Scientifica Venture Capital launches Super Sapiens Europe: uniting Italy and France for a new era of European Tech Innovation

Scientifica Venture Capital, in collaboration with IREFI (Istituto per le Relazioni Economiche Francia Italia), announces the launch of Super Sapiens Europe Call4Ideas, an ambitious initiative designed to strengthen the innovation ecosystem between Italy and France. This program seeks to build a collaborative bridge between two nations at the forefront of European technology and innovation, with France already recognized as a key player and Italy on a promising trajectory to further establish itself as a leading start-up hub in Europe.
While France has already earned its reputation as a “start-up nation,” Italy is rapidly positioning itself to join this rank, demonstrating remarkable growth in its tech ecosystem and significant potential to become a key driver of innovation in Europe. Super Sapiens Europe aims to capitalize on these strengths, accelerating cross-border collaboration and creating a dynamic platform for European start-ups to thrive.

Strengthening a cross-border Innovation Ecosystem

Super Sapiens Europe is designed to engage stakeholders across the entire innovation value chain – from innovation hubs to industry players, research centers, and investors – building a powerful framework that encourages the exchange of ideas, talent and resources. By aligning the efforts of Italy and France, the program fosters a unified European approach to innovation, combining the strengths of both countries to enhance competitiveness on a global scale. The involvement of IREFI plays a key role in facilitating this cooperation, bridging economic relations and fostering partnerships between the two nations.

A launching pad for the most promising startups

This initiative is strategically designed for projects and start-ups with a strong technological focus, providing exceptional access to funding, industrial validation and advanced facilities. The application period runs from October 1st to December 1st and can be submitted through this website by clicking the apply button. 

Super Sapiens Europe is organized around 8 critical industry fields, which represent the most transformative sectors for future technological advancement:

• Smart Materials

• Advanced Manufacturing

• Aerospace

• Smart City & Mobility

• Agritech

• Climate Tech

• Quantum Technologies

• Generative AI

Projects must be relevant to one of these 8 sectors and will undergo a rigorous technical evaluation process to ensure that only the most innovative and viable initiatives are selected. The program aims to choose up to 16 of the most promising projects, adhering to the highest standards of innovation and execution.

Selected projects will be showcased to a diverse array of stakeholders within the European technology and innovation ecosystem, gaining significant international visibility. They will also have the opportunity to secure equity investment from Scientifica Venture Capital and a panel of involved venture capitalists.
Additionally, the proposing teams will gain access to Scientifica Lab Approved, a prestigious network of leading laboratories across Italy, established and connected by Scientifica Venture Capital to facilitate technology transfer. Moreover, the projects will benefit from industrial partnerships that will support the validation of their solutions and address key market and technical requirements.

Driving European tech leadership
As Europe seeks to define its role in the rapidly evolving global tech landscape, Super Sapiens Europe represents a crucial step toward creating a thriving and interconnected European innovation hub. By linking Italy and France’s start-up ecosystems, the initiative, with the support of IREFI, paves the way for the development of scalable, high-impact technologies that can compete on a global stage.

“Super Sapiens Europe is not just a call for ideas; it is a call for Europe’s future tech leaders,” said Riccardo D’Alessandri, managing partner at Scientifica Venture Capital. “By uniting the strengths of two powerful innovation ecosystems, we are fostering collaboration that will elevate both Italy and France as engines of technological progress in Europe.“

“This partnership between Italy and France, through Super Sapiens Europe, represents a unique opportunity to build a solid and lasting foundation for the European tech landscape,” added Fabrizio Maria Romano, president of IREFI. “By joining forces, our two countries are creating an environment where start-ups can thrive, grow, and compete on a global scale. Italy’s potential as a start-up hub is immense, and together with France, we are taking decisive steps to realize it.”

For more details about the Super Sapiens Europe and to submit your project, please visit this link