Acoesis is an innovative startup, born to design, build and sell technological solutions for sensory augmentation. Our social challenge is to improve the quality of life of people that live in noisy and crowded places. Our first product is Glassense, the first pair of glasses the focus on voice. Glassense allows to focus on the voice of a person by just looking at her/him. It helps humans to better understand speech in noise, therefore increasing social inclusion. The startup has won the Ligurian Smart-Cup and the Silver Economy Grant 2019 of the City of Genoa.

Advanced Microturbines srl is an IIT start-up based on an IIT patented technology. It deals with the technical and commercial development of a 1-Euro-coin shaped small turbine conceived to generate small but strategic amounts of electric energy in remote areas where it is not possible or convenient to use cables, but where air or gas pressure is available. The product can make the energy distribution network more efficient and supply the necessary energy to sensors of “off-grid” applications.

Based on a patented technology, the start-up Alkivio was launched by former members of the Joint Lab of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia at Novacart, an Italian worldwide leader in the production of paper baking molds for the food sector. Starting from the sustainability needs of our customers, we developed Alkipaper: biopellets that are designed to be biodegradable, compostable, ecosustainable, colorable and compatible with the most common industrial processes, such as injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, 3D printing and blow molding. Alkivio transforms paper into Alkipaper, a new material that can be used just like plastic, and which is able to decompose at the end of its lifecycle. Alkivio is a benefit corporation, because it reintroduces into the market what would otherwise be lost. 

Alyra Therapeutics is developing ALY101, a unique targeted cancer therapy that precisely blocks the activation of PAK1, an oncogenic protein involved in tumor cell formation and invasion.  ALY101 suppresses tumor progression, blood vessel formation and metastasis in models of melanoma and other cancers. The Company is seeking $5 million to advance the ALY101 program to IND filing with the FDA for initial clinical use in Stage 3 melanoma, gastric cancer, colorectal cancers and other tumors where PAK1 and its activators are driving disease – a potential $3 BB total addressable market for the product.

BeDimensional is a start-up dedicated to the development of novel materials based on graphene and other two-dimensional crystals for the manufacturing industry. The company will serve the market through a combination of consulting and production activities, which originates from the capability to modify and personalize the characteristics of the two-dimensional crystals to create innovative materials in response to the challenges of modern industry.

Biki Technologies is an IIT start-up focused on developing a computational platform for drug discovery and design. Drawing from the experience of the Computational Chemistry@IIT, Biki Technologies will allow pharmaceutical companies to cut costs and time in developing new drugs by providing a software predictor of molecules binding kinetics.

Circle Garage is an Italian start-up company manufacturing a new concept of wearable devices based on a patented technology developed by IIT. The company was established in 2012 by former IIT PhD student Marco Gaudina to combine his experience in the field of software development, robotics and electronics in the industrial sector with concepts and methods coming from the research world.

Corticale S.r.l. is a neurotech company, whose main purpose is the development, production and commercialization of active CMOS high-density neural interfacing probes for pre-clinical and clinical applications. Corticale's products are based on the SiNAPS technology, whose core consists in a monolithic micrometric unit, named electrode-pixel, able to sense and amplify the neuronal signal in situ (in close proximity to neuronal brain cells). The replication of this basic unit allows for the creation of customizable neural interfaces that simultaneously record from thousands of densely packed electrodes the bioelectrical activity of an unprecedented number of single neurons while keeping extremely low physical dimensions, power consumption and number of interconnecting wires. This, altogether, opens up the road for the next generation of minimally invasive neural interfaces.

FLEEP is a platform for the realisation of smart systems on plastic foil. FLEEP gives intelligence to the plastic by developing integrated circuits realised only with polymer materials and manufactured through scalable printing techniques. We integrate our Printed ICs with flexible and printed sensors, batteries, solar cells and displays to realise astonishing new products for new user-product interaction. Currently we develop POC projects with corporates who are willing to better understand and test how flexible circuitry, and printed electronics in general, fits their products and innovation pipeline.

