PoliRNA, a spin-off of Politecnico di Torino and an innovative start-up pre-incubated in I3P, has achieved two major successes, recently taking first place in two prestigious competitions dedicated to innovation and technology transfer.
In just a few months, PoliRNA has in fact conquered the podium both of Premio Ancalau 2026 - organized by Fontanafredda and supported by Banca d'Alba, Reale Group, La Stampa, Fondazione CRC and Rivista Idea - and of the more recent GeneRNAtion Challenge promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Centro Nazionale RNA & Gene Therapy.
The start-up's project
PoliRNA was founded by Professor Valeria Chiono, Dr. Letizia Nicoletti, CEO of PoliRNA and postdoctoral researcher, and engineer Giovanni Paolo Stola, a doctoral student at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS) at Politecnico di Torino.
The young company, founded in 2024, aims to develop a new generation of RNA therapies for cardiac regeneration, based on nanovectors capable of safely and efficiently delivering therapeutic molecules to target cells. This cutting-edge technology opens up new perspectives in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and other conditions with a high social impact.
The Premio Ancalau 2026
The first award came at the Ideas Tournament of Premio Ancalau 2026, held on June 21 in Bosia, in the Piedmontese province of Cuneo. After evaluating 57 applications and selecting five finalists, the jury awarded PoliRNA the Grand Prix Fontanafredda, worth €10,000.
During the same awards ceremony, a second innovative start-up supported by I3P received recognition from the initiative's sponsors: ECO-RED was awarded the Reale Group Prize, worth €5,000, for its innovative technology for transforming highly polluting CO2 into CO useful for industrial processes.
Since 2014, the Premio Ancalau has recognized young entrepreneurial ideas and high-impact projects, becoming a national benchmark for innovation and sustainable development. The award also takes on special significance due to its context: "ancalau" is, in fact, a term from the local dialect of the Alta Langa territory that identifies those who have the courage to dare, innovate, and overcome their hesitations.
Over the years, the Premio Ancalau was won by several I3P-supported start-ups: for example, ReVideo in 2019, T-REM3DIE in 2022, and ZeoFlow in 2025.
The GeneRNAtion Challenge 2026
Last March, PoliRNA also won first place at the GeneRNAtion Challenge promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo in collaboration with the Italian National Center for Gene Therapy and Drugs Based on RNA Technology.
The competition selected eight start-ups and three active research projects within the National Center's ten spokes. Among these, PoliRNA stood out, placing first and receiving a financial contribution, as well as entry into the Center's network. This recognition will help strengthen the young company's growth path and its role within the public-private ecosystem dedicated to the development of RNA technologies in Italy.
The two awards received in recent months confirm PoliRNA's scientific and entrepreneurial value and demonstrate the growing interest in RNA technologies as innovative therapeutic tools.
"We are very proud of these awards, which confirm the scientific value of the technology developed by PoliRNA and the potential of RNA therapies in the field of regenerative medicine", said Professor Valeria Chiono. "These results are the fruit of teamwork involving researchers and students from Politecnico di Torino, along with collaborators from other universities, research centers, and organizations in the biomedical sector. I especially thank Letizia Nicoletti and Giovanni Paolo Stola, co-founders of PoliRNA, and all the people who contributed to the development of the technology and the growth of the spin-off. The awards received represent a significant incentive to continue along the path of technology transfer, with the goal of transforming research findings into innovative solutions for patient health."
