The atmosphere surrounding "Torino Next Generation" at the Polytechnic University of Turin was not that of a typical university conference, but rather a true meeting point where innovation ceases to be theory and becomes reality.
Organized by Starting Finance, the event shined a spotlight on a sobering statistic: 60% of Italians still struggle to distinguish between saving and investing. A clear signal of how important it is to spread a more conscious financial culture, a key condition for building a future-oriented entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this context, Turin proved to be the ideal ground where the solidity of "know-how" meets the energy and vision of the new generation.
1. The Philosophy of Investment: The LMA Case and the Economy of the Common Good
The most intense moment of "Torino Next Generation" came with the testimony of the Boscolo family. Their story is an example of entrepreneurial integrity that challenges the logic of profit at any cost.
After bringing LMA to the top of the global aerospace components industry, the Boscolos decided to sell their company in August 2024. A choice dictated not by strategy, but by conscience: faced with requests from several international clients to convert production towards heavy weaponry, the family preferred to stay true to the values of a Benefit Corporation. From that choice, 7270 Invest was born, a Family Office that reinvests in the local territory and new generations.
Andrea Macchione, CEO of the structure, outlined the coordinates for a more human and conscious way of doing business, summarized in the "5 Cs": Competence (no improvisation), Culture (to decide together), Courage (seeing what others don't), Consistency (never giving up), and Conscience (always an ethical limit, even in the use of AI). To these, Fulvio Boscolo added two values that sound like an emotional compass for those doing business today: perseverance and patience because the market, after all, gives nothing away for free.
"We support third categories through our Boscolo Foundation and back projects like Insuperabili, dedicated to kids with disabilities in the world of sports, particularly football. Today, doing business also means generating value for the community."
— Fulvio Boscolo, President of 7270 Invest
2. M&A and Optimization: Navigating the "Boomer Economy"
Generational transition is one of the great challenges of the Italian economic system. With over 220 billion euros of corporate value destined to change owners in the next five years, the so-called "Boomer Economy" needs new tools and new ideas.
Among these is Startex AI, the startup presented by Jacopo Farris, which aims to revolutionize the scouting process in M&A operations. Its algorithm is not limited to exploring official markets but is designed to uncover "off-market" opportunities among SMEs, identifying those entrepreneurs without heirs before the value of their companies is lost. The jury, however, pulled no punches: more than awards, investors look at traction and an exit vision capable of ensuring concrete returns on capital.
Taking up the challenge of digitalization was also Kontai, led by Lorenzo Cavicchi. Its mission? To bring order to the chaos of SaaS software that crowds medium-sized companies, where annual spending often exceeds 100,000 euros. Kontai positions itself as a true "vendor enemy," centralizing cost management, optimizing licenses, and renegotiating contracts to cut waste and duplication.
3. Democratizing Finance and Law: The New Digital Standards
Digitalization is breaking down the boundaries of traditionally opaque sectors, bringing transparency where complexity has dominated for years.
Finanz is one of the realities that best interprets this change. With over 10 trillion euros parked in European bank accounts, the startup proposes itself as the Duolingo of personal finance. Its strength lies in its independence: not being a broker, but making a profit from referrals to third parties, it avoids conflicts of interest and positions itself as a reliable guide for those who want to manage their savings consciously.
EveryoneLaw, conceived by Giuseppe Massaro, aims instead to humanize the world of legal consulting. In a sector where many portals seem "more complicated than the Revenue Agency website," the platform guides the user through a clear and guided path, standardizing civil and insurance cases to make the law more understandable and immediate.
Closing the circle is Vectis Crowd, Gustavo Gandorfi's proposal that brings innovation to the real estate sector. Through blockchain, the platform allows the purchase of fractions of luxury properties, making a historically illiquid asset liquid. The main challenge, as observed by the jury, remains market-making: creating a secondary market capable of guaranteeing investors an immediate exit from the investment.
4. Innovation in Tangible Sectors: From Tourism to Corporate Memory
Innovation is not just a matter of code, but of transforming real and tangible processes.
Sunsport, presented by Tommaso Falcioni, starts from a seemingly simple idea: digitizing the experience under the beach umbrella. But behind this intuition lies a concrete impact—the CRM developed by Falcioni can increase the revenue of beach clubs by up to 30%. In a market dominated by players like Spiagge.it, Sunsport stands out for the modularity of its platform and for a direct knowledge of the sector's dynamics, built "in the field."
Neuratio, the proposal by Luca Dadone, takes industrial efficiency to a new level. Its AI can process decades of emails, manuals, and corporate memory to provide technicians with immediate solutions in case of a breakdown. The result? Time savings of up to 70%, transforming technical assistance from a cost center into a true competitive advantage.
5. Beyond Borders: Creative Bureaucracy and Oenological Tradition
The evening also explored the most extreme frontiers of mobility and process chemistry, demonstrating how innovation can be born anywhere, even where everything seemed already invented.
Vivame (Stycraft), presented by Alessandro Pippa, won over the audience with a foldable electric helicopter. The real stroke of genius, however, is not only engineering but regulatory: by limiting flight to two meters from the ground via software, the vehicle is certified as a hovercraft, and can therefore be piloted without a license. A visionary project for a highly capital-intensive market with revolutionary potential.
Autoferm, conceived by Elia Capello, proposes a "third way" in the production of sparkling wines. By eliminating filtration and using a single autoclave for the entire process without the traditional "buffer" tanks, the startup manages to reduce costs and environmental impact, blending the quality of the classic method with the efficiency of the Martinotti method.
6. The Investors' Verdict: Execution and Courage
Closing the event was Nicolas Nait, co-founder and CEO of Akka, with a message that every founder should keep well in mind: "The idea means nothing, execution is what counts."
In the landscape of modern Venture Capital, the hottest sectors remain those linked to AI, robotics, and defense, but the real key to selection, Nait reminded everyone, is traction. His advice to the young people of the Polytechnic was as simple as it was powerful: "Do it. Make mistakes. Learn. Every action generates data, and the data tells you how to correct course." An invitation to stop waiting for the perfect moment and to turn the idea into motion.
Conclusion: The Future of Turin
The evening ended with the awarding of three winners: two chosen by the technical jury and one by the public vote. Turin thus confirms itself no longer just as the capital of heavy industry, but as a living ecosystem, where technology intertwines with solid values and a human approach to innovation.
The quality and vision of the ten competing startups show that the Next Generation is ready to take up the legacy of the great captains of industry, transforming the "misfortune" of complex times into the "challenge" of a new economic rebirth.