Foresee biosystems srl aims at producing and commercializing an innovative platform for the pre-clinical evaluation of drug-induced toxicity on human heart cells (cardiomyocytes), proposing a solution able to bridge the technological gap between the development and the biological evaluation phases of a drug. The platform couples a well-known and widely commercial technology for monitoring the electrical activity of cells (extracellular electrophysiology on Micro Electrode Array - MEA) and an innovative method based on optical technologies that allows for intracellular access and the recording of action potentials generated by the cells. This makes the product extremely effective and unique in the field of pre-clinical evaluations stage for the study and development of drugs.

After 10 years of scientific research experience, Genoa Instruments wants to change the optical microscopy industry and research with a novel super-resolution microscope. The mission is to spread super-resolution imaging to all research laboratories.

HiQ HiQ-Nano is a nanotechnology-oriented company focused on the design, fabrication and characterization of high-quality nanoparticles. The company exploits its strong scientific expertise in nanofabrication, nanobiotechnology and material science to satisfy the demanding needs of both academic research and industrial players. HiQ-Nano provides highly monodispersed and stable nanoparticles, with a low batch-to-batch variability, accurately characterized for their shape, size distribution, charge, and agglomeration state.

Iama Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel medicines to make a difference in the lives of children suffering from brain disorders and their families. Iama Therapeutics was born from experience in pharmaceutical chemistry and neuropharmacology, and from a patent of the Italian Institute of Technology, for the development of compounds that promote intracellular homeostasis and reduce hyperexcitability of some neuronal cells in pathological conditions. Our mission is to realize the hopes for the better well-being of people with neurodevelopmental disorders by seeing and investing in change as an opportunity.

In Kidaria Bioscience, we study and select natural antioxidant formulations for cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and biomedical research.
Our extracts are obtained from natural products of the Cinque Terre particularly rich in antioxidants. To guarantee safety and efficacy, we characterize and select the molecular compositions of the extracts able to better protect human dermal cells from oxidative stress. The extraction is carried out following a process that uses production waste, such as pomace and olive leaves, promoting the development of a circular economy. We have obtained the prototype of the anti-aging face cream Dionisia following a patented process. The patent also secures the particular composition of our extracts from grapes, able to protect 80% of dermal cells from strong pro-oxidant insults. The first prototype product has been very successful: the ability to keep the skin elastic, the spreadability, the hydration, and the stability were particularly appreciated.

Kyme NanoImaging srl proposes innovative formulations to reduce side effect and low efficacy of clinically approved Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) by combining them with biomaterials though the use of patented nanotechnologies.

Morecognition is a start-up dedicated to improve and give a new approach to the rehabilitation process making it simpler and more affordable. The Motion Recognition REMO system comprises a wearable device able to interpret patient’s muscular activity and an intuitive mobile App meant to help the Physical Therapists (PTs). It lends itself to being applied in many scenarios such as sports and fitness or industry 4.0 to interact with machines and robots.

Movendo Technology is a medical company start-up of the Italian Institute of Technology. The company develops medical devices using advanced rehabilitation technologies effective, simple to use and with whom to interact easily. The first device marketed is Hunova: an innovative robotics platform for the functional evaluation and the rehabilitation of the lower limbs and body. Movendo Technology comes from the Rehab Technologies Facility of IIT which is a research initiative created to develop and realize new prosthetic, orthotic and rehabilitation devices of high technological impact. The start-up company has been funded by Sergio Dompè, chairman of the homonymous biopharmaceutical group.

The company was founded in USA in 2015. NeoKera Pharmaceuticals is involved in the development of some drugs (preclinical and clinical phases) in collaboration with University of California, Irvine.

Novavido is a start-up focused on the development of retina prostheses. Born upon the results of a long-standing collaboration between Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, the company is now working to create a breakthrough nanotechnology-based medical device to recover vision in blind patients affected by retinitis pigmentosa. Novavido works on a disruptive technology based upon the use of a photovoltaic polymer in the formulation of nanoparticles.

