The Business Nursery

We are a privately funded certified incubator for innovative startups

in very early stage phase, dedicated to Life Sciences.

Since early 2018, researchers and scientists have a chance to exploit and develop their innovative ideas in a top level scientific and managerial environment, where research, industry and market are closely intertwined.

Our Business Nursery™ offers to startuppers tailor-made support programs together with expertise specific to Life Sciences and a multidisciplinary result-driven team, focused on providing structure and stability to the first steps of newly born startups.

Furthermore, our international vocation enables our startups to compete on a global scale from the very beginning.
Our key strengths are the fully customized and flexible incubation programs coupled with our talent for blending into the innovation value chain by establishing complementary interactions with innovation hubs and technology transfer offices on one hand, funds, companies and other incubators and accelerators on the other.

Who we are

Describing Bio4Dreams in one word is tough, therefore we asked the “dreamers”.

Download our brochure 2019.

Our history

Bio4Dreams S.p.A. is born in 2017 as a spin-out of Sanipedia, a company spearheading a network of innovative SMEs in Life Sciences, and is backed by more than 10 years of entrepreneurships and successes in supporting very early stages projects and ideas in Life Sciences.

Study

2000-2007

From 2000 to 2007, Sanipedia’s team supported researchers in national and international research centers, to help them manage their projects, with a specific focus on the exploitation of research results.

First Investments

2008

Starting in 2008, Sanipedia jumpstarted several new innovative ventures in the Life Sciences industry.

Business Nursery Creation

2015

In 2015 Sanipedia created, within its own structure, a Business Nursery Unit – «Garden of Ideas» for the Life Sciences, dedicated to supporting and developing entrepreneurial projects at a very early stage.

Bio4Dreams Launch

2017

In the third quarter of 2017 Bio4Dreams has been registered as incubator for innovative startups in the Life Sciences, with the vision of creating a fertile environment, where the ideas and dreams of young scientists can settle down and grow.

Bio4Dreams became Ltd.

2018

Bio4Dreams diventa Società per azioni (S.p.A.) e 3 startup entrano nella fase di incubazione Bio4Dreams became a Ltd company and 3 new startups entered his incubation programs.

The Growth

2019

After 18 months of activities, Bio4Dreams opened 6 operative locations (Milan, Villa Guardia, Trento, Naples, Genoa and Trieste) evaluated more than 250 innovative projects and launched 9 innovative startups in Life Sciences.

our results

The figures of our Business Nursery.

evaluated projects

incubated startups

affiliated startup

[July 2021]

The figures of our Grant Office, from 2005 to date.

submitted proposals

funded projects

0.9 M€

total granted funds

0.85 M€

for Bio4Dreams' network

European Funds

[Q1-2021]

Annual activity report

Download the Annual Activity Report 2020

Download the Annual Activity Report 2019

Our team

A strong team of innovation driven experienced entrepreneurs, young managers and leading scientists.

Laura Ferro — Co-Founder & President
Laura Iris Ferro

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Pietro Conti

Co-Founder, VP Strategy & External Relations
Elisabetta Borello

Co-Founder & Scientific Advisor
Daniele Cusi

Corporate Relations Advisor
Fabrizio Renzi

Business Development Advisor
Maurizio Loiacono

CTO & Head of Marketing
Andrea Albertini

Financial Control Manager
Milena Luisa Baselli

Operations Manager & External Relations - Genova
Cristina Biasizzo

Barbara Codan | Operations Manager - Trieste — Operations Manager - Trieste
Barbara Codan

