Sella launches the first Italian acceleration program

Here comes Metaverse 4 Finance Accelerator, the first Italian acceleration program – promoted by the Sella group and realized by its Venture Incubator dpixel with the support of OGR Turin – which aims at identifying and supporting the growth of national and international start-ups for the development of innovative, economically sustainable, inclusive and secure solutions and technologies in the area of metaverse applied to finance.

The metaverse is a multifaceted, evolving digital environment designed to make people’s experience of the web immersive. According to Grand View Research data, the metaverse is expected to reach a global market value of $678.8 billion in 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39.4%. Founded on a combination of high-tech factors such as infrastructure, interfaces, hybrid/virtual experiences and creator economy, the metaverse can enable new and untapped market opportunities also for the world of finance.

The challenge

The acceleration program was created with the ultimate goal of bringing benefits to people on their journey towards and adoption of the metaverse, by proposing solutions that can anticipate and guide the developments of the metaverse itself. Start-ups already represent a pillar in the construction of the new digital environment, and even the smallest entrepreneurial projects can play a significant role in the growth of metaverse finance: start-ups are at the centre of this path and contribute to increasing the speed of innovation of large companies. The Sella Group is supporting the initiative to promote and enable finance in the growing area of metaverse finance.

The recipients

Metaverse 4 Finance Accelerator is aimed at national and international start-ups that are able to bring disruptive innovations to the market through technologies applied to finance for the metaverse. Requirements for start-ups include a defined core team, a clear value proposition, a prototype ready for market launch within 6-10 months and a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) greater than or equal to 6.

The phases and prizes

The initiative, divided into 4 phases, will take place over a period of 6 months: an initial scouting & selection phase during which the best start-ups will be selected, followed by a second business acceleration phase to support the business plan and identify the 10 best selected start-ups. There will then be the technical validation phase of the products and solutions for the 5 finalist start-ups (which will receive an investment of €100,000 each) before moving on to the “matchmaking” phase, which provides the opportunity to integrate the innovations developed within the processes of companies operating in the sector.

Stefano Azzalin, CEO dpixel, comments:

“In this unique period that combines evolution, discontinuity and transition to Web3, it is even more crucial to continue promoting an open and innovative ecosystem to boost ideas and solutions that are useful to citizens and businesses wherever they operate, in the physical world as well as in the metaverse. With this Metaverse 4 Finance initiative, the Group takes a further step towards increasing the country’s capacity to innovate and thus guide its growth and development, by involving exclusive partners and calling on national and international start-ups, which represent a vital resource to invest in for economic and social progress”.

Massimo Lapucci, CEO of OGR Torino, states:

“Among the many interconnected phenomena reshaping the social and economic dynamics of the present, the Metaverse represents a particularly challenging frontier full of opportunities. In fact, in addition to the unexplored potential of a real “new reality” in which to move and relate, there is the dimension of a megatrend that is today in full evolution and that will have far-reaching effects on all sectors of our lives, from socializing to gaming, from marketing to finance. For this reason, the commitment of institutions, organizations and companies capable of charting a direction in the sign of inclusiveness, security and sustainability, through the support and sharing of know-how and experience, is indispensable. This is the objective with which OGR Torino wants to be at dpixel’s side for the launch of the Metaverse 4 Finance Accelerator, with the awareness of being able to contribute to the development of a strategic and disruptive vision for the future universe of the internet and, therefore, of society”. 

The partners

dpixel, the Venture Incubator of the Sella Group, which has been operating for over 10 years in the European market and has generated over 36 million euros in investments, is the Accelerator Partner of the initiative, with the task of managing all the planning, implementation and investments of the initiative. The selected start-ups will benefit from the support of dpixel mentors and an exclusive network of partners for over 16 weeks.

OGR Torino is a 35,000 square metre international hub in the heart of Turin, a unique centre of experimentation in Europe, dedicated to contemporary culture, innovation and business acceleration. As an Innovation & Networking partner, it will provide the start-ups selected for the Metaverse 4 Finance Accelerator program with its network of financial, corporate and applied research centre partners, a business community of international standing, tools and services, support in intercepting funding opportunities (direct and structural European funds), and consultancy through a legal and tax help desk. In addition, OGR Turin will actively participate in the expansion of the project with the aim of increasing its impact on the territory and synergies with other projects active at OGR Tech. ogrtorino.it

Biella and Turin, 21 June 2022