Optogenix develops, produces and sells new devices to deliver light into the brain with revolutionary versatility and minimized invasiveness, overcoming the limitations inherent in the devices currently available on the market.

Organic Bioelectronics offers devices and solutions for personalized sensing of the signals from the human body. Our technology, developed from multidisciplinary research at IIT in Ferrara, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia e Università di Ferrara, enables the design and production of sensors that are easy-to-use, ultralight, impalpable, low cost and low power, but above all, that communicate with us in real time. Applications range from skin integrated diagnostics, to monitoring the state of well-being, to measuring chemical parameters related to physical activity/performance, to agrifood and environmental monitoring.

Piezoskin aims to implement systems to recover wind energy using slight ventilation areas where small wind turbines are not able to generate energy. The main applications for Piezoskin solutions will be in the building and construction markets.

Proteso makes exoskeletons that help companies achieve injury-free productivity and workers feel no fatigue and pain. Our company was born out of a joint R&D effort between IIT and INAIL, aimed at developing technologies to solve the problem of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders. WMSDs impact millions of workers and companies across several industries, with associated costs of 240 billion Euros every year in the EU alone. Our exoskeletons make it easier to carry out physically demanding jobs such as lifting and moving heavy material, which is still very common in many sectors including industrial manufacturing and logistics. Our first product is a powered back-support exoskeleton specifically designed to prevent back pain. It reduces the strain on the lumbar spine by providing powerful and timely assistance when doing heavy work, while leaving the worker free to move unrestricted when no help is required.

QBRobotics develops innovative devices to exploit soft robotics technologies. At present, the company’s main devices pivot around the design and development of soft robotic muscles and robotic hands. The robotic muscles exploit the principles of variable stiffness actuation and take the form of robotic “building blocks” to be assembled according to need. These technologies were developed with the aim of bringing sophisticated and ground-breaking research from cutting-edge laboratories to robotics enthusiasts making it available and accessible to all.

ReWing is an innovative startup devoted to the commercialization and development of highly technological devices for the sensorimotor rehabilitation of patients with orthopedic or neurological impairments. The firsts products of ReWing are robotic devices for upper limb rehabilitation. Thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms, these devices automatically adapt to the needs of the patients, ensuring the right balance between the level of assistance and the active participation of the patient.

Ribes Tech is a start-up originated from a research partnership between the Center for Nano Science and Technology (CNST) @ IIT Milano and OMET, a printing machines company, with the purpose of developing a polymer based, roll-to-roll printed photovoltaic technology. This conjunct effort resulted in the creation of a novel process for printable plastic photovoltaic modules which allows to integrate integrated energy sources in consumer products and smart buildings. Several application in B2B market are in the launch phase aiming to replace standard power sources.

SmartMicroOptics (SMO) is a start-up company of the NBT department of IIT. SMO aims to provide the possibility of viewing the micro world to everyone through a family of innovative products in the field of microscopy, consumer electronics and micro-optics. The company was set up as a result of the research activities on imaging systems for neuroscience investigation.

TranSINE Therapeutics (TTx) is a seed-stage RNA therapeutics company based in Cambridge, UK. TTx is developing the SINEUP™ platform, a technology partly invented at IIT. SINEUPs™ are small, long non-coding RNA molecules that are targeted to bind to the messenger RNA of specific genes and recruit key components of the ribosomal machinery. As a result of this interaction, SINEUPs specifically elevate the amount of protein made from each molecule of targeted mRNA. The SINEUP™ platform is well-differentiated from other technologies and the key advantages of SINEUPs™ include versatility, specificity and safety. TTx is developing unique, novel therapeutics to boost the protein levels of specific genes in multiple therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology and neurology.

X-nano is an innovative startup operating in nanotechnologies applied to energy transition. The main applications concern the production of anodes for lithium-ion batteries, the production of nanostructured catalysts for electrolysers and flow batteries, the production of hydrogen by pyrolysis and the production of coatings for nuclear applications.