Pescara – It was the sale of the shares of APIO Srl held by FiRA SpA was signed yesterday afternoon in Pescara, which thus comes out of the share capital of the startup financed in 2016 from the StartUp StartHope Fund. A virtuous example, that of the high-tech startup based in Spoltore, which also confirms the success of StartUp StartHope, the support fund for small new innovative businesses launched in 2013 and structured as a real venture capital, with which the Financial regional acquired a percentage of between 15 and 45% of equity in exchange for investments of up to 1.5 million euros per single transaction.
“We must applaud measures like this one managed by FiRA – comments the councilor for Productive Activities Tiziana Magnacca -, for the important impact it has had on the territory, not only in terms of employment and related activities, but also because it has contributed to creating a new business culture, in Abruzzo, one based on innovation and capital attraction. I remember that StartUp StartHope was the forerunner of a new financial approach and today it is configured as a best practice, at a regional and national level, demonstrating that the planning of economic resources must necessarily start from the bottom, by listening to the territory, to provide the answers that are best suited to the growth and development of the production sector. With the regional budget we must continue in this direction, in a continuous dialogue with Abruzzo companies”.
“In 2016 we made an investment of 350 thousand euros by entering the share capital of APIO – explains Giacomo D’Ignazio, president of the regional financial institution – and now, as foreseen by the agreement and the shareholders’ agreements, we are exiting the company by selling our shares to Sun City, another important entrepreneurial reality financed by FiRA in the startup and which today, thanks to our initial support, has become a leading company in the provision of cutting-edge energy efficiency services. A double success, but also a double pride – underlines D’Ignazio – because these examples demonstrate how StartUp StartHope represents a valid initiative both for the birth of new businesses in Abruzzo, and for the quality of the financed projects and, last but not least, for the the attraction of investments that it entailed. If we think that thanks to our financial support we have allowed these young talents to stay or return to our region, rather than seeing them invest elsewhere, as often happens. Furthermore, with this Fund, we have reversed, at a regional level, a national trend: if in Italy only 10% of startups survive 3 years after launch, the number of new businesses financed by StartUp StartHope that overcome this ‘natural selection’ rises to 40%”.
Apio, founded in 2014, is an innovative SME specialized in the design and development of software for the energy sector, with a focus on smart grids and micro grids. It has become a point of reference for players such as Areti, Acea, A2a, Enel and research centers such as ENEA, thanks to its cutting-edge solutions. Apio participates in international research projects and holds patents in the field of digital energy. The new partnership with SunCity accelerates the development of innovative solutions in Balancing Service Provider, network flexibility and energy communities, strengthening Apio’s role in the energy transition.
