SocialFare was founded in 2013 in Torino as an innovative response to a specific insight and observation: current linear actions are not sufficient to tackle societal challenges. A new approach is necessary to develop and bring together competences, networks, and experimentations to design, test and grow social impact solutions. Social Innovation is that new approach enabling multi-stakeholder efforts for social good.
At the end of the 19th century, Torino could be literally considered the Italian “social city”, characterised and influenced by the actions of the so-called “Social Saints”, a group of knowledgeable educators and charity founders whose aim was to help the most vulnerables in the years of the first industrial revolution.
Since then Torino has always been characterised by a strong social and manufacturing vocation and today is ranked among the most important “innovation hubs”.
(Human+ Foundation’s Report. Torino startup. Una proposta per potenziare l’ecosistema locale, 2016)
In today’s context, made of challenges, competences, and opportunities, Social Innovation represents an important way to forge a new convergence platform enabling innovative approaches, networks and pilots to test and grow innovative solutions for social good.
Social innovation gives the opportunity to build so-called “demonstrators”: innovative projects, physical places, digital hubs and solutions which hybridize knowledge and practice to generate tangible and measurable outcomes to scale up and replicate.
June 2013
SocialFare foundation
The Congregation of Saint Joseph founds in Torino the first Italian Centre for Social Innovation. The company is incorporated as a Ltd – social enterprise.
September 2013
International reputation
SocialFare begins to be acknowledged at the international level. SocialFare is the only Italian case study included in Nesta “Good Incubation Report”.
February 2014
ENGIM and TOP-IX Consortium become SocialFare shareholders
SocialFare welcomes in its capital structure ENGIM, a national training and job service institution, and TOP-IX Consortium, a public-private consortium deploying technological infrastructures and digital solutions.
July 2014
International partnerships
SocialFare participates in the first edition of the European Social Innovation Competition ranking, as the only Italian project, among the top 10 finalists out of more than 600 European projects.
December 2014
Presentation of the first impact acceleration program
The Foundation Compagnia di San Paolo awards and allocates an important cash grant to start and pilot the very first social impact acceleration program in Italy. The program is aimed at accelerating social impact knowledge and entrepreneurship.
March 2015
Social Renaissance inauguration
SocialFare is promoter of a convergence innovation model and inaugurates Social Renaissance the place and convergence network to accelerate social impact knowledge and entrepreneurship in Italy.
April 2015
PerMicro S.p.A. becomes SocialFare shareholder
SocialFare welcomes in its capital structure PerMicro S.p.A, one of the most important microcredit financial institutions in Italy and Europe.
October 2015
Launch of the first Italian social impact acceleration program
SocialFare launches the first acceleration program aimed at accelerating social impact startups. SocialFare selects the best 16 startups among over 100 applications received.
July 2016
Oltre Venture becomes SocialFare shareholder
SocialFare welcomes in its capital structure Oltre Venture, the first Italian impact fund.
October 2016
Launch of the second social impact acceleration program
SocialFare launches its second acceleration program aimed at accelerating social impact startups. SocialFare selects the best 8 startups among over 100 applications received.
November 2016
SocialFare is acknowledged as one of the main actors of the local startup ecosystem network
and gets included in the “Global Insight for Turin’s Local Start-up Ecosystem” Report, by German Marshall Fund (USA), together with Torino Internazionale, Torino Strategica, Città di Torino, Città Metropolitana.
February 2017
Launch of the third impact acceleration program
SocialFare launches its third acceleration program aimed at accelerating the best Italian social impact startups. SocialFare selects the best 4 startups among over 100 applications received.
July 2017
Launch of the fourth impact acceleration program
SocialFare launches its fourth acceleration program aimed at accelerating the best Italian social impact startups.
November 2017
Foundation of SocialFare Seed
The private fund invests up to 500k€ per year in the impact startups selected through the call FOUNDAMENTA and accelerated by SocialFare
December 2017
Launch of the fifth impact acceleration program
SocialFare launches its fifth acceleration program aimed at accelerating the best Italian social impact startups.
January 2018
Social Innovation & The Future of Work
SocialFare writes the ITC/ILO Research Report dedicated to “Social Innovation and Work”.
March 2018
Launch of the sixth impact acceleration program
SocialFare launches its sixth acceleration program aimed at accelerating the best Italian social impact startups.
October 2018
Accelerate with SocialFare! The new systemic acceleration model is launched
SocialFare launches Design Your Impact #1 and FOUNDAMENTA#7: 2 calls and 2 different programs aimed to generate impact entrepreneurship in Italy through knowledge and entrepreneurial acceleration.
Aprile 2019
Launch of FOUNDAMENTA#8 and Design Your Impact #2
SocialFare launches the eight edition of FOUNDAMENTA, the acceleration program for social impact startup. The second edition of Design Your Impact is dedicated to entrepreneurial ideas and solutions that respond to sustainability and climate challenges, referring to SDG n. 13 Climate Action.