London – Young companies with high growth rates, otherwise known as scale-ups, have been protagonists in the last days of the fifth round of the Italy4Innovation series, launched last year by the Italian Embassy in London. The event, organised in collaboration with InnovateUK, SilverPeak, Orrick, Inventya, Fondo Italiano d’Investimento and ScaleIT and moderated by CNBC class journalist Angela Antetomaso, offered the opportunity to compare the scale-up world in the UK, which has a leading position in the sector, with 34% of European scale-ups, and in Italy. In Italy, several initiatives are under way to “fill the gap”: as recalled by the Italian Ambassador Raffaele Trombetta, the last budget law has introduced some important changes, including the possibility for the State to invest in start-ups as venture capitalists, as well as strong reductions for “Business Angels” who choose to invest in young companies. This is a priority area: scale-ups, companies with strong growth rates and the ability to expand on international markets, are in fact a fundamental engine of the economy, capable of generating high numbers of new jobs. (9Colonne)
