Why apply to Impact Deal?

Innovators across industries are creating data-driven solutions to make our economies greener, fairer, and more resilient. But too often, critical business and sustainability data is locked inside corporates and institutional silos, holding startups back.

At the same time, corporations and public institutions sit on vast, underused datasets that could fuel innovation and scale positive impact, if shared responsibly.

Impact Deal bridges this gap.
We connect impact-driven startups, scaleups, Small and Medium Enterprises, and non-profits organisations focused on tackling societal en environmental challenges with:

Exclusive datasets from corporates and institutions (our Data Club) & PoCs opportunities & challenges.

Expert mentorship from data scientists and industry leaders

A trusted ecosystem of partners, investors, and innovators

Our mission: to turn bold ideas into scalable, measurable impact through data collaboration, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Why apply to Impact Deal?

Innovators across industries are creating data-driven solutions to make our economies greener, fairer, and more resilient. But too often, critical business and sustainability data is locked inside corporate and institutional silos, holding startups back.

At the same time, corporations and public institutions sit on vast, underused datasets that could fuel innovation and scale positive impact, if shared responsibly.

Impact Deal bridges this gap.
We connect impact-driven startups, scaleups, Small and Medium Enterprises, and non-profits organisations focused on tackling societal en environmental challenges with:

  • Exclusive datasets from corporates and institutions (our Data Club)
  • Expert mentorship from data scientists and industry leaders
  • A trusted ecosystem of partners, investors, and innovators

Our mission: to turn bold ideas into scalable, measurable impact through data collaboration, innovation, and sustainable growth.

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1ST STAGE

Training, validation & assessment, Data Pitch

Up to 30 selected enterprises

OBJECTIVE

  • Conduct a deep assessment of each enterprise (funding status, skills, priorities, business model, …).
  • Define data needs for the Data Club matching.

FOCUS

  • Investigate investment readiness and explore investor interest.
  • Set the foundation for impactful data collaborations.

ACTIVITIES

February to April activities

  • Online assessment meetings: with program organisers and Data Club members to refine business needs, impact goals and fundraising strategies.
  • Expert-led training sessions: on data, data sharing, and impact/sustainability strategies.
  • Data Pitch: a focused presentation on how each enterprise plans to leverage data to drive measurable social and environmental outcomes.

TRAVEL EXPENSES

€1,000 financial contribution per enterprise (to cover travel expenses for 1st STAGE kick-off event).

SELECTION FOR STAGE 2

1st STAGE participants will be evaluated by program organisers and Data Club members, the selected enterprises will advance to 2nd Stage.

2ND STAGE

Coming soon…

Business, impact and data-driven acceleration

Up to 15 selected enterprises

OBJECTIVE

  • Accelerate high-potential startups that excel in data collaboration and deliver meaningful impact.

FOCUS

  • Provide strategic mentorship.
  • Unlock investment opportunities.
  • Leverage data assets to fuel growth and amplify impact.

ACTIVITIES

April to July activities

  • Tailored business and data mentorship to address strategic challenges and scale impact.
  • Business & funding opportunities: partnerships, business cases and investment opportunities through the Impact Deal network.
  • Data-driven growth: direct access to datasets, matched with Data Club members, plus dedicated mentorship from ISI Foundation to boost data exploitation.

TRAVEL EXPENSES

€2,000 financial contribution per enterprise (to cover travel expenses for 2nd STAGE kick-off event and Demo Day).

4th Edition

⬇ scroll down to relive this edition’s timeline ⬇

9 February

Stage 1 cohort announcement

✔

🔗 Discover the 4th Edition cohort list 🔗

 

12 February

1st Stage Kick-off

✔

DAY1

  • Program introduction
  • Partner presentation  
  • 4th Edition’s Entreprises pitches
  • Networking Session

DAY2

  • Data Club & Ecosystem partners matchmaking (1-1 sessions)
  • Wrap up and explanation of next steps

📍 Torino, OGR Tech

20 February

1st Training – Impact

✔

by Cottino Social Impact.

