Our IM Students Achieve Global Recognition with ECONOVA-AI
Published on 08 October 2025
For Federico Santi and Marco Sponticcia, both graduates of the Master’s Degree in International Management at the University of Bologna, the story of their startup ECONOVA-AI began much earlier than their most recent milestone. The two founders had been working side by side since high school, but it was during the IM programme that their idea started to take shape.
“We came into the programme with just an idea, nothing more. During the admission pitch we didn’t even have a business plan yet—only the willingness to try,” recalls Federico. What might have looked like an academic exercise quickly became a dual journey: completing their studies while building the foundations of a real business.
As Marco points out, “It was almost uncanny: what we were studying in class we were applying the very same week in practice with ECONOVA-AI. Theories on entrepreneurship and management stopped being abstract concepts—they became our daily routine.”
The IM programme thus became more than a study track. It was a testing ground, a safe but challenging space where ideas could be nurtured, questioned, and eventually taken to the next level.
The convergence of sustainability and artificial intelligence shaped the startup’s DNA. Federico and Marco initially focused on sustainability reporting but soon pivoted toward integrating AI into small and medium-sized enterprises. “Our mission is to democratize AI, to bring it into the heart of Italian SMEs and help break the productivity trap that has slowed the country for decades,” explains Marco.
A turning point occurred when they reconnected with Professor Gian Marco Mensi, their former high school teacher. Mensi, who had continued his academic path in finance and later specialised in artificial intelligence, brought the technical expertise that completed the founding team. His contribution helped transform ECONOVA-AI from a promising idea into a company capable of developing advanced, tailor-made AI solutions.
Operating full-time on their venture, the team has already overcome the critical two-year survival threshold that many startups fail to reach. They are now expanding to Padua with a new office in an incubator for startups and preparing for their first significant funding round.
Challenges remain—especially in educating clients and translating complex AI solutions into concrete, accessible products—but the founders see this as part of the learning curve, an opportunity to refine their approach and strengthen their impact.
The latest recognition came with ECONOVA-AI’s admission into the prestigious NVIDIA Inception Program, an ecosystem supporting the world’s most innovative AI startups.
“For us, it’s one of the most important milestones since our foundation,” says Federico. “We applied twice before, and on the third attempt we were accepted. Being part of NVIDIA Inception means access to their cutting-edge technology, direct connections with venture capital, and the credibility that comes with being an official partner of the world’s leading AI company.”
The partnership not only boosts ECONOVA-AI’s growth prospects but also places the Italian startup within a global network of innovation. In a landscape often dominated by Silicon Valley and China, their success highlights how ideas nurtured in a university classroom can reach international recognition.
These are not easy times. Yet, within the uncertainty lie extraordinary opportunities to imagine, build, and make a difference. The story of ECONOVA-AI is a reminder that studying is not only about preparing for the job market but also about learning to see beyond boundaries, nurturing ambitions, and transforming them into reality.
This is what the International Management programme enables: a space where knowledge becomes vision, and where students discover the power to shape their own future — and, in doing so, contribute to shaping the world. We are proud of how Marco and Federico have embraced and made the most of these two years together, turning their time in the programme into the launchpad of an inspiring entrepreneurial journey.
