Another year of strong growth has come to a close for the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino (I3P), which in 2025 confirmed its leading role in the national technological innovation ecosystem and in December won the international Startup Ecosystem Star Award 2025 in the “Top Talent & Research” category, awarded in Paris by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mind the Bridge.
During the year, the incubator received more than 900 new business ideas, oversaw the launch of over 170 business projects, and welcomed 28 innovative start-ups into structured incubation paths. From January 1 to date, companies in the I3P network have raised a total of €32.4 million in new investments, consolidating the incubator's contribution to strengthening the emerging industrial fabric.
At the same time, the ESA BIC Turin incubation program - managed by I3P with technological support from Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) - has surpassed the threshold of 30 space start-ups since its launch in 2021, with over €24 million in private capital raised by the young companies supported over the past four years.
During its traditional end-of-year event, the Festa delle Startup held on December 15, I3P also announced the two companies awarded with the title of I3P Start-up of the Year 2025: they are Novac and Focoos AI, selected ex aequo from among all the young companies that completed their incubation paths in 2025, coming from both the standard three-year I3P program and the two-year ESA BIC Turin program. Focoos AI stands out for its high-efficiency computer vision solutions and artificial intelligence models optimized for reduced resource consumption, while Novac produces supercapacitors that ensure high power, immediate energy, and ultra-fast recharging.
Giuseppe Scellato, President of I3P, said: "This year we are celebrating two companies that exemplify the incubator's ability to accompany high-tech entrepreneurial initiatives towards industrial and financial maturity. Since 1999, we have incubated over 390 start-ups and tracked 61 that have achieved an exit: in other words, approximately one in seven start-ups supported by I3P has successfully completed an acquisition process. Novac and Focoos AI confirm the solidity and quality of the ecosystem we are building, together with our local partners and the community of institutions, entrepreneurs, and investors that has been accompanying us for over 25 years."
The innovative project of Focoos AI
Founded in 2022 as a spin-off of Politecnico di Torino, Focoos AI is an Italian start-up that simplifies and accelerates the adoption of computer vision through an innovative web platform capable of providing optimized, frugal, and scalable AI models. Since 2023, it has been incubated at I3P as part of the ESA BIC Turin program. In 2023 the young company won the Italian National Innovation Award (PNI), taking home the ICT Award and the title of best Italian start-up, beating 71 finalists from 16 regional competitions and 55 universities and incubators.
In February 2025, Focoos AI closed a €2.65 million seed investment round led by Galaxia and CDP Venture Capital, with participation from PiemonteNext, VC Partners, Vertis, Vento, and Exor Ventures. The funds were dedicated to integrating new features into the platform, training efficient foundation models, launching on the international market, and expanding the research and development team and sales division. Focoos AI's platform allows companies to independently develop AI solutions on edge devices such as drones and cameras, with models up to four times more efficient and ten times faster than market standards, reducing costs, energy consumption, and operational complexity.
Antonio Tavera, Co-Founder & CEO of Focoos AI, commented: "We are really very pleased with this award, which in a sense marks the end of a journey. For us, incubation at I3P was not simply an acceleration, but an experience enriched by a group of professionals who helped us shape the idea and build it in the best possible way. When we joined I3P, we had many more questions than answers, and today we leave with much more certainty. Of course, a start-up goes through different phases and new challenges will arise, but we leave here much stronger and with greater awareness. We are extremely happy with this recognition, which we do not consider a point of arrival, but an encouragement to grow further in the future."
The sustainable technology of Novac
Founded in 2020 as an academic start-up at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Novac is an Italian company specializing in the production of next-generation supercapacitors for applications in energy, mobility, and industry. Its team, originally composed of four engineers under the age of 30, consists of co-founders Matteo Bertocchi, Loris Bruzzi, Alessandro Fabbri, and Aldo Girimonte. After being selected in 2021 as one of eight start-ups participating in the Motor Valley Accelerator, Novac joined the ESA BIC Turin program managed by I3P in 2023.
In March 2025, the start-up completed a €3.5 million seed round led by the Eureka! Fund – Technology Transfer with the participation of CDP Venture Capital and the Galaxia National Technology Transfer Hub, raising funds for the development of proprietary technology, the production of eco-sustainable supercapacitors, and the expansion of the team and industrial applications. Novac's supercapacitors guarantee high power, fast charging times, and optimal peak power management, protecting and extending battery life. The patented technology can be integrated into electric or hybrid systems in the automotive, aerospace, maritime, and industrial sectors, with an estimated potential market of €6.5 billion.
Aldo Girimonte, Chief Technology Officer at Novac, said: "Thanks to the work carried out at ESA BIC Turin over the last two years, we have managed to significantly increase our level of technological maturity, focusing our efforts specifically on the aerospace sector. This experience has allowed us to expand our network and prepare for next year, which will be crucial for Novac: we will carry out our first ‘In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation’, marking our official entry into the aerospace market. This is the result of the work of all the people who have supported us along the way, but above all of the Novac team, which continues to grow, enriching itself with diverse expertise and professionalism that make all this possible."