Innovation Hubs Developer
Chiara Bortolini

Business Administration Responsible
Laura Fagnani

Grant Office & Clinical Trials Responsible
Federica Rizzi

Grant Office Specialist
Alessandro Gaviraghi

Digital Marketing Specialist
Alberto Cantarelli

IT & Marketing Assistant
Lucrezia Barone

Operations & Marketing Assistant
Nicole Stefanucci

Administration area – Villa Guardia
Laura Simonetti

Administration area – Villa Guardia
Francesca Costarella

Business Development Officer & Innovation Circle Project Manager
Roberto Schiavo

Quality and Regulatory Affairs Manager
Simona Somaini

Scientific Advisor
Marco Matucci Cerinic

Co-Founder & President

Laura Iris Ferro

Degree in Medicine & Psychiatry
MBA @ Bocconi University, Milan
Top 10 innovative women managers in Italy
Founder/CEO several biotechs (including Gentium, IPO at Nasdaq)

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Pietro Conti

Degree in Medicine & Master in Health Management
>14 years as Director Health International Projects with local MoH & UN agencies
>18 years as Founder/CEO of >10 Startups in Health/Biotech
Board Member
Co-founder of Bio4Dreams

Co-Founder, VP Strategy & External Relations

Elisabetta Borello

Degree in Economics @ Bocconi University, Milan
>30 years in Healthcare advisory with focus on reengineering and complex clinical area design
Founder/Board Member of many biotechs
Co-founder of Bio4Dreams

Board Member

Carlo Frati

Degree in Economics @ Bocconi University, Milan
MBA, INSEAD
McKinsey & Co. (2000-2016): Partner
Capital Shuttle S.p.A. (2016): CEO
Banca Consulia (2017-present): CFO

Chief Scientific Officer

Fabio Bianco

Degree in Medical Biotech, Pharmacology
President/CSO – Neuro-Zone Srl
CEO – BrainDTech SpA
>15 years in Biotech/Pharma

Co-Founder & Scientific Advisor

Daniele Cusi

Degree in Medicine, Professor of Nephrology
Visiting Professor – several International schools
Chairman of several initiatives in Genomics and Proteomics: academic, startups & no-profit
>200 peer-reviewed papers, H-Index 57
Co-founder of Bio4Dreams

Digital Health Advisor

Leopoldo Frati

Degree in Electronic Engineer @ Politecnico of Turin
Former IBM South&West Europe Healthcare and Lifescience Industry Leader
Senior Advisor in several biotech companies
CIO at Nuncas S.p.A.

Corporate Relations Advisor

Fabrizio Renzi

Master degree in Electronic Engineering @ Politecnico di Milano
International Executive Program degree @ INSEAD in Paris & Singapore
30 years as Director of Technology & Innovation in IBM
RnbGate, Rnb4Culture and Rnb4Africa startups president and CEO

Startup Advisor

Claudio Rumazza

Degree in Economics @ Università di Torino
Innogest Capital: Partner, Responsible for the Life Science practice
Prima Industrie Group: CFO Finn-Power, Group Head Financial Planning
Deloitte Financial Advisory
A&G Management Consultants

Business Development Advisor

Maurizio Loiacono

BA (Hons) in Business Administration @ Brunel University – London
>17 in Health Care – Medical Devices market
Sales Management, Business Management, Market Access
Former Market Access Director Johnson&Johnson Medical
General Manager BrainDTech, Business Development Advisor Bio4Dreams

Head of General Affairs

Marco Gili

Degree in Law @ University of Turin
Executive Master in Business Management @ Politecnico di Milano
>11 years of experience in legal and financial aspects concerning SMEs and startups
Chief Executive Officer of Gip84 S.r.l.
Responsible for legal activities and general affairs of Bio4Dreams and startups
Responsibile for Bio4Dreams Turin office

CTO & Head of Marketing

Andrea Albertini

Degree in Medical Biotechnology with specialization in Business Development for Life Sciences @ University of Milan
>9 years in marketing and business development for startup and biotech companies
Responsible for ICT strategy and operations of Bio4Dreams
Responsible for Corporate and Digital Marketing activities of Bio4Dreams

Head of Grant Office

Costanza Conti

Degree in Veterinary Medicine @ University of Milan
MS in Statistics and Epidemiology @ London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
PhD in Molecular and Translational Medicine @ University of Milano
Project Manager of several European Research projects/networks
Responsible for Grant Office activities of Bio4Dreams and startup

