Becoming Founders: Numbers, Alliances and New Horizons for B4i

With over 635 supported entrepreneurs, 68 accelerated startups, more than 172 pre-accelerated teams, a total of over €50 million raised by startups in the network and more than 200 jobs created, B4i - Bocconi for Innovation is now one of the most dynamic organizations in Italy for training and accelerating new entrepreneurs.

"Our goal," explains Nico Valenti Gatto, Operating Director of B4i, "has been to put founders' needs at the center from the beginning. We offer tools, expertise, access to investors and an extraordinary entrepreneurial community, but above all, an environment where you can ask tough questions, receive honest feedback and grow faster."

B4i’s offer is based on three pillars: the Pre-Acceleration program, dedicated to teams that have an idea that needs development; the Acceleration Program, for startups already at the prototype stage; and the new Future Founders Program, launched in 2025 to train tomorrow’s potential entrepreneurs. Each of these programs combines training, mentorship, technical support and concrete networking opportunities with investors, mentors and business partners. Activities take place both online and in person at the B4i headquarters in Milan, where over 25 startups have found a home.

The list of new firms that have passed through B4i is long and varied, ranging from health technologies (like Rilemo) to mobility solutions (Cargoful), from artificial intelligence (Nando, Scavenger) to data analysis (Mine Crime). Some have grown to the point of attracting international investors or establishing significant industrial partnerships. Others, as often happens in the world of startups, have stalled. But this, too, is part of the process. As Valenti Gatto reminds us: "What matters is what you learn, the connections you build, and the energy you put into trying again."

What makes the B4i model distinctive is its focus on entrepreneurial culture. "It's not just about creating companies, but about spreading a mindset that pushes you to innovate, experiment and not be afraid of making mistakes," continues Valenti Gatto. "That's why we also work with other Milanese universities, for example, as part of the MUSA/PNRR project. We organize events, challenges and innovation programs for students, alumni and investors."

This constantly growing community, which in 2024 saw over 2,200 participants in events, more than 200 active Alumni Angels and more than 50 Italian and international venture capital funds involved, is supported by over 400 mentors, 59 professional services partners and more than 30 law firms that collaborate on Legal Clinics, pro bono legal support programs for startups created in collaboration with the Bocconi School of Law. This successful model has also given rise to the Sustainability Clinics Service, dedicated to strategic support for startups in the scale-up phase.

The skills developed at B4i will also play a key role in revising the program of the Master of Science in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology, which, starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, will be renamed Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship. This is not just a title change, but a profound rethinking of the program's identity, which will include a novel focus on entrepreneurship, developed in collaboration with B4i. "We work closely with the faculty to offer academic training programs that emphasize learning by doing," emphasizes Valenti Gatto. "Entrepreneurship is no longer just an individual vocation: it is a skill that we can and must teach, practice and transmit."

This direction is also strengthened by the growing synergy with the Tech Europe Foundation (TEF), the foundation born to accelerate the conversion of scientific research into business creation, founded by Bocconi together with Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, the ION Foundation, FSI and the Milan Chamber of Commerce. B4i's consolidated experience represents a key asset. The two worlds complement each other: on the one hand, TEF is building a European infrastructure for deep tech, on the other, B4i offers an already operational model, rooted in practice and capable of generating measurable results. "TEF is the bridge between deep tech research and business companies and rests on solid foundations, such as those built by B4i and the other promoters of the initiative," concludes Valenti Gatto.

Today, B4i looks ahead, strengthened by the results already achieved and aware that innovation is built every day. Startup after startup, founder after founder.