Diving deep into the fundamentals of impact how to measure it, strengthen it, and embed it into core strategy.

speakers:

💡Mario Calderini ( Professor at Politecnico di Milano )
💡Giuseppe Dell’Erba ( Managing Director )
💡Caterina Soldi ( Development & Program Manager )

📍Online

 

16 February - 2 March

    Coaching sessions (1st round)

    ✔ 

    The first round is structured in this way: 

    • 1 hour round each Startup
    • Understanding the startup’s business needs, on with who the startup can be connected with, & road to Data Pitch

    📍Online

     

    23 February

    2nd Training – Growth Impact

    ✔

    From growth strategy to AI-first execution & learning.

    The session challenged our startups to move beyond intuition and build structured, data-driven growth engines, turning uncertainty into clear priorities, smart experimentation, and scalable traction.

    speaker:

    💡Pablo Barros – founder of Growth Impact, an Eight Positive Ai tool, diving into growth strategy and AI-first execution.

    📍Online

    4 March

    3rd Training – Impact investment

    ✔

    The session offered founders a deep dive into what it takes to attract impact capital from aligning business models with measurable impact, to navigating investor expectations, and building companies that deliver both financial returns and positive societal outcomes.

    speakers:

    💡Alice Segre (maze impact)
    💡Francesco Fontana (NEVA SGR)
    💡Lucilla Mazzeo (Scientifica)
    💡Francesca Badiali (Plug and Play Tech Center)

    📍Online

    9 - 19 March

    Coaching Session (2nd round)

    ✔

    The second round is structured in this way: 

    • 1 hour round each Startup
    • Useful business intros and Data Pitch review

    📍Online

     

    19 March

    4th Training – Data & AI

    ✔

    Exploring their growing impact on society, innovation, and decision-making.

    speaker:

    💡 Iyad Rahwan – Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, founder of the Center for Humans & Machines, and Fondazione CRT Premio Lagrange 2025 awardee.

    📍Online

     

    23 - 26 March

    Data Pitch Week

    ✔

    Divided in 4 days, the data pitch week will give the opportunity to each startup to pitch, and request valuable datas, to the Data Club members that have been matched with them, to further explore potential collaborations.

    📍Online

    13 April

    Stage 2 cohort announcement

    ✔

    🔗 Discover the Stage 2 cohort here 🔗

     

    16-17 April

    2nd Stage Kick-off

    ✔

    DAY1

    • Welcome agenda
    • Mentors speed dating & Aperitivo

    DAY2

    • Data Club corner
    • Stage 2 agenda
    • Demo Day Infos

    📍 Torino, OGR Tech

     

    May-June

    Business, Impact & Data-driven accelaration

    ✔

    Each startup will have deep dive into clear potential business opportunities.

    📍Online

    May-June

    Mentorship sessions

    ✔

    • 4 hours mentorship for each startup selected
    • 2 mentors for each startup

    📍Online

    May-June

    Investor Opportunities

    ✔

    Each startup will have the opportunity to get real feedbacks and connections for potential investment opportunities.

    📍Online

    14 July

    Demo Day

    ✔

    The closing event of Impact Deal 4th Edition

    • each startup will be pitching in front of Data Club members, Program partners and selected impact investors
    • Open entry to everyone

    📍 Torino, OGR Tech

     

     

    impact-deal-timeline

    Eligibility

    To join the Impact Deal Acceleration Program, applicants must meet all the basic requirements listed below.
    Additional nice-to-have features are detailed in the official regulations.

    • Headcount less than 250, and annual turnover less or equal to €50 million (AKA SME).
    • Operationally based in the European continent.
    • Aimed at growing and scaling by means of solutions based on Data and AI.
    • Established and/or incorporated at the date of the acceleration program starting.
    • Already started MVP or prototype testing and customer validation (TRL > 4).
    • Focused on tackling societal and environmental challenges and working toward at least one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.