Almost 95 million euros raised by incubated startups between 2011 and 2019, over 50 Open Innovation programs in five years, organized in partnership with Italian companies, listed on the AIM of the Italian Stock Exchange since 2013, among SMEs with high growth potential. We are talking about Digital Magics, founded in 2003 and one of the business incubator most important in the country.
Together with National Innovation Fund has just concluded a investment on six startups, including FrescoFridge of Enrico Pandian, for a total value of 3.5 million euros (of which 300 thousand guaranteed by Digital Magics). "We have faced the lockdown period and the next without ever interrupting the activities as did the startups we have in our portfolio - said the CEO Marco Gay to The sun 24 hours - And we did it with great attention to management and development. This led us to close the half-year report with a positive gross operating margin, which for a holding holding in startups and innovative companies is not trivial ».
The consequences of the lockdown
Digital Magics has faced, like all the other realities of the ecosystem consequences of the epidemic and the lockdown. The budget was described in reports of September activities. "The decline in investments by venture capital in Italian companies recorded a value of 240 million euros, down 23% compared to 313 million in the first 6 months of 2019. In this scenario of general uncertainty - reads the document - measures were launched to support the Italian economy, for the digital innovation sector: the most significant and concrete actions were those implemented by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, reinforcing once again the central role of incubators and accelerators ». Net of the crisis, the 75 startups followed by Digital Magics raised 8 million euros and the company's 2019 aggregate turnover also increased: 78 million euros (+ 32% compared to 2018).
In digital the North Star
In recent years the company has structured itself as a presidium and springboard for various early stage activities, starting partnerships and agreements with universities and co-working spaces, such as Talent Garden, thus enriching the panorama of innovation in Italy. Having digital as its North Star, Digital Magics is looking for startups with disruptive projects in sectors such as IoT, finTech / insurtech, health, travel, e-commerce marketplace, enterprise software, marketing, food, transportation + artificial intelligence, enterprise 4.0 and blockchain. There are two incubation programs on health and digital energy: Digital Magics HealthTech with Healthware International and Digital Magics EnergyTech with Compendia. Five acceleration programs are also active such as Magic Wand Fintech, Insurtech, Blockchain & Cybersecurity now in its third edition.
A training ground to react to changes
With nine locations including Milan, London, Padua and Turin, Digital Magics also confirms the value of incubators intended as a widespread reality in the area, capable of restoring development and economic growth in the various districts. Places where, in addition to developing new business ideas, a new approach to react to changes also grows. As stated in an article published on the Harvard Business Review, there are three good habits that a company must adopt in order to be found less unprepared: look outside since "the information that is most likely to influence the future is outside the window and not in the mirror"; develop relationships and grow your network because "it is no longer enough to share information one by one with partners"; finally, to update management and leadership practices. Quoting a phrase from writer William Gibson, HBR closes by saying that “The future is already here. It is just unevenly distributed ».
Alessandro Di Stefano
