Q3 2019

EU BUSINESS NEWS / Q3 2019 11 , Techstars Brings Smart Mobility-Focused Accelerator to Italy Techstars and Compagnia Di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center announce Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator, first Techstars accelerator in Italy. Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, today announced the launch of the Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator based in Turin, Italy. In partnership with Turinese foundations Compagnia Di San Paolo and Fondazione CRT, and the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, the new 13-week mentorship-driven accelerator program will accept 10 premier start-ups on an annual basis focused on transformative smart mobility technologies, with the program concentrated on smart infrastructure and smart cities. The Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator is part of a series of innovation and entrepreneurship- focused events and programming through a Techstars, Compagnia Di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center partnership that will build new opportunities for Italian and European entrepreneurs throughout the Turin ecosystem over the next three years. The Techstars Smart Mobility Accelerator will be hosted at the Officine Grandi Riparazioni (OGR) in Turin, a historic building recently transformed by Fondazione CRT into a center for contemporary culture and innovation. The program will be led by Martin Olczyk, previous managing director of the METRO Accelerator for Hospitality powered by Techstars in Berlin, and most recently, Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) for the Arcadis City of 2030 Accelerator, Powered by Techstars located in Amsterdam. Olczyk brings over a decade of start-up mentorship and early-stage tech investment to the program, having invested, co-founded and advised dozens of companies and entrepreneurs over the years. "We are in the middle of a mobility revolution, and smart mobility is a new and revolutionary way of thinking about how human beings, data and goods get around in a cleaner, safer, cheaper, more efficient and convenient way," said Olczyk. "Turin has developed a thriving start-up scene in the last few years, and with the support of institutions, successful entrepreneurs and corporations focused on innovation, there is a unique level #GiveFirst culture throughout the community that makes this an ideal locale for this program. We are excited to help founders, entrepreneurs, and start-ups build successful and impactful businesses right here in Turin."