Innovation Center Giulio Natta

What Innovation Center Giulio Natta does

Innovation Center Giulio Natta (ICGN), founded in 2018 and operated by Italian parent Simbiosi srl, is an innovation hub and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) ecosystem located on a 1,700-hectare renaturalized park in Giussago, Lombardy, roughly 18 km from Milan. The center targets startups, scale-ups, and corporates in AgriTech, GreenTech, CleanTech, ClimateTech, and FoodTech, providing turnkey physical infrastructure including coworking offices, laboratories, climate chambers exceeding 550 sqm, two conference halls totaling around 800 sqm, and certified instrumented test fields situated on land that has undergone a 25+ year regeneration program yielding a measured 153% increase in biodiversity and the restoration of roughly 2 million trees.

Underlying technology centers on a territorial-intelligence platform branded NBS Valley®, incorporating the proprietary Neorurale Model and Environment Field Margin agricultural method, patented i UTA sanification systems, controlled-environment chambers for hydroponic/aeroponic experimentation, Smart Land infrastructure (satellite monitoring, blockchain, fiber broadband, dedicated UPS), the RE.S.CO resource-efficiency framework, and emerging Machine Learning and Digital Twin capabilities for smart farming, climate control, and territorial analysis. ICGN also acts as a venture capital and company builder, supported by founder-family-office capital and a network of investor and academic partners including Politecnico di Milano, University of Pavia, Moonstone Venture Capital, EIT Climate KIC, and SPRING.

The business model is multi-stream and quote-based: recurring revenue from workspace, laboratory, and test-room rental (multi-year contracts); professional services revenue from corporate event hosting (team building, offsites, conferences, training) and consulting (strategy, finance facilitation, marketing, agricultural/sustainability testing); and venture capital participation in hosted startups, with the company retaining equity upside rather than disclosed fees. Customer base spans roughly 18 hosted startups and a diversified roster of Italian enterprise event clients across insurance, consulting, automotive, gaming, climate solutions, agriculture, pharma, energy, and industrial automation. Operations are regional (Lombardy), with strategic European reach via Horizon CircHive and EIT Climate KIC partnerships. No revenue or funding-round data is publicly disclosed.

Name

Innovation Center Giulio Natta

Legal name

Simbiosi srl

Website

https://innovationcentergiulionatta.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Innovation Center Giulio Natta operates Italy's first NBS Valley in Giussago, providing coworking, laboratories, climate chambers, and event venues to startups and corporates in AgriTech, GreenTech, CleanTech, ClimateTech, and FoodTech, with venture capital and consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Hub / Nature-Based Solutions Ecosystem

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Symbiosis & Byproduct Exchange Platforms (EUAIANAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Field Mapping, GIS & Digital Agronomy (Zoning, Prescription Maps, Yield Maps, Spatial Analytics) (AFAGALAG), Decision Support & Agronomic Modeling (Yield, Irrigation, Pest/Disease Forecasting) (AFAAAFAF), Captive/Global In-House Center (GIC) Setup & Managed Services (BPAEAMAK)

Keywords

• Nature-based solutions hub
• Innovation coworking spaces
• Sustainable agritech testing
• Venture capital company builder
• Corporate event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Giussago

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workspace and Facility Rental: Rental of offices, laboratories, test rooms, coworking spaces, meeting/conference rooms, and modular spaces to startups, scale-ups, and established companies seeking innovation-focused workspaces in a nature-based setting.
2. Event Hosting Services: Hosting corporate events including team building, team offsite, conferences, institutional events, training sessions, seminars, product launches, and roadshows. Revenue generated through venue rental and event coordination services.
3. Consulting Services: Support services including commercial activity support, business model analysis, strategic/economic/financial consulting, marketing and communication consulting, facilitated finance project participation, and administrative/accounting/tax management.
4. Venture Capital Investment: Funding startups and SMEs according to Venture Capital logic, with support from family office of founders and network of investors. The center acts as a catalyst for innovation actors in circular economy and NBS fields.
5. Agricultural and Environmental Testing: Support for testing in agricultural context using instrumented and controlled fields, cultivation protocol development, microbiome/biological soil fertility valorization studies, smart farming including Machine Learning systems, and circular economy/resource efficiency consulting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Innovation Center Giulio Natta provides a turnkey innovation hub for startups, scale-ups, and corporates in AgriTech, GreenTech, CleanTech, ClimateTech, and FoodTech. Its core deliverables are modular coworking and office space, certified laboratories and 550+ sqm of climate chambers, instrumented experimental fields, full-service corporate event hosting across 800 sqm of conference halls, venture capital and company-building support, and strategic, agritech and circular-economy consulting. The offering is anchored in a 1,000+ hectare renaturalized NBS Valley ecosystem that doubles as a certified outdoor testbed.

