Acceleration program

Acceleration program is a new model of startups accelerator, based on these pillars:

• Focus on environmental and social sustainability topics: the accelerator addresses startups that contribute to decarbonisation, the fight against climate change and the development of the circular economy.
• Non equity-oriented and business Impact: it develops entrepreneurial skills focused on medium-long term environmental and social impacts.
• Sustainability performance metrics and assessment: support for structuring a customized KPIs system on sustainability, applicable to each accelerated entrepreneurial project.
• In kind services: support services for startups through Eni's units and networks, with consultancy services on thematic areas with broad internal know-how.
• Connection with Joule Open: the full distance learning programme shall contribute to the acceleration programme through the experiences made available by its network of innovative entrepreneurs.
• Ecosystem acceleration: creation of a regenerative ecosystem of accelerators, corporate, research institutes and venture capital.

Joule supports around 60 startups every year, already or being set up, providing pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration and experimentation programmes. The fields of innovation of the proposed solutions run from the circular economy to process digitalisation, from renewable energy to agribusiness. With this new acceleration model, the startups in the Joule ecosystem have the chance to exploit the support services provided by Eni experts which make available their own know-how on different issues.

The main service provided by Joule to the startups in its ecosystem is the design of tailored methods for measuring ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) impacts generated by the incubated or accelerated entrepreneurial projects. This support aims to promote an approach oriented to transparency and continuous improvement.
In particular, in 2021 Joule developed a framework to assess circularity and social impacts together with the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, and particularly its spin-off Ergo, consistently with Eni’s circularity analysis model.
This framework is under development thanks to the joint work with Elis Innovation Hub and the startup Open Impact which, together with Joule, are customising the methodology for measuring ESG impacts of the startups in the ZERO accelerator.