Start-up Your Company

In collaboration with the "Bioindustry Park del Canavese", Eporgen Venture has promoted the "Discovery" initiative, which is aimed at collecting research projects from Italian scientists working both in Italy or abroad, in order to select the most interesting ones with which to start entrepreneurial activities.

23 groups of researchers from Italy and the US presented their project proposals during the first phase of the Discovery initiative: a panel of experts selected the 5 most interesting projects, and Eporgen provided the necessary financing to enable them to work for at least the first 3 years following their foundation.

Arthur D Little of Milan, INDEX Venture of Geneva, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners of Paris and Merlin Bio Science of London participated in the selection process.

The second phase of the Discovery Project instead led to the more targeted selection of projects submitted to a "Help Desk". The new companies will be established one by one, as the conditions become suitable, rather than simultaneously, so as to ensure a better chance of success for each individual enterprise. In December 2007, the Discovery 2 Project led to the creation of two new start-ups and the pre-financing of 3 research projects that, should they get to proof-of-concept of their results, would then be ready.