Without the investments of large companies, startups in Italy run dry

Corporate venture capital reached € 1.77 billion and is the first source of financing for innovative companies

Startups (Getty Images) To grow the fabric of startups and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises Italian companies mainly contribute to corporate venture capital (CVC), ie direct investment or through the acquisition of shares by larger and more mature national and international companies. This is revealed by the data collected in the fifth Observatory on open innovation and corporate venture capital promoted by InnovUp together with Asoslombarda, Smau and the Chamber of Commerce of Milan, Monza Brianza and Lodi.

In particular, the research conducted with the help and technical support of InfoCamere, the Politecnico di Milano and Confindustria highlights that between September 2018 and September 2020 the number of startups and innovative SMEs in which large companies have invested increased overall from 7,653 to 14,055, with an increase in 83.7%.

Of these activities, today around 3,923 startups and innovative SMEs are mainly owned by large companies, with an investment that in terms of figures has been 1.77 billion euros since the register dedicated to startups and companies, while another 9,168 have received loans from individuals or sole proprietors equal to approximately € 1.28 billion.

In proportion, according to the However, the economic support received from specialized investors, present in approximately 610 startups and innovative SMEs registered in the register of companies, and from investment funds totaled 1.05 billion euros of investment.

In addition, the presence of corporate venture capital within startups alone increased by 23% compared to last year and also in terms of revenues, the companies supported by mature companies are the ones that affect the most. According to partial data, 57% of the turnover of 2.5 billion euros generated in 2019 by the set of innovative startups and SMEs is produced by companies supported by the capital of large companies, equal to 29% of the total basin. br>
The integration and exchange between the large and small realities of the entrepreneurial system in Italy in recent years has also been supported by politics, in particular thanks to the launch of the National Innovation Fund. But according to the trade associations there is a need for greater coordination with regard to initiatives such as those of tax incentives for companies that invest in smaller companies and greater openness of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti initiatives within the corporate venture. also towards SMEs.