Product overview

Innovation Center Giulio Natta is an innovation hub and ecosystem platform offering integrated workspace, laboratory, and event services to startups, scale-ups, and companies in sustainability-focused sectors (AgriTech, GreenTech, CleanTech, ClimateTech, FoodTech). The core offering centers on the NBS Valley platform—a territorial intelligence ecosystem for Nature-Based Solutions—supplemented by physical infrastructure including coworking spaces, conference rooms, climate chambers, experimental fields, and laboratories. Add-on services include venture capital/company builder support, consulting (strategic, agricultural, circular economy), and event hosting capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coworking Spaces
• Climate Chambers (Camere Climatiche)
• Experimental Fields (Aree Sperimentali)
• Conference Rooms (Sale Convegni)
• Event Hosting Services
• Consulting Services
• Venture Capital & Company Builder

Quantifiable outcome

• 153% increase in biodiversity measured following renaturalization
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PoliHubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation hub collaboration with PoliHub, Politecnico di Milano's startup incubator, supporting innovation ecosystem development and startup acceleration.
• European Landowners Organization (ELO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with European Landowners Organization supporting sustainable land management and nature-based solutions across Europe.
• SPRING - Italian Circular Bioeconomy ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with SPRING, the Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster, for circular economy projects and European initiatives like the Horizon CircHive project.
• InnovupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Innovup for innovation ecosystem support and startup development activities.
• Future PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Future Power for energy-related innovation and sustainability initiatives.
• AssolombardacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Assolombarda for business events, innovation workshops, and regional economic development initiatives. Hosted Assolombarda Pavia events.
• Social Innovation TeamsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Social Innovation Teams for social innovation projects and initiatives.
• Reseau Entreprendre LombardiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Reseau Entreprendre Lombardia for entrepreneur support and business development.
• CONFINDUSTRIA CISAMBIENTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CONFINDUSTRIA CISAMBIENTE for environmental industry collaboration and sustainability initiatives.
• 24ore Business SchoolminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration with 24ore Business School for executive education and professional development programs.
• PROTIVITIminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partnership with PROTIVITI for business consulting and advisory services. PROTIVITI has held multiple team offsites at ICGN.
• Circular Economy Club MilanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Circular Economy Club Milano network for circular economy knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• More for the PlanetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with More for the Planet for sustainability initiatives and communication.
• EIT Climate KICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with EIT Climate KIC for climate innovation projects and summer school programs. Hosted EIT Climate KIC events with Politecnico di Milano students.
• Università di PaviacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with University of Pavia for research collaboration, student activities, and knowledge transfer. Hosted OTTIMUS project events and NODES-OnFoods seminars.
• Politecnico di MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Politecnico di Milano for EIT Climate KIC summer school and bio-inspired design projects.
• POYMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with POYM, organization dedicated to creating innovation networks in the Pavia area, for startup and innovation events.
• xFarm TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgriTech company hosted at ICGN that holds annual xDays events at the center for team building and strategy sessions.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs with locations across Europe. Closely comparable as a sustainability-oriented coworking/incubator platform targeting mission-driven entrepreneurs and corporates.
• Le Village by CA: Credit Agricole's pan-European startup ecosystem with physical hubs. Comparable as a corporate-backed, sustainability-inclusive innovation network offering workspace, acceleration, and corporate-startup matchmaking.
• PoliHub: Politecnico di Milano's startup incubator and innovation district. Directly comparable as a Milan-anchored Italian hub combining workspace, acceleration, and VC — and is also an explicit ICGN strategic partner.
• H-Farm: Italy's flagship innovation hub and venture platform based in Veneto. Directly comparable as a multi-service campus offering coworking, acceleration, VC, and event hosting for technology and sustainability startups.
• SPRING — Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster: Italy's circular bioeconomy cluster coordinating industry, research, and policy actors. Comparable as a sustainability-ecosystem orchestrator — and an explicit ICGN partner on the Horizon CircHive project.
• Beta-i: Lisbon-based innovation consultancy and hub running corporate innovation, accelerator, and event programs. Comparable as a Southern European player combining startup programs, corporate events, and ecosystem building.
• EIT Climate-KIC: EU-backed climate innovation community running accelerators and innovation programs across Europe. Closely comparable as a ClimateTech-focused ecosystem player — and an explicit ICGN partner.

Broad incumbents

• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris. Comparable as a mega-hub providing workspace, VC, and corporate programs; a much larger incumbent that competes for the same European startup and event mindshare.
• Wyss Academy for Nature: Pan-European research-to-practice institute focused on nature-based solutions and biodiversity. Comparable as a larger institutional player operating in the same NBS evidence, policy, and demonstration space.

Emerging players

• Climate Collective: Global climate-tech founder community and accelerator network. Comparable as an emerging climate-innovation ecosystem focused on supporting early-stage sustainability ventures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovation-center-giulio-natta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Innovation Center Giulio Natta