Founded in 2011 in Turin, Italy, Synesthesia is a digital experience company that supports its clients (mostly medium and large-sized enterprises) at every stage of digital growth. Thanks to a highly qualified and motivated team, which is its most important resource, it is able to develop and market high-quality solutions (marketing, web, mobile, AI and IoT), absolutely not standardised but tailor-made according to individual needs. Thanks to a strategic vision and an innovative business approach – aimed at combining economic growth objectives with social and environmental activities – this all-Italian excellence has succeeded in asserting its leadership in its target market, clearly distinguishing itself from other market players. Having recently become a Benefit Company, Synesthesia’s priority objective is not only to maximise profit, but also to generate a positive impact on the territory in which it operates, as President and founder Francesco Ronchi and CEO Riccardo Recalchi state in this interview.
by Roberta Imbimbo
Francesco Ronchi with what mission was Synesthesia born? How is the company structured today?
Several souls coexist in Synesthesia, all closely intertwined. The core business, i.e. the production of software and digital apps for both the national and international market, is carried out by a digital factory that has been its beating heart for over ten years. It is in fact the place where our experts, who boast significant expertise in the world of technologies applied to communication and services, give life to ideas and projects, covering all areas of digital transformation in order to proactively anticipate the trends of a constantly evolving market. The Digital Marketing division, on the other hand, deals with the online promotion of our clients’ products/services through websites, social channels and advertising, in order to increase their visibility in the target market. Finally, our strong propensity for innovation has prompted us to extend the company’s core business to other strategic activities, creating an Academy and overseeing the organisation over the years of international events such as droidcon Italy (the first edition 9 years ago was a winning bet for us), Swift Heroes, and Flutter Heroes. Thanks to our in-house Academy, we also help companies improve their skills in technology (to make them more efficient and leaner) by offering advanced training courses for their professionals.
Riccardo Recalchi, Synesthesia pays a lot of attention to social issues, gender equality and environmental sustainability. Can you tell us about it?
Synesthesia has always been very active in the social sphere as well: it is no coincidence that in 2018 it set up SYX (Share Your Experience), a non-profit association created with the aim of spreading the conscious use of new technologies to particular audiences, such as the younger generations. During the lockdown due to Covid, it started the TuttiConnessi project, with the aim of realising a solidarity collection of digital IT tools for students in need. For years, we have also been working for gender inclusion in STEM fields by organising Girls Tech. We are committed to a virtuous corporate culture aimed at enhancing and incentivising the performance of women in the digital world (33% of our workforce, out of over 80 employees, are women) and will soon receive UNI/PdR 125:2022 (Equal Opportunities) certification. Last but not least, let’s not forget our Futurmakers technology school, completely dedicated to the world of the youngest, still in school age, from 7 to 17.
This year, Synesthesia also received its first sustainability award, the Sustainability Scorecard, a very important document produced by Ecovadis that attests to the company’s sensitivity to environmental, social and governance issues. Its strongly digital footprint and dedication to environmental sustainability was strengthened in 2021 when it was included in the list of Most Innovative SMEs and, from January 2022, became a Benefit Company: an obligatory step that attests to our long-standing commitment to non-profit, third sector and local and international policies related to the environment and sustainable development.
For further information: https://synesthesia.it
