epiCura, the first digital home care provider in Italy that aims to simplify and innovate the personal care sector, and Young Platform, the Italian fintech platform that simplifies access to the world of cryptocurrencies, are the ex-aequo winners of the award dedicated to the Startup of the Year I3P 2022, assigned by the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino to the young companies that have most distinguished themselves for their achievements after three years of incubation.
The awards were presented during the annual I3P Startup Fest event held in its 23rd edition, which provided an opportunity to present the case histories, innovative products and services of the 25 new startups that joined the incubation program during 2022 and to launch those who have graduated, ready to face the market having successfully completed their path of entrepreneurial growth at I3P.
Winning startups
Giuseppe Scellato, President of I3P, said: "epiCura and Young Platform deserve this recognition as they have been able to invent and reinvent themselves over time, also in line with the needs of the market. For example, epiCura, with its solutions is positioning itself at the centre of the healthcare innovation process, while Young Platform with its crypto exchange features is operating in a sector that is constantly evolving and is thus able to address the new generation of investors. At I3P we are proud to have supported these startups on their path to growth: our goal is to continue to be a point of reference for innovation in Italy, supporting and promoting ideas and projects with high technological potential that work on services with a direct impact on the lives of citizens".
epiCura
Founded in 2017 by Gianluca Manitto and Alessandro Ambrosio initially to offer physiotherapy services, epiCura's project later focused on home care through on-call serviceto support the clients for short periods or specific needs, and full service for long periods. EpiCura takes care of the entire placement process, along with the contracts and any in-person replacements, while also providing psychological support to the family of the assisted person. There are more than 50,000 contacts of carers throughout Italy on the platform, and more than 80,000 hours of assistance are provided on average in a month.
Investors are also believing in the project: in 2021, with a major funding round worth a total of €5 million, epiCura closed its third capital raising operation and reached a total of €11 million.. Thanks to these resources, the startup has been able to work on its strategy to simplify a long-standing industry such as the health and social care sector , which, even today, is not very flexible and responsive to the needs of patients and family caregivers. Finally, in 2022, EpiCura inaugurated its new headquarters in Turin and its first two "epiStores" in Milan and Turin, strategically placed for people to learn directly about the services offered and optimize the recruiting processes of professionals.
Young Platform
Young Platform, founded in 2018, aims to simplify access to the world of cryptocurrencies through a platform of digital products and intense educational activity and awareness of blockchain technology and its applications. Among the top three cryptocurrency trading platforms in Italy with 36% market share, the company at the end of the first quarter of 2022 had more than 1 million users, accounting for 11 times the previous year's volumes, and aims to become a smart digital bank with a focus on new digital services.
After raising €3.5 million in 2021, in 2022 Young Platform closed a €16 million investment led by Azimut, in which a pool of investors including Banca Sella and United Ventures took part. With the new raised capital, Young Platform intends to support its development plans which include expanding its team - from 41 units to 110 by the end of 2022 - and geographic expansion into new markets such as Spain and France.
(Source: press release I3P)
