NICE AND DIGITAL MAGICS TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT AIMED AT DEVELOPING AN OPEN INNOVATION PROGRAM FOR HOME AUTOMATION AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS

NICE AND DIGITAL MAGICS TO SIGN A COLLABORATION AGREEMENT AIMED AT DEVELOPING AN OPEN INNOVATION  PROGRAM FOR HOME AUTOMATION AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS 

The international Group leading the home automation industry
joins the shareholding structure of the certified venture incubator
to co-invest in innovative startups

Milan, 11 March 2014 – Nice SpA, one of the major international companies specialized in home automation and lighting systems under FontanaArte brand, and Digital Magics, a certified venture incubator of digital innovative startups listed since July 2013 on AIM Italia of Borsa Italiana (ticker: DM) have announced the signing of a three-year collaboration agreement that entails common investment activities targeted to startups operating in the IOt area (Internet of Things).

To date, Nice and Digital Magics are jointly developing an Open Innovation Advisory program; the program will entail a systemic scouting activity with the objective of investing in the best initiatives – startups, research projects, patents, digital technology and innovation – in the Home Automation area with a specific focus on some Smart Home & Building segments (remote control, heating, lighting and anti-intrusion systems).

The venture incubator will periodically submit Nice SpA technology startups selected for their high-growth potential and high technology value and will also organize specific events at Nice SpA headquarters in Oderzo (Treviso). Thus, Nice and Digital Magics will jointly decide whether to co-invest in the business ideas specifically proposed.

With this initiative, Nice SpA also enters the Digital Magics Angel Network made up by over 100 private investors, institutional funds and industrial partners including Atlante Seed (Gruppo Intesa Sanpaolo), Banca Sella, Tamburi Investment Partners, Gruppo RCS, Gate14 Group, Gruppo Uvet and UniCredit.

Nice will collaborate with the incubator in the selection, mentorship and co-investment of ideas proposed and startups currently being developed and already deployed by Digital Magics. On its part, Nice will provide its skills and competencies and will submit new projects.

“I believe that this collaboration agreement has a key strategic value – said Lauro Buoro, Chairman of Nice SpA – as it increases the Company awareness of new contaminations relevant to the development of innovative solutions for the management of building lighting and automation systems; moreover, it enables the creation of possible synergies by leveraging a digital dialog with the research community”.

“This agreement provides an important chance to innovate the entrepreneurial fabric which is already present in our economy” – said Enrico Gasperini, Founder and Chairman of Digital Magics – “In many aspects, Home Automation and the IoT (Internet of Things) have specific features similar to the ones of the Italian entrepreneurship; as a matter of fact, the interest and attention of major international operators are highly focusing on these industries. Our digital competence center focused on scouting, research and development will deliver our incubator know-how and experience to a leading industrial group such as Nice in order to support its innovation process”.

 

THE IoT (INTERNET OF THINGS) MARKET

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology sector that allows an everyday object to achieve – through the Internet – its identity in the digital world. Gartner has placed the IoT among the Top Ten Strategic Technology Trends for 2014, and estimates 26 billion objects will be connected worldwide by 2020, for a market value equal to 1.9 trillion dollars[1].

According to a Research conducted by Osservatori del Politecnico di Milano in February 2014, about 80% of the Internet of Things startups worldwide received funds from institutional investors in 2013 (55% from venture capitalists and 23% from business angels). The Smart Home & Building segment (37% of the IoT startups) boasted an increase in the number of initiatives higher than 200% in the last two years.

IN ITALY

In 2013 the objects connected through a cellular network amounted to 6 million (+20% compared to 2012) for a market value equal to 900 million Euro in 2013, with an 11% growth, while bucking the downturn trend of the ICT market in Italy (about -5%). Today, about 1% of homes have devices for the remote control of the heating and/or anti-intrusion system, it is estimated that in 2016 there will be over 3 million connected household objects.

This Press Release is available online at www.digitalmagics.com in the Investor Relations section.

Nice SpA  – www.niceforyou.com 

Established in the early 1990s and listed on the STAR segment managed by Borsa Italiana, Nice S.p.A. is the international Group leader in the field of Home Automation offering a wide range of integrated systems for the automation of gates, garages, parking systems, awnings and blinds for residential, commercial and industrial applications, wireless alarm systems and lighting systems under FontanaArte brand. The Nice Group has started strategic plans targeted to a geographic expansion and the strengthening of high growth potential markets; it is also focused on the enhancement, completion and integration of its product lines in the multiple business units. Nice products stand out for their specific combination of technology innovation and design and are exported to more than 100 countries by generating over 80% of the Group consolidated revenues in foreign countries.

Digital Magics – www.digitalmagics.com

Digital Magics is a certified venture incubator of innovative digital startups which provide high-tech contents and products. Digital Magics is listed on AIM Italia, the Alternative Capital Market for small and medium-sized Italian enterprises with high growth potential organized and managed by Borsa Italiana (Italian Stock Exchange). Digital Magics sets up and develops Internet-based startups supporting founders, investing equity capital and providing acceleration services. It starts from talents and ideas, thus transforming them into successful, disruptive businesses operating in the Italian and international digital economy. The incubator fosters a culture of entrepreneurship and risk, thus contributing to economic growth and increasing the youth-employment rate. Digital Magics provides services aimed at fostering the establishment and development of digital startups and supports them in the search for new private and public – both Italian and foreign – investors financing the next development stages. The Digital Magics model is unique in Italy and is based on Digital Magics LAB, a team of professionals in charge of identifying, analyzing and launching new initiatives; it provides innovative startups with mentorship as well as with Finance, Administration, Strategy, Logistics, Technology, Marketing and Communication services, besides delivering a Business Management support able to speed up the business growth process.

Integrae SIM acts as Nomad and Specialist under AIM Italia Rules for Companies (Regolamento Emittenti AIM Italia). For the transmission of communications Digital Magics uses the SDIR-NIS circuit, managed by BIt Market Services, a company of the London Stock Exchange Group.

For further information:

Digital Magics – Press Office

Giorgio Bocchieri – Mail: giorgio.bocchieri@digitalmagics.com

Tel. 02 52505202 – Mob. 334 6853078

Burson-Marsteller – Digital Magics Press Office

Fabio Caporizzi – Mail: fabio.caporizzi@bm.com – Mob. 340 5250566

Luca Fumagalli – Mail: luca.fumagalli@bm.com – Mob. 348 4586948

Integrae SIM – Nomad

Luca Di Liddo – Mail: luca.diliddo@integraesim.it

Tel. 02 78625300 – Mob. 334 6501346

Nice SpA – Press Office

Anna Bertoldero – Mail: a.bertoldero@niceforyou.com
Elisa Chies – Mail: el.chies@niceforyou.com