Head of Business Nursery

Demetra Pelos

Degree in Biomedical Engineering with specialization in Biotechnology and Regenerative Medicine @ Politecnico of Milan
Industrial property management advanced course @ University of Milan
>3 years experience in the development of microfluidics devices and platforms for research and diagnostic purposes
>2 years experience in scouting and technical/scientific evaluation of biomedical innovative startups and projects
Responsible for Business Nursery activities, startup’s pipeline, and incubation programs management

Financial Control Manager

Milena Luisa Baselli

BSc in Physics Engineering and MSc in Nuclear Engineering @ Politecnico di Milano
PhD in Physics @ Politecnico di Milano
>3 years experience as a business analyst and consultant for several companies
Responsible for Management & Financial control for Bio4Dreams

Head of Accounting

Beatrice Notarnicola

Accounting school diploma
>35 years in administration, accounting, and billing activities
Responsible for accounting activities of Bio4Dreams and its network of companies

Operations Manager & External Relations - Genova

Cristina Biasizzo

Degree in Modern Literature, specialising in socio-psychology @ University of Genoa
Advisor at leading communication companies, with specialization in the development of advertising campaigns and image and organization of road shows for the entry into the Stock Exchange of private companies
Responsible for the institutional communication of the Department of Education and Work of the Liguria Region
Responsible of the institutional communication of the Liguria Region
Former member of CO.RE.COM

Operations Manager - Trieste

Barbara Codan

Master degree in Materials Engineering, PhD in Nanotechnology @ University of Trieste
Executive MBA @ MIB School of Management
Startup founder
Responsible for Bio4Dreams Trieste office
General Manager @ Urban Center Trieste

Innovation Hubs Developer

Chiara Bortolini

Degree in Modern Literature, Master in Digital & Design Strategy Innovation
Experience among Research Institutes and Foundations
Innovation Hubs Developer and Venice office manager for Bio4Dreams

USA Operations Manager

Emanuele Chisari

Degree in Medicine @ University of Catania (Italy)
Ph.D. Student @ Rothman Institute (Philadelphia, US) & MSc student @ University of Oxford
>5 years of experience in medical research with more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and 600k dollars in grant funding
Responsible for the expansion of Bio4Dreams in the USA and support for the Business Nursery

Business Administration Responsible

Laura Fagnani

Degree in Languages with specialization in Economics
>8 years in administration for startups and biotech companies
Administrative activities and accounting coordination for Bio4Dreams and its network of companies

Executive Assistant

Eleonora Giannese

Vast experience in administrative activities supporting companies and startup
Responsible for administrative activities of Sanipedia’s network, Bio4Dreams and incubated startup
Responsible for support activities to Management

Digital Marketing Manager

Tommaso Saita

Master’s degree in medical biotechnology with specialization in communication and marketing @ University of Milan
>7 years in digital marketing (web e social media)
>10 years in scientific communication
Responsible for Digital Marketing activities for Bio4Dreams and its network

Grant Office & Clinical Trials Responsible

Federica Rizzi

Degree in Veterinary Medicine, PhD in Molecular Medicine
Experience in developing and managing European research projects, in data management and in statistical genetics
Researcher and Grants Development Specialist at Sanipedia

Startup Analyst

Marco Dal Ferro

Degree in Functional Genomics and PhD in Molecular Biomedicine @ University of Trieste
>4 years experience in Applied Biology in the field of Recombinant Antibodies @ University of Trieste and Queen Mary University of London
Responsible for technical/scientific evaluation of biomedical innovative startups and projects

Administrative Assistant

Andrea Zamboni

Accounting school diploma
1 year in the administrative management of startups and companies
Administration/accounting/billing activities for Bio4Dreams and its network of companies

Grant Office Specialist

Alessandro Gaviraghi

Degree in Veterinary Biotechnology @ University of Milan
MSc in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering @ University of Milan
PhD in Biotechnology applied to Veterinary and Zootechnical Science @ University of Milano
> 15 years researcher in Biochemistry and Cellular Metabolism
Experience in writing and managing national and international research projects
Support for Grant Office activities of Bio4Dreams and startups

