On October 1, 2025, in the Agorà Hall of the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino (I3P), the 19th edition of the Italian Master Startup Award (IMSA) came to a close. The Premio IMSA is the only national competition to reward the best young knowledge-intensive companies from the scientific research system of universities and public research institutions in the PNICube network, at least two years after their establishment, for their performance on the market.
The initiative was organized, as part of Italian Tech Week, by PNICube - the largest and most widespread network of universities, academic incubators, and regional Start Cups/local Business Plan Competitions - in collaboration with I3P, supported by Regione Piemonte with resources from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027, and sponsored by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and the French Embassy. Key partners included: Invitalia, Osif (Scientific Observatory for Women's Enterprises, University of Rome Tor Vergata), EIT Digital, Business France - Public Agency for the Internationalization of the French Economy, Institut français, GammaDonna, and Social Innovation Monitor.
The IMSA 2025 Award was won by the deep tech start-up AdapTronics, based in Milan, Bologna, and Turin: its mission is to reinvent the way robots grasp and manipulate objects, even in space. By winning the Italian Master Startup Award 2025, AdapTronics has earned its €10,000 cash prize, co-funded by PNICube and I3P.
Founded in 2022 as a spin-off of the University of Bologna, AdapTronics has developed a thin-film electroadhesive technology that is lightweight, versatile, extremely energy efficient, and requires no magnets or compressors. It is a plug-and-play system that integrates AI-based sensors to provide real-time feedback on proximity and force. Applications range from industrial automation to logistics, agriculture, and space, where it enables satellite maintenance and debris capture operations.
Alumni of ESA BIC Turin, the incubation program promoted by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and managed by I3P, AdapTronics has already raised over €1.3 million in grants and pre-seed funding and is currently raising a €3 million seed round, which will be used to further expand the team (currently 15 people) and increase production capacity to meet the growing demand from its more than 10 customers already active in the industrial automation and space robotics sectors.
“This recognition has special value for us because it takes us back to our roots and the path we have taken through the network of university incubators, which has given us so much,” said Camilla Conti, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of AdapTronics. “Networks such as PNICube are fundamental: as technicians, the approach to business and the market that they taught us was decisive, and we still use many of the tools and templates we received. Now we are looking ahead: the seed round we are closing will allow us to strengthen our team and production capacity, with the aim of reaching a Series A round in 2027 and consolidating our marketing efforts at an international level.”
“Start-ups born out of research are the beating heart of innovation: they transform knowledge into solutions for the future, but to do so they need time, resources, and trust,” said Paola Paniccia, President of PNICube and Delegate for Business Development, Startups, and Spin-offs for the University of Rome Tor Vergata. “We must have the courage to look ahead and support those who build value in the long term, because that is where the country's true competitiveness lies. With IMSA, we want to give voice to these experiences and encourage the ecosystem to grow together.”
Giuseppe Scellato, President of I3P and Coordinator of ESA BIC Turin, is also convinced: “Once again this year, as the incubator of Politecnico di Torino, we are proud to have supported the Italian Master Startup Award, which brings together the best Italian start-ups resulting from scientific research, offering an important opportunity for visibility at a national and international level. Congratulations to AdapTronics on their well-deserved victory.”
A Special Mention of the Jury was also awarded to Novac, Italian innovative start-up alumni of I3P and ESA BIC Turin. Novac, a spin-off of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, has created a new generation of supercapacitors: lightweight, flexible, and high-performance for automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications.
The award ceremony was preceded by a panel discussion on the theme of “Innovation ecosystems, start-ups from research and growth”.
During the proceedings, Francesco Profumo, EIC Board Member and President of Isybank, commented: "Every year, the PNICube network demonstrates how Italian universities are drivers of high-impact innovation. The finalists of the IMSA Award showcase truly disruptive ideas, capable of transforming scientific knowledge into concrete solutions. As the European Innovation Council, we are particularly focused on promoting deep tech companies that can generate enormous social, economic, and technological impact at an international level."
According to Francesco Morgia, from the Department for Enterprise Policies at MIMIT, “seeing the IMSA finalists present their projects confirms the value of PNICube for the national entrepreneurial ecosystem. Innovation born from research generates growth for businesses, skilled employment, and opportunities for strategic development, which are fundamental elements for policies supporting entrepreneurship and the competitiveness of Made in Italy.”
Anna Gervasoni, General Manager of AIFI and Rector of LIUC, pointed out that “thanks to PNICube, these projects not only generate technological innovation, but are also able to attract private capital and strategic investments, creating entrepreneurial development and training qualified talent for the Italian ecosystem.”
From an international perspective, Charlotte Diers, Head of Investment Division, French Embassy in Italy | Business France, noted: "France is looking at Italian innovation with great interest. The partnership with PNICube on the IMSA Award allows us to discover start-ups with a high rate of innovation and impact, promote transnational collaborations, and support the growth of truly innovative projects, such as Young Entrepreneur - YEP, which sees the collaboration between the PNICube and Pépite France networks." Thanks to the partnership, all finalist start-ups interested in setting up in France will have the opportunity to receive free support from Business France.
