OGR Bridging Growth: OGR Torino and Mind the Bridge join forces to support the international growth of high-potential startups
Each year, 15 startups with strong international ambition will be selected for a structured growth programme culminating in a CEO Retreat in Silicon Valley.
The initiative will be officially launched at OGR on 10 March during Scaleup Summit Turin 2026, featuring the participation of Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup.

Participation in the Scaleup Summit Turin 2026 is free.
Registration is now open

OGR Torino, the innovation hub of Fondazione CRT, is launching OGR Bridging Growth, a new programme developed in collaboration with the open-innovation platform Mind the Bridge, designed to support high-potential startups on their path toward structured international growth.

Targeted at the best startups selected from over 400 companies that have taken part in OGR Tech innovation programmes since 2019, OGR Bridging Growth will be officially presented on 10 March at Binario 3 of OGR during the Scaleup Summit Turin 2026, the Turin edition of Mind the Bridge’s international format, returning to Italy after an eight-year absence.

Through OGR Bridging Growth, each year 15 high-potential companies with a strong international focus will embark on a six-month program centred on growth, internationalisation, and business development.

OGR Torino will lead the initiative as a platform connecting startups, corporates, and institutions, leveraging its ecosystem and facilitating access to industrial and market opportunities. Mind the Bridge will contribute its scaling framework, providing hands-on operational support to founders and top management.

The goal is to identify startups with solutions ready to scale internationally and support them beyond the acceleration phase, transforming technological and market potential into solid, long-term expansion. Only a small percentage of startups successfully become scaleups; key barriers include access to international markets, limited relationships with large corporates, and fundraising that remains largely local. OGR Bridging Growth was created specifically to bridge this gap, turning potential into tangible growth.

Selected startups will receive tailored strategic and operational support through the collaboration with Mind the Bridge, which since 2007 has worked with more than 1,200 startups, contributing to USD 6.6 billion raised and over 50 exits (including 4 IPOs). The programme will focus on key areas agreed with founders: business development, go-to-market strategy and entry into new markets, fundraising, strategic positioning, and communication.

The journey will be structured around clear objectives and measurable KPIs, and will be further enhanced by a CEO Retreat in Silicon Valley, fostering international connections and direct engagement with leading global innovation players.

Scaleup Summit Turin 2026

The official launch of OGR Bridging Growth will take place on 10 March during the Scaleup Summit Turin 2026 at OGR Torino. The Summit will feature a half-day of discussion bringing together startups, corporates, and investors, focused on best practices in open innovation and startup scaling.

To explore the latest trends in Corporate Venture Capital, the event will host two leading international speakers: Marc Thom, Corporate Vice President of Henkel and Head of Henkel Ventures, the CVC fund of the German group, and Jan Lozek, Founder and Managing Partner of Future Energy Ventures, a venture capital fund spun out of E.ON’s CVC activities.

Significant attention will also be devoted to the evolving role of the Open Innovation Manager, with the presentation of Mind the Bridge’s new report Inside the Open Innovation Role. Profiles, Skills, and Challenges of Corporate Innovation Managers, analysing backgrounds, key competencies, and the main challenges of this emerging role.

The research findings will be discussed by leading figures from the Italian ecosystem, including Patrick Oungre, CEO of A2A Life Ventures and Group Head of Innovation at A2A; Giacomo Silvestri, Executive Chairman of Eniverse Ventures and Eni Group Head of Innovation Ecosystems; and Claudia Berti, newly appointed Chief Innovation Officer at Pelliconi, formerly Head of Global Open Innovation & IPR at Barilla Group.

Five scaleups that have grown within the OGR ecosystem will share their journeys, offering concrete examples of real growth paths. The Summit will also feature Eric Ries, entrepreneur and author of the bestseller The Lean Startup, creator of the methodology that transformed how startups and large organisations develop new products through rapid experimentation, measurement, and continuous learning. During his keynote, Ries will preview themes from his upcoming book Building Incorruptible Companies, dedicated to the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE), offering insights into the relationship between innovation, sustainable growth, and long-term vision.