your experience in Italy so far?
“We are very satisfied with the results achieved so far. This despite the challenges that all programs have faced. The one in 2020 for example was the first ever Techstars program to be moved online after 5 weeks in person due to Covid-19. The second program was online only. We invested in 2 Israeli companies during a war. This year in two Ukrainian teams as their country faces an even more difficult situation. The program has grown and evolved with the Italian ecosystem. We put our teams in contact with mentors, companies, investors and municipalities. “
Results?
“Our companies have raised more than $ 30,000,000 in funding and created more than 200 jobs, including those in Italy. And just today (May 11, ed), one of our 2020 startups, GetHenry announced a $ 17.4 million investment round. We are very proud of them. “
How many startups have moved from your program so far?
“To date we have accelerated 35 startups”.
Where did they come from?
“From all over the world, from countries such as the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway, Ukraine, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Romania, France, Switzerland, Latvia, Israel, including 11 Italian companies or those with Italian founders”.
The program is all in English. Aside from practical necessities, is there another explanation?
“Our goal is to support industry-leading companies that have global aspirations. So all content and communications are in English to prepare entrepreneurs for an international environment with future employees, customers and investors.”
Of those accelerated so far, are there any startups that have particularly impressed you for the path they have taken?
“They all hit me, each in their own way. One of the fastest growing companies is GetHenry. During the program, they made a pivot. because his market no longer existed with Covid (they produced e-scooters for rent for hotels), but then he benefited from our advice and our support and found a new direction. They come from Germany and Austria but they entered the market Italian recently, maybe you have seen the Gorillaz riding their black bikes? Well, those were provided by GetHenry. “
Let’s talk a little about Italy. it has often been said that our country has unexpressed potential as regards the world of startups. Agree?
“The Italian ecosystem is in its infancy. I lived in Berlin in 2012 when the ecosystem started to evolve, then I moved to Southeast Asia and experienced similar growth there, starting from scratch. Italy has the right ingredients. , capitals, hungry founders, great universities and cost advantages over many other mature ecosystems. The government, but also the private sector, have understood that the time has come to innovate and create a new direction for the country’s future and economics. Italians have entrepreneurial DNA. The new generation is more tech savvy, they have acquired international experience in successful technology companies. Let’s see the first success stories, there is an abundance of capital available, dozens of early initiatives -stages, such as incubators or accelerators, have only been launched in the last two years. I am sure that in the future we will see many successful companies emerge from Italy “.
In Italy, Milan and Rome have been competing for the title of ‘startup capital’ for years. You who are an international reality with 48 accelerators in 34 cities and 12 countries, have chosen Turin instead. Because?
“Through funding, skills and a global network, we can help founders in any corner of the world to create great companies. Our partners Compagnia Di San Paolo, Fondazione Crt and Intesa Sanpaolo are the precursors to building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Turin. . The city itself offers the founders (of startups, ed) unique opportunities to test their solutions with companies and the city itself “.
Torino City Lab fits into this context.
“Torino City Lab is a one-of-a-kind initiative in which founders can quickly experiment with their ideas and grow thanks to an extensive local network, offering for example 35 km of roads for automatic car testing throughout the city. or different environments for drone testing. Our program has naturally added to the initiatives already underway prior to our entry and, by combining our offerings, we are able to offer a unique value proposition to early-stage founders at global level “.
In Turin you have chosen ‘The city of the future’ as the theme and you are looking for startups that know how to think about it. What features are you looking for?
“As of today, 1.3 million people move into cities every week. There are already 21 megacities, with more than 10 million inhabitants, and this number is expected to grow to 29 by 2025. As cities become a motor even more important than the economy and global wealth, it is increasingly important to ensure that they are optimized to maximize efficiency and sustainability. But also to improve the quality of life. “
What will the city of the future be like then?
“The city of the future will be powered by big data, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. The city could live, breathe and even think with or for us. A smart city is not just a city that uses advanced technologies. It is a city that studies. carefully about the habits and needs of its citizens and try to solve them in the most suitable way. We hope that cities will be greener, less busy, more resilient and sustainable and more centered on the inhabitants. We must change the way we build and live in cities to make sure future generations have a safe and healthy place to live. “
Are you planning to open other Thechstars acceleration programs in Italy?
“No, as of today we have no plans to launch any other programs. But given the speed of growth of the ecosystem, we could reconsider this in the near future.”