General Affairs

Giovanni Gallian

Degree in Law, Major in International Law @ Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan.
Master in corporate law focused on limited liability companies @ Just Legal Services-Scuola di Formazione Legale, Milan.
Short master in International Contracts @ ALTALEX – Formazione, Bologna.
>2 years in competition law, corporate law, civil law and litigation within top tier law firms based in Milan and Bologna
Support activity for legal aspects and general affairs of Bio4Dreams and startups.

Digital Marketing Specialist

Alberto Cantarelli

Master degree in Public and Enterprise Communication @ University of Milan
Specialization in Copywriting @ Accademia di Comunicazione di Milano
Experience in design, development and management of advertising campaigns within H48 digital agency
Support for Digital Marketing and communication activities for Bio4Dreams and its network

IT & Marketing Assistant

Lucrezia Barone

BSc in International Economics and Management @ Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi
In-depth study of corporate communication activities in international business environments
Support for marketing, communication and ICT activities for Bio4Dreams and its network

Grant Office Specialist

Alice Casalino

Degree in Biotechnology @ Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
Specialization in Medical Biotechnology @ Università degli Studi di Torino
Experience in Reasearch Laboratories in the field of Neuroscience and Liver Pathophysiology
Support for Grant Office activities of Bio4Dreams and startups

Operations & Marketing Assistant

Nicole Stefanucci

Degree in Biological Sciences and Technologies @ University of Trieste
Master degree in Science Communication “Franco Prattico” @ SISSA of Trieste
Support for communication and operation activities of Bio4Dreams and the Trieste Urban Center

Accountant

Monia Presotto

Long-standing experience in the Administrative and Accounting Department
Management of logistic and administrative aspects for companies in different industries
General accounting activities for Bio4Dreams and its network of companies

Administration area – Villa Guardia

Laura Simonetti

Long-standing experience in Back Office and Front Office activities, coordinating internal and external operational staff
Administrative and logistic support for commercial and production companies
Administrative and Logistic Coordinator for Bio4Dreams Villa Guardia office

Administration area – Villa Guardia

Francesca Costarella

Long-standing experience in administrative and organizational activities in top-tier accommodation facilities and for non-profit associations
Former provincial manager of the national association CAF and charitable institution for the management of fiscal and social security procedures
Management of events, conferences, and meetings for cultural association centers
Front Office and administration activities for Bio4Dreams Villa Guardia office

Business Development Officer & Innovation Circle Project Manager

Roberto Schiavo

Degree in Management @ Università Bocconi
International MBA program @ Tsinghua University
>4 years of experience in Venture Capital in China and in Italy
Bio4Dreams East Gate Project Manager

Quality and Regulatory Affairs Manager

Simona Somaini

Degree in Biology, M.Sc. in Molecular Biology @ Università degli Studi dell’Insubria
> 15 years as biomolecular researcher, Medical Science Associate, and Quality Control Analyst in pharmaceutical companies
In-depth knowledge of biological laboratory activities with specialization in GCP and GMP regulations and dynamics for the pharmaceutical sector
Responsible for regulatory and quality control activities for the startup BrainDTech and Regulatory Advisor for Bio4Dreams

Scientific Advisor

Marco Matucci Cerinic

Degree in Medicine, Professor of Rheumatology
Director Division of Rheumatology @ Univ of Florence
ISN Medical Advisory Board
Founder of The European Scleroderma Trials and Research group (EUSTAR)
Founder of the World Scleroderma Foundation
Editor in chief, J Scleroderma and related disorders
Member of Bio4Dreams scientific committee

Site Image & Architecture

Luca Soave

Degree in Architecture @ Politecnico of Turin
Assistant Professor of “Restoration” and “Architectural Restoration” @ Politecnico of Turin
>24 years in corporate architecture and brand design
Bio4Dreams locations design and corporate image coordinator