The three-year journey of Magic Spectrum, which saw 20 startups participating in its acceleration program and collectively raising over €6.5 million, has concluded.
The six startups from the most recent cohort developed innovative solutions ranging from LoRaWAN connectivity to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Range & Radar technologies.
Today marked the Demo Day of the third edition of Magic Spectrum, hosted at the Milan Luiss Hub, bringing to a close the three-year acceleration program. Magic Spectrum is part of CDP Venture Capital’s National Accelerators Network, managed by Zest Investments in collaboration with the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation (co-investors with CDP Venture Capital). It focuses on startups developing products and services for the ICT and telecommunications markets.
As a hub for cutting-edge innovation in IoT and 5G connectivity, Magic Spectrum aims to unite institutional investors, corporate partners, and high-potential startups. Over three years, Magic Spectrum allocated more than €5.5 million, accelerating 20 startups chosen from over 350 applications. The program also facilitated four follow-on investments post-acceleration.
Corporate partners such as Cisco, Inwit, Iren, Melita, Reale Group, UnipolTech, UnipolSai Assicurazioni, and Vianova, along with technical partners I3P, STMicroelectronics, and Var Industries, supported the accelerator. Their collaboration enabled six Proof of Concept (PoC) projects, driving industrial innovation.
Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, commented:
"Our foundation is committed to positioning Turin and Italy on the global innovation ecosystem map. Magic Spectrum is a vital partner in this mission, offering entrepreneurial expertise, funding opportunities, and high-level corporate connections to ambitious tech founders at the forefront of innovation. With three successful editions completed, we are proud to see this program as a launchpad for tomorrow’s entrepreneurial success stories.”
Ludovico Facchini, Portfolio & Operations Manager at Zest Investments and Program Director of Magic Spectrum, added:
"Magic Spectrum has built a strong reputation by combining progressive funding, robust industrial partnerships, and hands-on operational support for its portfolio companies. Every startup in our portfolio that has demonstrated growth by developing and commercializing proprietary solutions has benefited from sustained financial and market relationship support from Magic Spectrum."
The innovative solutions presented at Magic Spectrum’s Demo Day highlight the critical role of startups in the connectivity space. With the global IoT and 5G markets projected to reach $1.1 trillion and $620 billion, respectively, by 2025 (IDC IoT Market Report), the potential is vast.
The six startups showcased at Demo Day include:
AI4IV: Develops and markets sensors for artificial vision, leveraging innovative sensing and processing technologies. Optimized for outdoor environments, the sensors use a patented "neural" data detection and processing technology inspired by biological systems.
Heremos: A spin-off from the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Heremos specializes in data management and analysis to support pharmaceutical companies and CROs in clinical trials. Its proprietary Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) integrates hardware and software for end-to-end data traceability.
Lualtek: Provides farmers with tools to enable sustainable and efficient cultivation. By collecting and intelligently analyzing data with AI, Lualtek optimizes daily agricultural operations.
MTSYS: Offers a monitoring system through a sensor network to track underground utilities (water, gas, electricity, fiber optics). This reduces workplace errors and enhances installation safety.
TrueSense: Delivers state-of-the-art UWB technology for radar and ranging applications aimed at improving quality of life in health, wellness, and safety.
Yanchware: Simplifies the migration of solutions across cloud providers, cutting costs, infrastructure management time, audits, and security checks.
With its completion, Magic Spectrum has firmly established itself as a European hub for connectivity innovation, paving the way for future advancements in the ICT and telecom industries.