Planet Foundamentals | Systemic Solutions for a Changing World is the programme by SocialFare that, after eleven years of activity, 17 editions and 148 startups accelerated out of almost three thousand applications, is opening applications for the first time also to social enterprises in the form of limited liability companies or cooperatives, alongside impact startups, through a call with no fixed deadline.
A Programme Becoming Multi-Target
Until now, Planet Foundamentals was aimed exclusively at impact startups with a validated prototype or a product already on the market. From 2026, alongside this target, social enterprises can also apply: two distinct types of organisations that will nevertheless share the same pathway and the same goal: building systemic resilience — economic, social and environmental.
This expansion is made possible thanks to the support of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, which funds the programme in its new cross-cutting dimension, while SocialFare Seed continues to manage investments dedicated to startups, with tickets of up to €150,000 in equity.
Why Now, Why This Way
The context in which impact organisations operate today has changed profoundly: conflicts, the climate crisis, technological acceleration and growing socio-economic fragility make any model that depends on occasional funding or on a single revenue stream unsustainable. Planet Foundamentals is being relaunched precisely to respond to this pressure, supporting organisations in rethinking themselves structurally, not as a response to an emergency but as a long-term strategic stance.
The Thematic Challenges
The 2026 programme focuses on six areas of intervention, grouped into two main strands:
- Social challenges: Digital Health, Inclusion and Well-being, Education & Culture.
- Environmental challenges: Energy Transition, Mobility, Circular Economy.
What the Pathway Offers
The selected organisations will access a pathway combining advisory and mentorship with thematic experts, sessions on impact strategy, business modelling, financial planning and fundraising, as well as access to a network of impact investors and hybrid financial instruments. For startups, there is also the possibility of receiving a seed investment through SocialFare Seed.
The programme relies on a consolidated ecosystem of partners: Invitalia, Generaimprese, ManagerNoProfit, Confcooperative Piemonte Nord, Legacoop Sociali Piemonte and Social Hub Genova.
A Rolling Call, With No Deadline
One of the most significant operational innovations is the structure of the call: there is no fixed deadline. Applications remain continuously open, allowing each organisation to apply at the most suitable moment in its development journey.
SocialFare’s Track Record
From the inaugural edition in 2015 — when the programme was still called FOUNDAMENTA and received over 100 applications at its first launch — to today, the pathway has supported 148 startups out of a total of 2,924 applications. SocialFare Seed, active since 2017 as Italy’s first seed investment vehicle dedicated to social impact, has supported 35 startups with equity investments. In the latest edition, DatAIMed (AI for evidence-based medicine), Envify (ESG reporting for SMEs) and Weply (a circular marketplace for used outdoor equipment) were accelerated and invested in.
In 2025, SocialFare received a mention in the Europe’s Leading Startup Hubs ranking by the Financial Times, which recognises the best accelerators and incubators across the continent.
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